How the Minimum Wage in the Czech Republic Will Change from 2025

17.10.2024

The minimum wage and guaranteed salaries in the Czech Republic have been announced and published in the Collection of Laws. The changes will affect additional payments and individual salary levels. The amendment to the Labor Code No. 230/2024 will significantly change the remuneration rules starting in 2025. We have prepared a brief summary of the changes in specific figures.

Gradual Increase in the Minimum Wage

The goal of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs is to achieve a ratio of the minimum wage to the average wage of 47% by 2029. In subsequent years, this ratio will gradually increase by 1.2 percentage points each year. In 2025, it should be about 42.2%, and in 2026, about 43.4%. These indicators correspond to coefficients for calculating the minimum wage of 0.422 for 2025 and 0.434 for 2026. The coefficients have already been approved by Government Resolution No. 285/2024.

Minimum Wage in Business in 2025

The minimum wage is the lowest permissible amount of remuneration for an employee’s work. In 2025, this provision will apply only to employees receiving a salary (in business) and those performing work under contracts outside of employment relationships.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Communications Decree No. 286/2024, for a statutory 40-hour working week, the minimum monthly wage will be CZK 20,800, and the minimum hourly wage will be CZK 124.40. For employees with contracts for reduced working hours or those who do not work the full statutory hours during a calendar month, the monthly minimum wage will be reduced in proportion to the time worked. Conversely, for employees with reduced working hours, the hourly wage will increase proportionally. This procedure is regulated directly by the Labor Code, rather than by a separate government decree.

The table below shows the monthly minimum and hourly rates of the minimum wage for reduced working hours per week according to Article 79 of the Labor Code, including examples for two-shift, multi-shift, and continuous work.

Weekly Working Hours	Monthly Minimum Wage (CZK)	Hourly Minimum Wage (CZK)
40 hours	20 800 Kč	124,40 Kč
37,5 hours	20 800 Kč	132,70 Kč
38,75 hours	20 800 Kč	128,50 Kč

Additional Payment for Work in Difficult Conditions

Employees who work in difficult production conditions are entitled to both wages and an additional payment. The definition of difficult working conditions for the purposes of remuneration, as well as the amount of the additional payment and the conditions for its provision, are determined by government regulation. The additional payment for work in difficult conditions is set at a minimum of 10% of the minimum wage. In 2025, this amount will be CZK 12.50 for each hour of such work.

According to § 128, paragraph 3 of the Labor Code, the additional payment for work in difficult conditions in 2025 will range from CZK 1,040 to CZK 3,120 per month. This range has already been announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Communications. Public sector employers will determine the specific amount of additional payment for work in difficult conditions within this announced range.

Guaranteed Wages in the Public Sector

Conversely, employees whose employer is specified in paragraph 3 of Article 109 of the Labor Code will receive guaranteed wages. This legal form of increased protection applies only to hired workers. While it is not being eliminated, the number of work groups will be reduced from the current eight to four. According to the Labor Code, the guaranteed wage is as follows:

For the 1st group of positions: 1 times the minimum wage
For the 2nd group of positions: 1.2 times the minimum wage
For the 3rd group of positions: 1.4 times the minimum wage
For the 4th group of positions: 1.6 times the minimum wage

The table below shows the monthly and hourly guaranteed wages for 2025 for each group.