Minimum wage in Poland 2026: 4,806 zł gross and what counts
Short answer: Poland's minimum wage from 1 January 2026 is 4,806 zł gross per month and 31.40 zł gross per hour.
Every employee in Poland has a legal right to a minimum wage, and the figure is set once a year by the government. If you are being offered a job, it is the number your gross monthly pay cannot fall below. This guide gives the 2026 figures from the official regulation and explains what counts towards the minimum and what does not. Everything here is from the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy and from the Journal of Laws, read on 13 October 2026.
The 2026 figures
The Council of Ministers regulation of 11 September 2025, published in the Journal of Laws on 15 September 2025 (item 1242), sets, from 1 January 2026:
- a minimum monthly wage of 4,806 zł gross
- a minimum hourly rate of 31.40 zł
These are gross amounts, before income tax and social contributions are taken. To see what remains after deductions for an employment contract, use our take-home pay calculator.
Who it applies to
The Ministry says the minimum wage is a nationwide figure. It does not vary by region, industry, sector, occupation or qualification. An employee is entitled to it regardless of qualifications, personal grade, wage components, working time system or special working conditions at their employer.
It is set as a monthly rate for employees. It is revalued every year. The 2026 figure was set by the regulation of 11 September 2025.
What counts towards the minimum
When your employer compares your pay with the minimum, the Ministry says all components of pay and other benefits arising from the employment relationship count, as long as they are classed as personal remuneration under official statistics rules. That includes bonuses and prizes. In practice the test is your total pay for normal working time in the month, not only your base salary.
What does not count
These items are not included when checking against the minimum:
- a jubilee award
- a retirement or disability severance payment
- pay for overtime
- the night work supplement
- the length-of-service supplement
- a supplement for special working conditions
So if your base salary is below 4,806 zł and the employer tries to reach the minimum with overtime or seniority supplements, that does not meet the rule. Look at your contract and a payslip and compare the gross total for normal working time with the minimum.
Four worked examples
These examples are made up to show how the rules above work. They use the 2026 minimum of 4,806 zł gross for a month of normal working time.
1. Base pay only. Your contract says 4,806 zł a month. This meets the minimum exactly.
2. Base plus a bonus. Base pay is 4,400 zł and you get a fixed 450 zł monthly bonus. Bonuses and prizes count, so the total is 4,850 zł, which is above the minimum.
3. Base plus overtime. Base pay is 4,300 zł, and in a given month you also earn 700 zł for overtime. Overtime is excluded, so the amount that counts is 4,300 zł, which is 506 zł short of the minimum.
4. Base plus a seniority supplement. Base pay is 4,500 zł and the length-of-service supplement is 300 zł. The supplement is excluded, so the amount that counts is 4,500 zł, which is 306 zł short.
The point of the examples is that the comparison is made on the components the law allows. If your contract shows a base salary below the minimum, ask your employer to explain which components make up the difference and whether they are on the list of those that count.
What to check before you sign
1. Gross or net? Polish job ads usually state gross amounts (brutto). Ask which one is in your offer.
2. Contract type. The Ministry's monthly rate is the minimum for employees. If you are offered a civil-law contract or B2B, ask which rules apply to you, because the regulation also sets a separate hourly rate.
3. Working time. Ask what your working time and schedule are, since the minimum is compared with pay for normal working time in the month.
4. Components. Ask which parts of your pay are fixed and which depend on overtime or targets.
Where to check
The Ministry's page on the minimum wage links to a table of the monthly figure from December 1971 to 2026. The text of the regulation is public on the Journal of Laws website. The Ministry's page also lists the legal basis: the Labour Code, the 2002 Act on the minimum wage for work and the 2025 regulation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Poland in 2026?
4,806 zł gross per month, and 31.40 zł gross per hour, from 1 January 2026.
Is that before or after tax?
Before. It is the gross figure, so your net pay is lower after tax and contributions.
Does overtime count towards the minimum wage?
No. Overtime pay, night supplements and length-of-service supplements are not counted, but bonuses and prizes are.
Is the minimum wage different in Warsaw?
No. It is the same everywhere in Poland, whatever the region, sector or occupation.
When does it change?
Every year. The Ministry says the minimum wage is revalued annually, and the 2026 figure was set by a regulation issued on 11 September 2025.
