Minimum Wage in the Czech Republic 2027: CZK 24,900 a Month and What It Costs Employers
From 1 January 2027 the Czech minimum wage is CZK 24,900 a month, or CZK 148.30 an hour for a 40-hour week — up CZK 2,500 (11.2%) from CZK 22,400 in 2026. A full-time employee on the minimum takes home about CZK 20,846 and costs the employer CZK 33,317 a month. The figure was published in the Collection of Laws on 24 September 2026, so it is final.
Updated: 2026-10-09 · Applies from 1 January 2027. Net-pay and employer-cost figures use the contribution rates and the basic tax credit in force in 2026; none of them has been changed for 2027 at the time of writing. General information, not payroll or legal advice.
The numbers at a glance
| 2026 | 2027 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly minimum wage (40 h/week) | CZK 22,400 | CZK 24,900 (≈ €1,000) | + CZK 2,500 |
| Hourly minimum wage | CZK 134.40 | CZK 148.30 (≈ €6) | + CZK 13.90 |
| Net pay, single employee, no children | CZK 19,011 | CZK 20,846 | + CZK 1,835 |
| Total employer cost | CZK 29,972 | CZK 33,317 (≈ €1,340) | + CZK 3,345 |
Euro amounts are indicative only. Czech wages are set and paid in koruna, and the statutory floor is defined in CZK.
How the 2027 figure was set
Since 2025 the Czech minimum wage is no longer negotiated year by year. It is calculated:
forecast average wage × coefficient = minimum wage
- The Ministry of Finance publishes the forecast average gross wage for the coming year by 31 August. For 2027 it is CZK 55,627.
- The government fixes the coefficient two years ahead. Regulation No. 164/2026 Coll. sets 0.446 for 2027 and 0.458 for 2028.
- 55,627 × 0.446 = 24,809.64, rounded up to the nearest hundred: CZK 24,900.
The labour ministry then announces the result in the Collection of Laws by 30 September. For 2028 the government currently expects around CZK 26,900, but that number depends on a wage forecast that will not exist until August 2027. Do not put it in a budget as a fact.
What counts toward the minimum
An employer meets the minimum only with base pay and regular bonuses for work done. The following are excluded and must be paid on top:
- overtime pay,
- premiums for night work, weekends and public holidays,
- premiums for a difficult working environment.
If base pay falls short in a given month, the employer has to top it up to the minimum. For part-time work the monthly floor is reduced pro rata. For a shorter statutory week the opposite applies: the hourly floor goes up, so a 37.5-hour week means roughly CZK 158 an hour instead of CZK 148.30.
Private-sector employers have a single floor. The old eight-level “guaranteed wage” scale was abolished for them in 2025; graded minimums now apply only to public-sector salaries.
Worked example: one employee on the minimum
Full-time employee, signed taxpayer declaration, no children:
| Item | CZK / month |
|---|---|
| Gross wage | 24,900 |
| Employee social insurance 7.1% | − 1,768 |
| Employee health insurance 4.5% | − 1,121 |
| Income tax 15% (3,735) less basic credit 2,570 | − 1,165 |
| Net pay | 20,846 |
| Employer social insurance 24.8% | + 6,176 |
| Employer health insurance 9% | + 2,241 |
| Total cost to the company | 33,317 |
Over a year the increase adds about CZK 40,000 per minimum-wage employee. For other salaries, children or part-time hours, use the Czech net salary calculator; the wider on-costs are broken down on our page about the cost of hiring in the Czech Republic.
Where the minimum wage bites beyond payroll
Foreign owners usually look only at the monthly figure. Three knock-on effects matter just as much.
Part-timers and health insurance. Health insurance must be paid on at least the minimum wage, even if the employee earns less. Someone on a half-time contract at CZK 14,000 still triggers insurance on a base of CZK 24,900, which is CZK 3,362 a month in total, and the employer normally covers the difference. Exemptions exist, for example for students, pensioners and people whose insurance is covered through another full-time job.
Agreements on work (DPP and DPČ). These flexible contracts have no monthly minimum, but the pay divided by hours worked may not fall below the hourly minimum. An 80-hour DPP month must pay at least CZK 11,864 in 2027. A fixed monthly fee agreed in 2026 can quietly become unlawful in January.
Non-EU staff on an Employee Card. The card requires a monthly wage of at least the full minimum wage regardless of hours. Contracts for foreign workers written at exactly CZK 22,400 need an amendment before January, not after an inspection.
What does not depend on the minimum wage: your own position as a company director. A managing director (jednatel) working under a director’s service contract is not an employee, so the minimum wage does not apply to that fee. How to pay yourself is a separate question, covered in salary vs dividends in a Czech s.r.o.
Checklist for employers before 1 January 2027
- List everyone paid below CZK 24,900 gross or below CZK 148.30 an hour, including DPP and DPČ workers.
- Amend contracts or wage assessments. If the wage is written into the employment contract, you need a signed amendment. If it is set by a wage assessment (mzdový výměr), a new one issued by the employer is enough.
- Re-run the January payroll budget with the new employer cost of CZK 33,317 per minimum-wage position.
- Review part-time and Employee Card contracts for the two traps described above.
- Tell your payroll provider which wages change. January wages are normally paid in February, and that is when an underpayment first becomes visible to the Labour Inspectorate.
Paying below the minimum is an administrative offence under the Labour Inspection Act and carries substantial fines.
FAQ
What is the minimum wage in the Czech Republic in 2027?
CZK 24,900 gross a month for a 40-hour week, or CZK 148.30 an hour, from 1 January 2027.
How much is the Czech minimum wage after tax?
About CZK 20,846 net for a full-time employee with a signed taxpayer declaration and no children, assuming 2026 contribution rates and the 2026 basic tax credit.
Is there a different minimum wage for Prague or for foreigners?
No. One national minimum applies to every employee in the country, whatever the region, nationality or sector.
When will the 2028 minimum wage be known?
By 30 September 2027. The coefficient (0.458) is already fixed; the wage forecast it is multiplied by is not.
Running Czech payroll from abroad
We recalculate wages when the minimum changes, prepare contract amendments and file the monthly employer reports. If you are about to take on your first employee, start with our guide to hiring your first employee in a Czech s.r.o. or see what staff actually cost on the cost of hiring page.