Countries › Paraguay › Guide › 7. Labor and employment › Minimum wage in Paraguay: PYG 3,044,000 from 1 July 2026, how it is set and the sector minimums
Minimum wage in Paraguay: PYG 3,044,000 from 1 July 2026, how it is set and the sector minimums
Last verified: 2026-10-28 · Status: Stable
The general minimum wage for unspecified activities is PYG 3,044,000 a month (about US$519) and PYG 117,077 a day for day laborers from 1 July 2026, after a 5 percent rise set by Decreto Nº 6225/2026. The Executive adjusts it each year on a proposal from the tripartite minimum wage council based on the year on year consumer price index to June, and the labor ministry publishes higher minimums for specified activities and professions. Domestic workers earn the full minimum since 2019, apprentices at least 60 percent, and paying below the minimum costs a fine of 30 minimum daily wages per worker plus the arrears.
USD figures use PYG 5,868.31 per US dollar, the Banco Central del Paraguay reference quotation in the planilla for Wednesday 28 October 2026. Conversions are for orientation only.
Key facts
| Minimum wage, monthly, unspecified activities, from 1 July 2026 | 3044000 PYGDecreto 6225/2026 art. 2; Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, as of 2026-07-01 · in force |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage, monthly, in US dollars at the BCP rate of 28 October 2026 | 518.72 USDDecreto 6225/2026 art. 2; BCP planilla 28 October 2026, as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Minimum daily wage for day laborers (jornal), from 1 July 2026 | 117077 PYGDecreto 6225/2026 art. 2; Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, as of 2026-07-01 · in force |
| Minimum hourly wage, monthly paid worker, day work | 12683 PYGRes. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, as of 2026-07-01 · in force |
| Minimum monthly wage, night work | 3957200 PYGRes. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, as of 2026-07-01 · in force |
| Minimum hourly wage, part time, day hours, from 1 July 2026 | 14635 PYGRes. MTESS 670/2026 art. 2, as of 2026-07-01 · in force |
| Minimum monthly pay, apprentices and dual training | 1826400 PYGRes. MTESS 670/2026 art. 3, as of 2026-07-01 · in force |
| Minimum wage increase from 1 July 2026 | 5 %Decreto 6225/2026 art. 1, as of 2026-07-01 · in force |
| Minimum wage, monthly, set by Decreto 4122/2025 (replaced from 1 July 2026) | 2899048 PYGDecreto 4122/2025, as of 2025-06-27 · repealed |
| Domestic workers' minimum as share of the general minimum | 100 %Ley 5407/2015 art. 10 (Ley 6338/2019), as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
| Basis of the annual minimum wage adjustment | Year on year CPI change to June, on CONASAM proposal textCódigo del Trabajo art. 255 (Ley 5764/2016), as of 2026-10-28 · in force |
The rule
1. How the minimum wage is set. Minimum wage types are proposed by the Consejo Nacional de Salarios Mínimos (CONASAM), with one representative each of the State (the Labor Director, who chairs), workers and employers. Since Ley 5764/2016 the Executive considers the adjustment on CONASAM's proposal, based on the year on year change of the consumer price index and its impact on the economy as of June each year; the labor authority submits the proposal before 30 June, and CONASAM may meet at another time if macroeconomic conditions change deeply or inflation is high. Ley 5764/2016 repealed the old rule that required at least a 10 percent cost of living change before an adjustment.
Cost to do it: No cost to employers beyond applying the new scale from its effective date.
Example: The 2025 minimum of PYG 2,899,048 (Decreto 4122/2025) rose 5 percent to PYG 3,044,000 from 1 July 2026. / From about US$494 to US$519 at today's rate.Ley Nº 5764/2016 amending Código del Trabajo art. 255; Código del Trabajo art. 252 as amended by Ley Nº 2199/2003, Ley 5764/2016 art. 1 and 3 (Código del Trabajo art. 255, art. 256 repealed); Código del Trabajo art. 252, 2016-11-28 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Ley 5764/2016 (promulgated 28 November 2016) replaced the two year validity and 10 percent inflation trigger with an annual CPI based review as of June.
