Slovakia’s minimum wage: 2026 rates and confirmed 2027 increase

Rates currently in force

From 1 January to 31 December 2026, minimum pay is €915 gross monthly for a monthly-paid employee and €5.259 gross hourly for a statutory 40-hour week. This is before taxes and contributions, rather than a guaranteed bank transfer. The rates were established by Labour Ministry notice 245/2025 Z. z.

For comparison, the 2025 rates were €816 and €4.690/hour. For a full month under unchanged conditions, the general monthly minimum increased by €99. These figures do not cover every position: where Labour Code §120 applies, the job difficulty level.

Who receives minimum-wage protection

Act 663/2007 protects employees in employment and comparable relationships; the general minimum also covers dohoda agreements, including student work. Foreign nationality, temporary protection or probation does not itself permit lower pay. However, an invoice issued by a genuinely independent SZČO to a client is not an employment salary: the monthly table cannot automatically be applied to it. First establish the agreement type and distinguish an independent service from dependent employment. Public-sector employees may also be subject to special remuneration rules.

Monthly and hourly pay require different checks

For monthly pay, a full month worked on the full statutory schedule is compared with €915. Do not divide that amount by the month’s actual 160, 168 or 184 hours and assume the result is the only valid hourly rate. For hourly pay, compare remuneration for worked hours with the hourly minimum: 160 ordinary hours × €5.259 = €841.44 gross. Monthly and hourly workers can therefore have different earnings in a short calendar month. Unpaid breaks do not normally count as worked hours; continuous operations and other statutory exceptions require a separate check.

Part-time work versus a shorter statutory week

For an agreed half-time contract against a normal 40-hour week, the monthly minimum is proportionately 915 × 20 / 40 = €457.50 gross for a full month on that arrangement. A statutory 38.75-hour week with regular alternation between two shifts is not part-time: the full monthly minimum remains €915. For hourly pay under a statutory week shorter than 40 hours, the minimum rises proportionately: 5.259 × 40 / 38.75 ≈ €5.429/hour after rounding to three decimals. An individual 20-hour contract does not double the rate to €10.518/hour: adjustment depends on the statutory norm, not the individual employment fraction.

Partial months: what is prorated

When someone starts midmonth or does not work all scheduled days, the monthly minimum for work is prorated. Illustrative example: the month contains 176 ordinary scheduled hours; the new employee actually works 88, with no other payable circumstances. The proportional minimum is 915 × 88 / 176 = €457.50. In a real payslip, annual leave, holidays, sickness and obstacles to work follow separate rules: reducing the minimum for the worked portion does not allow the employer to remove compensation that is due. First check the actual schedule, employment start date and absences, then separate pay for work from other payments.

Topping up to the minimum: an error example

The minimum-pay comparison excludes specified special components: overtime pay; holiday, Saturday, Sunday and night supplements; difficult-conditions compensation; and inactive workplace on-call pay. Suppose basic pay and an eligible bonus total €880 for a full month, with a separate €80 Sunday supplement. Despite the €960 total, a €35 top-up is needed: 915 − 880. After the top-up, the relevant total is €995 gross. An ordinary work bonus, by contrast, may be included in the comparable amount. Checking compliance solely against the overall gross-pay line is therefore wrong.

From 1 January 2027: a confirmed increase

As checked on 8 October 2026, next year’s rates have been published: €972 gross monthly and €5.586/hour for a 40-hour week. Notice 232/2026 has already established these rates, but they apply only from 1 January 2027. The monthly minimum rises by €57, and supplements linked to the general hourly minimum also change. For budgeting, distinguish December pay for work in 2026 from January pay for work in 2027: the bank transfer date alone does not turn last year’s hours into new-year work. Where pay already exceeds the new minimum, the law does not guarantee everyone an automatic €57 increase.

What to request if unsure

Ask the employer to identify your pay method, statutory weekly hours, job difficulty level and the components included in the minimum-pay comparison. Attach the schedule, attendance record and payslip, and calculate the difference. For a demanding job under an employment contract, €915 may be insufficient even when the hours are correct. Unpaid wages and other individual monetary claims are separate from an inspection: contacting the inspectorate does not automatically replace court recovery. See the pay guide.