Minimum Wages in Chandigarh (2026): UT Rates by Category, Hotel and DC Rates, and the Central-Sphere Floor

Chandigarh has three different wage floors, and which one you owe depends on who the work is for. A shop in Sector 17, a hotel in Sector 35 or a unit in the Industrial Area follows the half-yearly rates notified by the Labour Commissioner of the Union Territory. Outsourced staff in the UT Administration's own departments follow "DC rates". And contractors working for central government offices, banks or the railways follow the Centre's minimum wages. This guide takes the current UT rates from the Labour Commissioner's notification of 7 September 2026, explains how the index-linked revisions work and why they arrive late, and sets out the DC and central rates so you can tell which applies.

Quick answer

From 1 April 2026 to 30 September 2026, the minimum wage in Chandigarh is ₹14,737 a month a month (₹567 a day a day) for unskilled workers, rising to ₹15,812 a month for highly skilled workers (Labour Commissioner, No. ST/(CPI)/2026-27/1980 dated 7 September 2026). That period has ended: the October 2026 revision had not been notified when we last checked on 16 October 2026, so keep paying at least these rates and pay arrears from 1 October once it is.

• Nine categories, from unskilled to Class I staff — all within ₹1,075 of each other

• Revised every April and October: ₹7 a month for each point the Chandigarh index rises

• Hotels with food and lodging: ₹12,895 a month cash for unskilled staff

• Central-sphere work (Area B): ₹704 a day unskilled

Chandigarh minimum wages from 1 April 2026

The Labour Commissioner fixes one general schedule that applies across scheduled employments in the Union Territory, with a special schedule for hotels, restaurants, tea stalls and halwai shops. The categories go back to a notification of 25 November 2010; since then the rates have been moved twice a year by the cost of living index. The current notification covers 1 April to 30 September 2026 but was signed only on 7 September 2026, so most employers owed arrears when it came out.

The daily rate is the monthly rate divided by 26, rounded. The spread is narrow: a highly skilled worker's floor is only ₹1,075 a month above an unskilled worker's, because each half-yearly revision adds the same rupee amount to every category. In practice, skilled staff in Chandigarh earn well above the floor, but the floor still matters for helpers, cleaners, security staff, delivery workers and junior clerks.

These rates apply in the same way across the whole UT — the city sectors, the Industrial Area phases and villages such as Manimajra, Burail and Dhanas. The notification says any rise in the Chandigarh index is applied uniformly across the territory.

Chandigarh minimum wage calculator

Zone / employment

Scheduled employmentsHotels, restaurants, tea stalls (food & lodging provided)

Skill level / category

UnskilledSemi-skilled IISemi-skilled ISkilled IISkilled IHighly skilledClass III staffClass II staffClass I staff

Days worked in the month

Overtime hours

Actual wage paid (₹/month, optional)

Months underpaid

A full month is 26 working days; the daily rate is the monthly rate ÷ 26 where the order fixes only a monthly figure.

Monthly minimum (26 days)₹14,737

Daily rate₹567

Pay for 26 days₹14,737

Overtime at 2× (₹141.75/hour)₹0

Minimum gross pay this month₹14,737

Overtime is paid at twice the ordinary rate (daily rate ÷ 8 hours). Arrears assume the same shortfall in every month since the rates took effect on 1 April 2026; a claim under the Code on Wages must generally be filed within 3 years. Estimates only — check the order for your employment.

How the half-yearly revision works

The method is written into each notification. The Labour Bureau, which has its main office in Chandigarh, publishes a monthly consumer price index for industrial workers for the Chandigarh centre. The Labour Commissioner averages the six monthly figures for the half-year and compares the average with the previous one. For monthly-rated employees, every point of increase adds ₹7 a month to every category.

For the April 2026 revision, the indices for October 2025 to March 2026 averaged 2,270 points on the old 2001 base (converted from the 2016 base using a linking factor), against 2,245 for the half-year to September 2025. The 25-point rise gave 25 × ₹7 = ₹175 a month, which is exactly the gap between the old and new rates in the table.

The next revision, for 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, will use the April–September 2026 indices. It had not been notified when we last checked on 16 October 2026. Recent notifications have come out months after the period starts — the April 2026 one in September — so plan for arrears: keep paying at least the April rates, and when the October notice arrives, pay the difference back to 1 October.

Hotels, restaurants, tea stalls and halwai shops

Hospitality has its own schedule because many workers live in and eat at work. Where the employer provides no food or lodging, the general rates apply in cash. Where food and lodging are provided, the cash floor is lower, and the notification spells out the value of the food and lodging.

