In simple terms
The minimum wage (МРОТ, MROT) is the lowest salary allowed. If you have worked the full standard working hours for a month, your employer cannot pay you less than the minimum wage. This rule comes from Article 133 of the Labour Code (Трудовой кодекс), and the amount itself is set by a federal law every year.
From 1 January 2026 the minimum wage is 27,093 ₽ a month. This is the amount before personal income tax (НДФЛ, NDFL) is deducted, i.e. gross. The minimum wage is linked to the median salary in the country and is reviewed once a year.
What counts towards the minimum wage and what does not
Your basic salary, bonuses and ordinary supplements can be counted towards the minimum wage. But some payments are made on top of the minimum wage — the Constitutional Court has confirmed this:
- the regional coefficient and the northern supplement;
- pay for overtime work;
- extra pay for night work, weekends and public holidays.
If you work half-time or did not work the whole month, your salary may be lower than the minimum wage — the rule applies only to full standard working hours. A region may set its own minimum wage above the federal one; in that case, go by the regional figure.
Example: how much you take home
An employee worked the whole month and was paid exactly the minimum wage. The employer withholds 13% personal income tax:
27,093 × 13% = 3,522.09 ₽ tax; take-home pay 27,093 − 3,522.09 = 23,570.91 ₽
If you work in an area with a regional coefficient of 1.15, the minimum gross salary is 27,093 × 1.15 = 31,156.95 ₽. For a half-time job with full standard hours worked, the minimum is half the minimum wage, 13,546.50 ₽.
You can calculate your take-home pay with your own figures in the income tax and salary calculator.
Calculate it yourself
Change the numbers and the step-by-step calculation updates instantly. Russian rules for 2026.
Where else the minimum wage is used
- Minimum sick pay and maternity pay: if your earnings were low or you had none, the benefit is calculated from the minimum wage. You can calculate them in the sick pay and benefits calculators.
- The minimum childcare allowance for those who worked is 40% of the minimum wage.
- The threshold for the reduced rate of insurance contributions for small businesses in priority industries is 1.5 minimum wages.
Do not confuse the minimum wage with the subsistence minimum (прожиточный минимум): the minimum wage is the lowest salary, while the subsistence minimum is an estimated amount needed to live on, used to calculate benefits and subsidies.
How to avoid mistakes
- Compare the amount before personal income tax with the minimum wage, not what arrived on your card.
- The regional coefficient must be paid on top: a basic salary of 20,000 ₽ plus a “top-up to the minimum wage” that hides the coefficient is a violation.
- Check the regional minimum wage: in some regions it is higher than the federal one.
- If your salary for a full-time job is below the minimum wage, you can contact the labour inspectorate.
In Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus
Russia
From 1 January 2026 the minimum wage (МРОТ) is 27,093 ₽ a month (Federal Law No. 82-FZ «О минимальном размере оплаты труда», Art. 133 of the Labour Code). A region may set its own minimum wage above the federal one.
Kazakhstan
The equivalent is the minimum wage (МЗП, MZP): 85,000 ₸ a month in 2026. A number of benefits and the contribution caps are calculated from it.
Belarus
The equivalent is the minimum wage (минимальная заработная плата): from 1 January 2026, 858 Br a month for a full month of working time.
Sources: Labour Code of the Russian Federation («Трудовой кодекс РФ»), ConsultantPlus, Ministry of Labour of Russia («Минтруд России»)