Minimum wage in Russia

What is the minimum wage in Russia

The minimum wage in Russia is the amount that an employer cannot pay an employee per month if he works full time and does his job.

Here we mean employees who work about 40 hours a week for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. For example, if an employee was absent for some time, was on unpaid leave, the salary may be lower than the minimum wage in Russia. If he worked 60% of the working time, then he must receive at least 60% of the minimum wage in Russia.

If you hired an employee in the office for half a working day, that is, he works four hours a day from Monday to Friday, then his salary must be at least half of the minimum wage in Russia.

Salary is the amount before deduction of personal income tax and other deductions, such as alimony, and not the money that the employee receives in hand. If after deductions he receives an amount less than the minimum wage, this is not a violation. In January 2024, the minimum wage was 19,242 ₽. Mikhailov, an employee of Teplitsa LLC, was accrued a salary for January of 20,000 ₽. Personal income tax was withheld from it at a rate of 13% – 2600 ₽. Mikhailov received 17,400 ₽, that is, less than the minimum wage in Russia. This is legal, since the accrued amount before tax is greater than the minimum wage. Salary can consist of a salary, bonuses, and allowances. The sum of the salary and some allowances should not be below the minimum wage in Russia.

The following are not taken into account salaries with the minimum wage in Russia:

– Bonuses that are not guaranteed to be received. For example, the manager’s salary is 15,000 ₽, the monthly bonus for achieving the planned sales volume is 8000 ₽. If a manager fails to meet the plan in a month, he will not receive a bonus and will only receive 15,000 rubles, which is less than the minimum wage in Russia and therefore illegal.

– Allowances for work in the Far North, regional coefficients and any allowances for special working conditions. Otherwise, work in an office and a hot shop is paid the minimum equally, which is unfair for shop workers.

– Sick leave, maternity benefits and some social benefits also depend on the minimum wage.

The minimum wage in Russia is set uniformly throughout Russia. In 2024, the minimum wage in Russia is 19,242 rubles. This is the minimum at the federal level, but it may be higher at the regional level. In the north, the minimum wage in Russia is multiplied by the regional coefficient

For example, in Aleysk, Altai Krai, the minimum wage in Russia for 2024, taking into account the regional coefficient, is: 19,242 ₽ × 1.25 = 24,052.5 ₽.

What is the federal and regional salary in Russia:

In the regions, the minimum salary in Russia is higher than the federal level.

For example, in the Moscow region, the minimum salary in 2024 is 21,000 ₽.

The local government, the regional trade union association and the employers’ association together set the minimum wage in the region.

Companies can only follow the federal salary in Russia and not follow the regional one. To do this, no later than 30 days from the date of the agreement, you need to send a refusal to the regional department that deals with labor and employment. When this concerns new companies, they can say about the refusal within 30 days after state registration. If the employer does not want to pay more, then he cannot refuse the regional salary without a reason. The reasons may be a difficult situation in the industry, a drop in sales, the need to fire some employees in order to increase the salaries of other employees and a difficult situation in business, for example, a company’s warehouse burned down, goods and equipment were damaged, so it temporarily has no money.

Attached to the refusal document are:

– A protocol of the employer’s consultations with the trade union. If there is no trade union, then indicate in the notification that there is no trade union.

– A proposal on the timing of increasing the minimum wage of employees to the regional minimum wage in Russia. After the employer resolves the problems, he will be obliged to fulfill the promise to raise wages to the established minimum in the region of Russia. The developers of the regional agreement can consult the employer and ask for additional documents, for example, financial reports to confirm the difficult situation in the company.

If your order is approved, then this only gives a deferment to pay the minimum wage in Russia. Then you will have to pay the increased wage on the date that the employer indicated in the documents.

The minimum wage in Russia in Moscow is usually the highest in Russia. In 2024, it is 29,389 ₽.

The minimum wage in Russia in St. Petersburg is also higher than the all-Russian one. In 2024, it is 25,000 ₽.

Regional authorities can set the minimum wage only above the federal level, but must not increase it following the federal level. If the regional salary is lower than the federal level, then employers will have to focus on the federal level.

District coefficients affect the minimum wage in Russia and they increase the salaries of employees in regions with difficult climatic conditions.

For example, in the Chelyabinsk region, the coefficient is 1.15. The minimum wage in Russia, taking into account the district coefficient, is 19,242 × 1.15 = 22,128.3 ₽.

There are different increasing coefficients in the regions, which are different for different cities and professions.

How the minimum wage grew in Russia:

Since 2013, the minimum wage in Russia has changed 15 times. In 2013, the minimum wage in Russia was 5,205 ₽, and from January 1, 2024, it was already 19,242 ₽.