Two rules from the notes matter. Each index-linked increase is split in the ratio 7:1 — seven parts in cash and one part towards two meals and two teas — which is why the food value creeps up with each revision. And where an employer provides living accommodation, it may charge the employee no more than ₹50 a month for it. A dhaba in Sector 22 cannot deduct ₹2,000 a month for a shared room and still claim to pay the minimum.

Which category is each job in?

The 2010 categories, reproduced in each notification, are defined by education, training and the work done:

• Unskilled — manual work such as lifting, digging, cleaning, sweeping, gardening, guarding, washing, packing and filling; peons, watchmen, chowkidars, gatemen, beldars, khalasis, masalchis, ayas and vehicle cleaners.
• Semi-skilled II — workers below intermediate who learned a trade by experience: plumbers, tailors, barbers, stitchers, mates, painters, carpenters, light vehicle drivers, conductors, waiters, delivery men, bill collectors, assistant cooks and machine operators.
• Semi-skilled I — intermediate-pass machine workers, anyone with five years in a semi-skilled II job, and drivers of medium or heavy vehicles, cooks, halwais, tandooriyas, stewards, head waiters, photographers, computer operators and laboratory assistants.
• Skilled II — holders of a certificate from a recognised technical institution working in that trade: electricians, welders, fitters, turners, wiremen, motor mechanics, AC and refrigeration mechanics, compounders and software developers.
• Skilled I — diploma holders working in their discipline, or graduates doing skilled II work; includes medical representatives, marketing staff, chefs and technical supervisors.
• Highly skilled — engineering graduates or other professionals working in their field, and foremen, managers, executives or officers without managerial powers.
• Class III staff — matriculates working as clerks, timekeepers, munshis, storekeepers, typists, receptionists, cashiers, telephone operators, ticket checkers, nurses and nursing assistants.
• Class II staff — non-technical graduates doing Class III work, and accountants, stenographers, office supervisors, salesmen and purchase staff.
• Class I staff — assistant managers, engineers, officers, doctors, dentists and pharmacists without managerial authority.

Note the five-year rule in semi-skilled I: a plumber or tailor who has spent five years in a semi-skilled II job moves up a category. Keep joining dates and qualifications on file so you can show the right placement.

DC rates and central-sphere rates

DC rates. The Chandigarh Administration separately fixes wages for outsourced, contractual and contingency-paid staff in its own departments, boards, corporations and autonomous bodies. According to law-firm summaries of the 12 May 2026 notification (No. DC/DN/2026/2428), these run from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, and support staff such as attendants, helpers, peons, cleaners and chowkidars get ₹24,494 a month a month, up from ₹22,680, for eight hours a day. Higher posts go up to about ₹87,275. If you hold an outsourcing contract with a UT department, the DC rate is your floor, and it is far higher than the Labour Commissioner's unskilled rate. We could not locate the official text, so check the figures with the contracting department.

Central-sphere rates. Work for central government offices, central public sector undertakings, banks, the railways or the airport follows the central minimum wages. The Centre's area annexure places Chandigarh (and neighbouring Panchkula) in Area B. From 1 October 2026, central rates in Area B are ₹704 a day for unskilled construction, sweeping and cleaning, ₹794 for semi-skilled, ₹933 for skilled work and unarmed guards, and ₹1,024 for highly skilled work and armed guards.

Which rate applies in Chandigarh?

Who you work for	Rate that applies	Unskilled floor
Private shop, hotel, factory, school, hospital	Labour Commissioner's UT rates	₹14,737 a month a month
UT Administration department or board (outsourced staff)	DC rates 2026-27	₹24,494 a month a month
Central government office, CPSU, bank, railways	Central minimum wages, Area B	₹704 a day

Private shop, hotel, factory, school, hospital

Rate that applies

Labour Commissioner's UT rates

Unskilled floor

₹14,737 a month a month

UT Administration department or board (outsourced staff)

Rate that applies

DC rates 2026-27

Unskilled floor

₹24,494 a month a month

Central government office, CPSU, bank, railways

Rate that applies

Central minimum wages, Area B

Unskilled floor

₹704 a day

The tricity adds a twist. Mohali is in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana, so a business with branches across the three follows the rate where each employee actually works — the draft Chandigarh rules say so expressly. See our Punjab and Haryana pages for those rates.

The draft Chandigarh Code on Wages Rules, 2026

On 2 July 2026 the Labour Department published draft Chandigarh Code on Wages Rules, 2026 (No. 662869-HII(2)-2026/6249), with 30 days for objections to the Labour Commissioner. They take effect from their final publication in the Official Gazette, which we had not seen when we last checked on 16 October 2026. The Code on Wages itself has applied since 21 November 2025, and the existing notifications continue until replaced.

