Six job difficulty levels: minimum pay in 2026–2027

Why the general minimum does not cover every job

The €915 minimum wage in 2026 is a general floor, not permission to pay the same minimum for every job. Labour Code §120 provides minimálne mzdové nároky: minimum pay entitlements according to job difficulty. This mechanism applies when employee remuneration is not agreed in a collective agreement. Where such an agreement exists, check its terms and other mandatory protections; it does not abolish the right to minimum pay altogether. Dohoda agreements carry the general minimum, but the six §120 levels do not automatically extend to student and other agreements outside standard employment.

Minimum rates currently applying in 2026

All figures are gross. Monthly rates assume a complete month on the full statutory schedule; hourly rates assume a statutory 40-hour week. Labour Ministry notice 244/2025 Z. z.:

Level	Monthly, €	Hourly, €
1	915	5.259
2	1,031	5.925
3	1,147	6.592
4	1,263	7.259
5	1,379	7.925
6	1,495	8.592

A higher level does not mean the night supplement uses that level’s hourly minimum. Night and weekend percentages use the general minimum hourly wage; holiday and overtime supplements use average earnings.

How a job is classified

The employer compares the most demanding activity required within the agreed kind of work with Labour Code Annex 1. A job title, qualification or nationality does not determine the level on its own. A short guide to the annex:

1: auxiliary and preparatory tasks following precise instructions.
2: routine skilled tasks, material responsibility or repeated supervised administrative work.
3: varied skilled tasks, independent less-complex duties or supervision of simple work.
4: independent specialist duties and some methodological or managerial work of greater complexity.
5: specialist systemic and creative tasks, complex duties or management of particularly complex processes.
6: creative solutions in fundamentally new ways and high responsibility, including the most complex systems with potentially extensive consequences.

This is a guide, not an automatic occupation list: disputed positions require comparison of the full statutory descriptions with actual duties.

The correct formula: do not multiply €915 by the coefficient

The current formula uses the 2020 base of €580: level minimum = (current-year minimum wage − 580) + 580 × coefficient. The six coefficients are 1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2. For level three in 2026: (915 − 580) + 580 × 1.4 = €1,147. Each successive level therefore adds €116, not 20% of €915. The hourly minimum for 40 hours is one 174th of the monthly amount, rounded to three decimal places as prescribed. The number 174 in the formula does not mean every month must contain exactly 174 working hours.

Checking a top-up: two examples

Example 1: a level-three position, a full month, €1,000 basic pay and an ordinary eligible €80 bonus. Comparable pay is €1,080, so the required top-up is 1,147 − 1,080 = €67. Another €90 in night and weekend supplements does not remove the €67 shortfall: after correction, the relevant total earnings are €1,237 gross. Example 2: the same position with an agreed half-time contract, working the entire month at that fraction: the proportional minimum is 1,147 / 2 = €573.50. These calculations assume §120 applies and no other circumstances affect earnings.

Statutory weeks shorter than 40 hours

For a statutory week of 38.75 or 37.5 hours, hourly minimums rise proportionately; the monthly minimum for the full statutory arrangement is not reduced merely because of that norm. For example, level three with a 38.75-hour statutory week: 6.592 × 40 / 38.75 ≈ €6.805/hour after rounding. Do not confuse this with an individual agreement to work 20 hours: part-time employment does not itself double the hourly rate. For midmonth starters or absences, the monthly entitlement is adjusted for the worked portion, while holiday pay, sick pay and other compensation are checked separately.

Confirmed rates from 1 January 2027

Notice 233/2026 has already been published. These future rates do not replace the 2026 table before 1 January 2027:

Level	Monthly, €	Hourly at 40 h/week, €
1	972	5.586
2	1,088	6.253
3	1,204	6.920
4	1,320	7.586
5	1,436	8.253
6	1,552	8.920

Every level rises by €57 monthly compared with 2026. If your comparable pay already exceeds the new minimum, the table itself does not require an increase of exactly that amount.

How to check your level

Ask your employer for the assigned level and the activity description used to determine it. Compare the most demanding required duties with Annex 1: independent complex responsibilities cannot be assessed only by the simple tasks also performed during the day. Then establish whether a collective agreement applies, the weekly norm and comparable earnings. If you disagree, identify the disputed duties and calculation in writing; keep the contract, job description and payslips. If unresolved, the labour inspectorate can check compliance, but personal debt recovery may require court action. Checked 8 October 2026; amounts are before taxes and contributions.