Cost to do it: No cost to employers beyond applying the new scale from its effective date.
Example: The 2025 minimum of PYG 2,899,048 (Decreto 4122/2025) rose 5 percent to PYG 3,044,000 from 1 July 2026. / From about US$494 to US$519 at today's rate.Ley Nº 5764/2016 amending Código del Trabajo art. 255; Código del Trabajo art. 252 as amended by Ley Nº 2199/2003, Ley 5764/2016 art. 1 and 3 (Código del Trabajo art. 255, art. 256 repealed); Código del Trabajo art. 252, 2016-11-28 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Ley 5764/2016 (promulgated 28 November 2016) replaced the two year validity and 10 percent inflation trigger with an annual CPI based review as of June.
2. Current amounts from 1 July 2026. Decreto Nº 6225 of 17 June 2026 raised private sector minimum salaries and daily wages by 5 percent over Decreto Nº 4122/2025, effective 1 July 2026, setting the minimum for unspecified activities at PYG 3,044,000 a month and PYG 117,077 a day. Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026 sets the derived values: for day work, PYG 101,467 a day and PYG 12,683 an hour for monthly paid staff; for night work, PYG 3,957,200 a month, PYG 152,200 a day for day laborers, PYG 131,907 a day and PYG 18,844 an hour for monthly paid staff; for part time work under Ley 6339/2019, PYG 14,635 an hour by day and PYG 21,743 by night; and for apprentices and dual training, PYG 1,826,400 a month or PYG 70,246 a day.
Cost to do it: Minimum monthly payroll cost per full time worker: PYG 3,044,000 plus 16.5 percent employer IPS (PYG 502,260), PYG 3,546,260 in total.
Example: Full time worker on the minimum: PYG 3,044,000 gross; employer IPS PYG 502,260; worker IPS PYG 273,960 withheld. / About US$519 gross and US$604 total employer cost a month.Decreto Nº 6225/2026 and Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026, Decreto 6225/2026 art. 1 and 2; Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, 2 and 3, 2026-06-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Minimum monthly payroll cost per full time worker: PYG 3,044,000 plus 16.5 percent employer IPS (PYG 502,260), PYG 3,546,260 in total.
Example: Full time worker on the minimum: PYG 3,044,000 gross; employer IPS PYG 502,260; worker IPS PYG 273,960 withheld. / About US$519 gross and US$604 total employer cost a month.Decreto Nº 6225/2026 and Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026, Decreto 6225/2026 art. 1 and 2; Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, 2 and 3, 2026-06-17 official text · verified 2026-10-28
3. Calculation rules. For monthly paid workers the daily minimum is the monthly minimum divided by 30 and the hourly minimum is the daily figure divided by 8 (day) or 7 (night); the monthly salary covers working days and compulsory rest days. For day laborers paid by the day, and for piece work, the daily minimum is the monthly minimum divided by 26, and the hourly figure is the daily figure divided by 8 or 7. Night work is paid on the minimum plus the 30 percent night premium, and mixed shifts are paid by formula adding day and night hours. The same rules apply to the specified activity and professional minimums in the annex.
Cost to do it: No cost; determines the floor for daily, hourly and piece rates.
Example: PYG 3,044,000 / 30 = PYG 101,467 a day for a monthly paid worker; PYG 3,044,000 / 26 = PYG 117,077 for a day laborer. / About US$17 and US$20 a day.Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026; Código del Trabajo art. 232 a) as amended by Ley Nº 496/1995, Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, 4 and 6; Código del Trabajo art. 232 a), 2026-07-07 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: No cost; determines the floor for daily, hourly and piece rates.