The draft proposes several changes. Daily rates would be divided by eight for an hourly rate and multiplied by 26 for a monthly one. A technical committee chaired by the Labour Commissioner, with employer and union members, would re-sort occupations into four skill categories — unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled — replacing today's nine. Employees who stay in the same category for more than five years would get a 5% increase over the prevailing wage for each completed five-year period. The cost-of-living adjustment would still be reviewed twice a year, before 1 April and 1 October. And employers would have to pay the minimum for the place of work regardless of where their head office is.

The 5% service increase would be new for Chandigarh. If it survives into the final rules, you will need joining dates and category histories for every long-serving worker on or near the floor. The national floor wage under section 9 of the Code had not been notified; the old advisory figure was ₹176 a day (advisory, 2017).

Worked payroll examples in ₹

Example 1 — a peon in a Sector 17 office. Unskilled: ₹14,737 a month.

• ESI (wages below ₹21,000/month): employee 0.75% ≈ ₹110.53; employer 3.25% ≈ ₹478.95
• EPF at 12% of wages (if covered): ₹1,768.44 each side
• Net pay ≈ ₹12,858.03

Example 2 — an electrician with an ITI certificate in an Industrial Area unit. Skilled II: ₹15,187 a month. ESI ≈ ₹113.90; EPF ₹1,822.44; net ≈ ₹13,250.66. Overtime is twice the normal rate of wages: ₹584 ÷ 8 × 2 = ₹146 an hour.

Example 3 — a live-in cook at a Sector 35 dhaba. Cooks are semi-skilled I. With food and lodging provided, the cash floor is ₹13,154, and no more than ₹50 can be recovered for the room.

Example 4 — arrears after the September notice. An unskilled worker paid the old ₹14,562 from April to August 2026 is owed ₹175 × 5 = ₹875 in arrears, plus EPF and ESI on that amount, and the new rate from September.

Example 5 — a housekeeper outsourced to a UT hospital. DC rate: ₹24,494 a month a month — ₹9,757 more than the Labour Commissioner's unskilled floor.

Monthly minimum-wage check for a Chandigarh employee

Step 1

Who is the work for?

Step 2

Private → UT rates

9 categories

Step 3

UT department → DC rates

Step 4

Central body → Area B

Step 5

Food & lodging? use hotel schedule

Step 6

Pay arrears when the half-yearly notice arrives

Daily-rated, part-time and contract workers

Chandigarh's notification gives a daily rate for every category, and that is the floor for each day a casual worker is engaged — ₹567 a day for a loader hired by a Sector 26 grain-market trader for a single day, or for a helper taken on for a wedding season at a banquet hall. Keep a daily attendance record for casual workers so that the wage register shows days worked against the amount paid.

For part-time work, divide the daily rate by eight. A cleaner who works three hours each morning in a coaching centre must get at least ₹567 ÷ 8 × 3 = ₹212.63 a day. Monthly-paid part-timers should be paid in proportion to the full monthly rate for their category.

Contract workers are owed the same rates as direct employees in the same category. A mall or hospital in Chandigarh that outsources security and housekeeping is the principal employer and can be held answerable if the agency pays below the minimum. Ask contractors for monthly wage registers, bank-transfer proof and ESI and EPF challans, and write the half-yearly revision into the contract so that the agency can pass on arrears without a dispute every April and October.

Employer duties under the Code on Wages

• Pay on time — monthly wages before the end of the 7th day of the next month; full and final settlement within 2 working days.
• Deductions — no more than 50% of wages of wages in total, and no more than ₹50 a month for accommodation.
• Equal pay — no difference between men and women for the same work.
• Records — keep employee, wage and attendance registers and give a wage slip every period; see our salary slip guide.
• Benefits — ESI and EPF come on top of the minimum.

Chandigarh minimum wage checklist

0/6

• Decide which floor applies: UT rates, DC rates or central Area B rates
• Place each worker in one of the nine categories; check the five-year semi-skilled rule
• Pay at least ₹14,737 a month to unskilled staff from 1 April 2026
• Use the hotel with-food-and-lodging rates only when both are provided
• Pay arrears from 1 April (and later from 1 October) when notices arrive late
• Watch for the final Chandigarh Code on Wages Rules

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Common mistakes Chandigarh employers make

Still paying October 2025 rates. The April 2026 notice came out in September; payrolls that didn't update are ₹175 a month short per worker.

Confusing DC rates with minimum wages. DC rates bind only contracts with UT bodies. A private shop doesn't have to pay ₹24,494 — but a contractor supplying a UT office does.

Deducting full rent for staff quarters. The notification caps accommodation charges at ₹50 a month.

Ignoring promotions by time. Five years in semi-skilled II moves a worker to semi-skilled I.