The minimum wage in Russia is increased due to inflation and rising prices once a year. For example, in 2022, the minimum wage was increased twice from January 1 and June 1 because inflation was high.

How the federal salary in Russia has grown since 2013

Minimum wage introduction date Amount

– 01/01/2013 5,205 ₽

– 01/01/2014 5,554 ₽

– 01/01/2015 5,965 ₽

– 01/01/2016 6,204 ₽

– 07/01/2016 7,500 ₽

– 07/01/2017 7,800 ₽

– 01/01/2018 9,489 ₽

– 05/01/2018 11,163 ₽

– 01/01/2019 11,280 ₽

– 01/01/2020 12,130 ₽

– 01/01/2021 12,792 ₽

– 01/01/2022 13,890 ₽

– 06/01/2022 15,279 ₽

– 01/01/2023 16,242 ₽

– 01/01/2024 19,242 ₽

What does the minimum wage in Russia affect:

The minimum wage in Russia affects the size of the salary, vacation pay, travel allowances, temporary disability benefits and child care benefits.

In the cities of the North and nearby localities, all amounts are multiplied by the regional coefficient. The exception here is contributions at a reduced rate for small and medium businesses.

If an employee fulfills his job duties and has worked for a whole month, then his salary cannot be lower than the minimum wage in Russia. If the minimum wage in Russia was increased and the employee’s salary turned out to be lower, then the employer must pay extra money.

How to increase salary to the minimum wage in Russia

There are three methods to increase salary to the minimum wage in Russia:

– Raise the fixed part. To do this, issue an order to increase the salary, an order to amend the staffing schedule, and conclude additional agreements to employment contracts. This will be done for the period until the minimum wage in Russia increases again and becomes higher than the salary.

– Conduct indexation. Salaries are increased by a certain percentage. Indexation can be done by the same percentage each time the minimum wage in Russia is raised. For indexation, you need an order to increase the salary and an order to amend the staffing schedule.

– Pay up to the minimum wage in Russia. Pay the missing part once in the month when the salary turned out to be lower than the minimum wage in Russia. But this can be done temporarily. Later, you must still raise the fixed part. This is a good option when the salary of one or more employees for the full month turned out to be lower than the minimum. First, you must issue an order to pay up to the minimum wage in Russia. The staffing schedule and employment contract do not change.

Vacation pay is calculated based on the employee’s payments for the previous 12 months. The pay for each day of vacation cannot be less than the average daily wage at the minimum wage in Russia. In 2024, it is 19,242 ₽ / 29.3 days (this is the average number of days in a month) = 656.72 ₽ per day. If an employee works a shorter working day, the minimum wage in Russia is proportionally reduced for vacation.

Business trip pay is calculated from the employee’s salary and the time worked for the previous 12 months. Business trip pay for a full calendar month cannot be lower than the federal minimum wage in Russia. Pay for each day of a business trip must not be less than the average daily earnings at the minimum wage: 19,242 ₽ / 29.3 days = 656.72 ₽ per day.

This amount does not include travel, accommodation and per diem.

Sickness benefits are calculated as a percentage of average earnings: 60, 80 or 100%, depending on length of service. But in any case, the benefit for a full calendar month cannot be lower than the minimum wage in Russia, that is, in 2024 – 19,242 ₽.

The minimum amount of sickness benefits for one day at the minimum wage in Russia:

– in months with 31 days, for example in January 2024 – 620.7 ₽: 19,242 ₽ / 31;

– in months with 30 days, for example in April 2024 – 641.4 ₽: 19,242 ₽ / 30;

– in February 2024 — 663.52 ₽: 19,242 ₽ / 29.

If the work experience is less than six months, then the sickness benefit is calculated based on the minimum wage in Russia.

If the employee worked a shortened working day, then the minimum wage in Russia is proportionally reduced. If the employee worked half a working day, then the minimum sickness benefit is equal to half the daily wage in Russia.

The child care benefit for up to one and a half years for working women cannot be less than 7696.8 rubles per month.

Since February 1, 2024, there is a minimum fixed benefit of 9227.24 ₽. Since the amount calculated based on the minimum wage is less, a minimum fixed benefit is now assigned. For example, this is how much women receive who paid voluntary social insurance contributions in the previous year.

Insurance premiums. Small and medium-sized businesses with up to 1,500 employees pay insurance premiums for employees at a reduced rate – 15% of payments in excess of the federal salary on January 1 per month, that is, in 2024 – 19,242 ₽.

What is the minimum wage in the regions of Russia

This article lists the minimum wage in Russia in the regions, taking into account the regional coefficients. In some regions, they also add a percentage surcharge greater than the specified amount for work experience in the regions of the Far North and equivalent localities.

