Bihar's latest notification, dated 1 April 2026 with VDA payable from 1 April 2026, sets ₹436 a day for unskilled, ₹452 semi-skilled, ₹551 skilled and ₹672 highly skilled workers in the scheduled employments of Schedule 1(B). Monthly rates are the daily rate × 26: ₹11,336 for unskilled. As of 29 October 2026 no October 2026 revision was on the Labour Resources Department's site.
Minimum wage rates in Bihar (from 1 April 2026)
Labour Resources Department, Bihar, notification No. 5/M.W.-40-16/2021 L&R-46 dated 1 April 2026, on the July to December 2025 CPI average, covering the 89 scheduled employments of Schedule 1(B) (agriculture has a separate notification). The notification says VDA changes apply three months after each half-year, so an October 2026 revision may follow; we found none on state.bihar.gov.in on 29 October 2026. The uploaded copy does not list the 89 employments by name, so confirm that your employment is scheduled.
| Category | Earlier rate (a day) | VDA from 1 April 2026 | Total a day | Month (× 26) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly skilled | ₹660 | ₹12 | ₹672 | ₹17,472 |
| Skilled | ₹541 | ₹10 | ₹551 | ₹14,326 |
| Semi-skilled | ₹444 | ₹8 | ₹452 | ₹11,752 |
| Unskilled | ₹428 | ₹8 | ₹436 | ₹11,336 |
Zones and who is covered
One rate applies across the State. Monthly rate = daily rate × 26, and the rates include the weekly rest day. Overtime is paid at double rate under rule 25 of the Bihar Minimum Wages Rules, 1951, and men and women get equal pay.
Minimum wages apply to every employee, whether paid monthly, daily or by the hour, permanent, temporary or through a contractor. Under the Code on Wages, 2019 the employer must pay at least the notified rate for the category and area. If you use a contractor, check that contract workers are paid at least the same rates.
Worked example
A Patna distributor employs an unskilled helper on a monthly salary.
- Helper: at least ₹436 × 26 = ₹11,336 a month. ESI: employee ₹86 and employer ₹369 (rounded up). PF at 12%: ₹1,360 from each side.
- Bihar professional tax is charged on annual salary; at ₹1,36,032 a year the helper is below the ₹3,00,000 threshold. See professional tax in Bihar.
Compliance checklist for employers
- Classify every employee in the notification's categories (unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled, highly skilled or the staff grades) based on the actual work, not the job title alone.
- Compare gross wages for normal hours with the rate for the employee's zone, before PF, ESI and other deductions.
- Revise payroll from the first day of each new rate or VDA period and pay arrears for any period already paid at the old rate.
- Pay overtime at twice the ordinary rate for work beyond normal hours, as the Code on Wages requires.
- Keep wage registers and payslips that show the rate, days worked and deductions.
Minimum wage revisions move PF and ESI too: PF is 12% of wages up to ₹25,000, and ESI applies while gross wages are within ₹21,000 a month.
Keep payroll in step with each revision
Check take-home pay with the salary calculator, the employer and employee shares with the PF calculator and ESI calculator, and show every deduction clearly using the salary slip format. Work out pay for part months with the per-day salary calculator and extra hours with the overtime calculator. FundRaksha HR turns attendance and leave into paid days, calculates salary with PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS, and issues payslip PDFs, so a VDA revision is a rate change in one place rather than in every row of a spreadsheet. If you are choosing a tool, see our comparison of the best payroll software in India, and compare every State on the minimum wages by state page.
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-10-21. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.