What happens if you underpay

A worker, a group of workers or a union can claim unpaid minimum wages under the Code on Wages within 3 years, and the authority can award the shortfall plus compensation of up to 10 times the claim. Paying below the minimum is an offence with a fine of up to ₹50,000 for a first offence and up to ₹1 lakh fine and/or 3 months' imprisonment for a repeat. Complaints go to the Labour Commissioner's office at the Labour Welfare Centre, Sector 30-B.

Official links

• Minimum wages 01.04.2026–30.09.2026 (No. ST/(CPI)/2026-27/1980)Signed copy reproduced by SGCMS
• Draft Chandigarh Code on Wages Rules, 2026
• Labour Department, Chandigarh Administration
• The Code on Wages, 2019 (India Code)

What to do next

Work out which of the three floors applies to each worker, move everyone on UT rates to the April 2026 figures, pay any arrears, and set aside a provision for the October 2026 revision. Then issue wage slips with our free salary slip generator, and read our guides to the four labour codes and the Code on Wages before the Chandigarh rules are finalised.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum wage in Chandigarh in 2026?

For 1 April to 30 September 2026, the Labour Commissioner's notification of 7 September 2026 fixes ₹14,737 a month a month or ₹567 a day a day for unskilled workers, rising to ₹15,812 a month for highly skilled workers and ₹15,522 a month for Class I staff. That period has ended; the October 2026 revision had not been notified when we last checked on 16 October 2026, and arrears will be due from 1 October once it is.

How often are Chandigarh minimum wages revised?

Twice a year, for April–September and October–March. The Labour Commissioner averages the Labour Bureau's cost of living index for Chandigarh for the previous six months and adds ₹7 a month for each point of rise. For April 2026 the index rose 25 points, so every category went up by ₹175 a month.

What is the minimum wage for hotel staff in Chandigarh with food and lodging?

Hotels, restaurants, tea stalls and halwai shops pay the general rates in cash where no food or lodging is given. Where both are provided, an unskilled worker must get at least ₹12,895 a month in cash, with ₹1,842 treated as the value of food and lodging. The notification lets employers recover at most ₹50 a month for accommodation.

What are Chandigarh DC rates for 2026-27?

DC rates are the wages the Chandigarh Administration fixes for outsourced, contractual and contingency-paid staff in its own departments, boards and corporations. For 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, support staff such as peons, attendants and cleaners get ₹24,494 a month a month, according to law-firm summaries of the 12 May 2026 notification. They do not apply to private employers.

Is the central minimum wage different from the Chandigarh UT rate?

Yes. Workers on central-sphere work — central government offices, banks, railways, central public sector undertakings and their contractors — get the Centre's rates. Chandigarh is in Area B, where unskilled construction, sweeping and cleaning pays ₹704 a day from 1 October 2026, about ₹18,304 for 26 days.

What is the daily minimum wage in Chandigarh?

The notification gives daily rates alongside monthly ones, equal to the monthly rate divided by 26 and rounded: ₹567 a day for unskilled, ₹573 for semi-skilled II, ₹576 for semi-skilled I, ₹584 for skilled II, ₹593 for skilled I and ₹608 for highly skilled workers, for 1 April to 30 September 2026.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 14 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Labour Commissioner, UT Chandigarh — No. ST/(CPI)/2026-27/1980 dated 07.09.2026: minimum rates of wages for 01.04.2026 to 30.09.2026 (scanned copy) — Labour Department, Chandigarh Administration (signed notification reproduced by SGCMS) · accessed 9 October 2026
2. 2.Chandigarh Administration Labour Department — No. 662869-HII(2)-2026/6249 dated 02.07.2026: draft Chandigarh Code on Wages Rules, 2026 — Labour Department, Chandigarh Administration (copy hosted by Simpliance) · accessed 9 October 2026
3. 3.Labour Department — Chandigarh Administration — Chandigarh Administration · accessed 9 October 2026
4. 4.Labour Bureau orders dated 30 September 2026 — revised VDA and central minimum wages w.e.f. 01.10.2026, with Area A/B/C annexure — Labour Bureau, Chandigarh, Ministry of Labour & Employment (published on clc.gov.in) · accessed 9 October 2026
5. 5.The Code on Wages, 2019 (No. 29 of 2019) — India Code, Legislative Department · accessed 9 October 2026
6. 6.Government announces implementation of the four Labour Codes (21 Nov 2025) — PIB — Ministry of Labour & Employment · accessed 9 October 2026
7. 7.Chandigarh Administration revises minimum wage rates for Government Departments and autonomous bodies (2026-27) — K&S Partners · accessed 9 October 2026
8. 8.Chandigarh govt notified minimum rates of wages for employees in various departments, w.e.f. 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 — TeamLease RegTech · accessed 9 October 2026
9. 9.Latest Minimum Wages for Shops and Establishments in Chandigarh (April 2026) — DCPSOL · accessed 9 October 2026