Minimum wage in different regions of Russia

– Altai Krai 21,070.0 ₽ × regional coefficient;

– Bashkortostan 20,339.0 ₽ × regional coefficient;

– Krasnodar Krai 20,204.1 ₽;

– Moscow Region 21,000.0 ₽;

– Orenburg Region 19,242.0 ₽ × regional coefficient;

– Rostov Region 23,090.4 ₽;

– Sverdlovsk region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Stavropol region 22,740.0 ₽;

– Tatarstan 22,020.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Chelyabinsk region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Adygea 19,242.0 ₽;

– Altai — Republic 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Amur region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Arkhangelsk region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Astrakhan region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Belgorod Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Bryansk Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Buryatia 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Vladimir Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Volgograd Oblast 21,166.2 ₽;

– Vologda Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Voronezh Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Dagestan 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Jewish Autonomous Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Zabaykalsky Krai 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Ivanovo Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Ingushetia 19,242.0 ₽;

– Irkutsk Region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Kabardino-Balkarian Republic 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Kaliningrad Region 20,000.0 ₽;

– Kalmykia 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Kaluga Region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Kamchatka Krai 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Karachay-Cherkess Republic 19,242.0 ₽;

– Karelia 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient or 22,992.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Kirov Region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Komi 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Kostroma Region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Krasnoyarsk Territory 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Crimea 19,242.0 ₽;

– Kurgan Region 22,128.3 ₽;

– Kursk Region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Leningrad Region 20,125.0 ₽;

– Lipetsk region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Magadan region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Mari El 19,242.0 ₽;

– Mordovia 19,242.0 ₽;

– Moscow 29,389.0 ₽;

– Murmansk region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Nenets Autonomous Okrug 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Nizhny Novgorod region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Novgorod region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Novosibirsk region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Omsk region 19,500.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Oryol region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Penza region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Perm region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Primorsky region 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Pskov region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Ryazan region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Samara region 19,242.0 ₽;

– Saint Petersburg 25,000.0 ₽;

– Saratov region 20,000.0 ₽;

– Sakha (Yakutia) 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Sakhalin Oblast 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Sevastopol 19,242.0 ₽;

– North Ossetia-Alania 19,242.0 ₽;

– Smolensk Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Tambov Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Tver Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Tomsk Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Tula Oblast 20,650.0 ₽;

– Tuva 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Tyumen Oblast 19,242.0 ₽;

– Udmurt Republic 19,242 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Ulyanovsk Region 19,242.0 ₽ or 19,800.0 ₽;

– Khabarovsk Krai 19,242.0 ₽;

– Khakassia 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient;

– Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra 19,242.0 ₽;

– Chechen Republic 19,242.0 ₽;

– Chuvashia Republic 19,242.0 ₽;

– Chukotka Autonomous Okrug 19,242.0 ₽;

– Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug 19,242.0 ₽ × district coefficient, but not lower than the subsistence minimum;

– Yaroslavl region 19,300.0 ₽.

What amounts to pay above the minimum wage in Russia

When paying for work at the minimum wage, it does not include additional payments for the complexity of the work, for example, for overtime work, as well as allowances and regional coefficients for work in the Far North. That is, a person must receive for a full month of work no less than the minimum wage in Russia without taking into account these amounts.

Overtime and work on weekends. All work in excess of the working day must be paid, and the additional payment is not included in the minimum wage in Russia. For example, the company’s working days are from Monday to Friday, but the office was flooded by neighbors, so the employees were forced to come to the office on Saturday to help sort out wet things. This is an example of working on weekends when the company must pay wages above the minimum wage in Russia.

Let’s say the company works from Monday to Friday, but the office was flooded by neighbors, and the manager asked the employees to come out on Saturday to help sort out wet things. This is an example of working on weekends, for which you must pay above the minimum wage.

Allowances. Sometimes the employer is obliged to increase payments by the regional coefficient and the allowance. Allowances are used in the North.

Different districts of the same region can set different coefficients. For example, in the Tomsk region, regional coefficients of 1.3 and 1.5 are in effect. Any of these coefficients can be used for employees because this is an allowance over the minimum wage in Russia.

Fines for employers for paying wages below the minimum wage in Russia

If your salary is less than the minimum wage, the employer can be checked by a special inspection and, possibly, receive a fine. For individual entrepreneurs and small businesses, the fine will be from 1,000 to 5,000 ₽, for medium and large companies it will be from 30,000 to 50,000 ₽.

Even if there are many employees who receive a salary less than the minimum, one fine will be charged. If the company’s management was interested in paying wages below the minimum wage, then the management can go to prison. Therefore, it is better for you to know that all salaries correspond to the minimum wage in Russia.