Example: PYG 3,044,000 / 30 = PYG 101,467 a day for a monthly paid worker; PYG 3,044,000 / 26 = PYG 117,077 for a day laborer. / About US$17 and US$20 a day.Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026; Código del Trabajo art. 232 a) as amended by Ley Nº 496/1995, Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1, 4 and 6; Código del Trabajo art. 232 a), 2026-07-07 official text · verified 2026-10-28
4. Sector and professional minimums. The annex of Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026 updates, by the same 5 percent, higher minimums for specified activities and graded professions across commerce, manufacturing, services, banking, construction and agriculture. Examples from 1 July 2026: stevedores and insurance companies PYG 3,074,451 a month; commercial, industrial and private offices PYG 3,089,789; bank officers' starting salary PYG 4,917,731 and bank service staff PYG 3,955,845; newspaper chief editors PYG 4,508,462. Employers must post the day and night minimums for their main and secondary activities in visible places, consistent with their declarations to the tax authority (DNIT) and the MTESS employer registry.
Cost to do it: Sector minimum applies instead of the general minimum where the activity is listed.
Example: A bank hiring a junior officer must pay at least PYG 4,917,731 a month, not the general PYG 3,044,000. / About US$838 versus US$519.Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026, Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 5, 6 and 7 and Annex, 2026-07-07 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Sector minimum applies instead of the general minimum where the activity is listed.
Example: A bank hiring a junior officer must pay at least PYG 4,917,731 a month, not the general PYG 3,044,000. / About US$838 versus US$519.Resolución MTESS Nº 670/2026, Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 5, 6 and 7 and Annex, 2026-07-07 official text · verified 2026-10-28
5. Legal effect and enforcement. The minimum wage is due to every worker over eighteen for each day worked within the legal working day. Fixing a minimum automatically amends contracts that set a lower wage, any clause below the minimum is void, and an underpaid worker may claim the difference, which the labor authority orders paid within a period of no more than 30 days. Minimum wages must be publicized by posters in workplaces. Paying below the legal or collective agreement minimum, paying unequal wages where the Code forbids it, or paying in vouchers costs a fine of 30 minimum daily wages per worker, doubled on repetition. Notice and dismissal indemnity are computed on at least the minimum for unspecified activities.
Cost to do it: Fine of 30 jornales per worker, PYG 3,512,310 (US$599), plus the wage difference.
Example: Paying 5 workers PYG 2,900,000 instead of PYG 3,044,000 for six months: arrears of PYG 4,320,000 plus a fine of PYG 17,561,550. / About US$736 arrears and US$2,993 fine.Ley Nº 213/1993 Código del Trabajo, as amended by Ley Nº 496/1995, Art. 257 and 189 (as amended by Ley 496/1995 art. 1), 259, 260 and 390, 1995-08-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28
Cost to do it: Fine of 30 jornales per worker, PYG 3,512,310 (US$599), plus the wage difference.
Example: Paying 5 workers PYG 2,900,000 instead of PYG 3,044,000 for six months: arrears of PYG 4,320,000 plus a fine of PYG 17,561,550. / About US$736 arrears and US$2,993 fine.Ley Nº 213/1993 Código del Trabajo, as amended by Ley Nº 496/1995, Art. 257 and 189 (as amended by Ley 496/1995 art. 1), 259, 260 and 390, 1995-08-22 official text · verified 2026-10-28
6. Domestic workers. Since Ley 6338/2019 domestic workers are covered by the general minimum wage for unspecified activities set by the Executive, replacing the 60 percent floor of the original Ley 5407/2015; domestic workers on discontinuous shifts or shorter days cannot be paid proportionally less than that minimum.
Cost to do it: PYG 3,044,000 a month for full time domestic work from 1 July 2026.
Example: A full time housekeeper must earn at least PYG 3,044,000 a month. / About US$519 a month.Ley Nº 6338/2019 amending Ley Nº 5407/2015 art. 10, Art. 1 (Ley 5407/2015 art. 10), 2019-07-01 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Ley 6338/2019 (promulgated 1 July 2019) raised the domestic minimum from 60 to 100 percent of the general minimum.
Cost to do it: PYG 3,044,000 a month for full time domestic work from 1 July 2026.
Example: A full time housekeeper must earn at least PYG 3,044,000 a month. / About US$519 a month.Ley Nº 6338/2019 amending Ley Nº 5407/2015 art. 10, Art. 1 (Ley 5407/2015 art. 10), 2019-07-01 official text · verified 2026-10-28 · changed: Ley 6338/2019 (promulgated 1 July 2019) raised the domestic minimum from 60 to 100 percent of the general minimum.
| Item | PYG | USD |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly, unspecified activities, day work | 3,044,000 | 518.72 |
| Daily, day laborer (monthly / 26) | 117,077 | 19.95 |
| Daily, monthly paid (monthly / 30) | 101,467 | 17.29 |
| Hourly, monthly paid, day | 12,683 | 2.16 |
| Monthly, night work | 3,957,200 | 674.33 |
| Daily, day laborer, night | 152,200 | 25.94 |
| Hourly, monthly paid, night | 18,844 | 3.21 |
| Hourly, part time, day | 14,635 | 2.49 |
| Hourly, part time, night | 21,743 | 3.71 |
| Monthly, apprentices and dual training | 1,826,400 | 311.23 |
| Daily, apprentices | 70,246 | 11.97 |
| Bank officers, starting salary (annex) | 4,917,731 | 838.01 |
| Commercial and industrial offices (annex) | 3,089,789 | 526.52 |
Minimum wages from 1 July 2026 (Decreto 6225/2026 and Res. MTESS 670/2026; USD at PYG 5,868.31, BCP 28 October 2026)
Worked example
- A Uruguayan retailer opening stores in Asunción hires 20 sales staff on the general minimum, PYG 3,044,000 a month each (US$519).
- Monthly payroll: PYG 60,880,000 gross; employer IPS at 16.5 percent adds PYG 10,045,200, for a total of PYG 70,925,200 (US$12,086). The 9 percent worker IPS, PYG 5,479,200, is withheld from pay.
- Before 30 June each year the retailer should watch for the CONASAM proposal and the decree; the new minimum applies from its effective date (1 July in 2026) and automatically overrides lower contract wages (Código del Trabajo art. 255 and 259).
- If two staff work nights, their floor is PYG 3,957,200 a month, the minimum plus the 30 percent night premium (Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 1).
Step by step
- Identify whether your activity has a specified or professional minimum in the Res. MTESS 670/2026 annex; if not, the general minimum applies.
- Apply the correct divisor: 30 for monthly paid staff, 26 for day laborers and piece work, then 8 (day) or 7 (night) for hourly rates.
- Update payroll from the decree's effective date and post the minimum wage poster in the workplace (Res. MTESS 670/2026 art. 7).
- Check that notice and indemnity calculations use at least the minimum wage base (art. 189).
Common traps
- The decree date and the effective date differ: Decreto 6225 is dated 17 June 2026 but applies from 1 July 2026.
- Sector minimums can be well above the general floor (banking starts at PYG 4,917,731), and paying the general minimum in a listed activity is underpayment.
- Part time hourly minimums are computed on the 26 day divisor (PYG 14,635), higher than the hourly rate of a monthly paid worker (PYG 12,683) (Ley 6339/2019 art. 6).
- Fines are per affected worker and double on repetition, so a payroll wide error multiplies quickly (art. 390).
- Older summaries still cite a 60 percent domestic minimum; it has been 100 percent since Ley 6338/2019.
Sources
- MTESS, Resolución Nº 670/2026 regulating Decreto Nº 6225/2026 (minimum wages from 1 July 2026)
- BACN, Ley Nº 5764/2016 amending Código del Trabajo art. 255 (promulgated 28 November 2016)
- BACN, Ley Nº 6338/2019 domestic workers' minimum wage (promulgated 1 July 2019)
- MTESS, Guía de Seguridad Social para trabajadores asalariados del sector privado
- DNIT, Ley Nº 213/1993 Código del Trabajo (1993 text)
- BACN, Ley Nº 496/1995 amending the Código del Trabajo (promulgated 22 August 1995)
- Banco Central del Paraguay, reference exchange rates (planilla of 28 October 2026)
Related pages
- labor/employing-people
- labor/working-hours-overtime-and-rest
- labor/social-security-ips
- labor/part-time-telework-and-domestic-work
- labor/labor-inspections-fines-and-claims
- taxes/payroll-taxes-and-social-security
- macro/economy-at-a-glance
- /country/paraguay/
- /calendar/
- Live dashboard
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