What is the minimum wage in Myanmar?
Myanmar's national minimum wage is set by the National Committee for the Minimum Wage and applies to most workers in establishments with 10 or more employees. The current notification fixes a daily floor of MMK 4,800 (8-hour day), equivalent to roughly MMK 144,000/month on a 30-day basis. Employers must pay at or above this rate.
What Myanmar law says
Myanmar's Minimum Wage Law 2013 empowers the National Committee for the Minimum Wage (chaired by MoLES) to set a national floor by notification. The current notification fixes the floor at MMK 4,800 per 8-hour working day, applicable to most employers with 10 or more workers. Family-owned businesses and seasonal agricultural work are typically excluded.
The rate is a basic wage floor. It does not include statutory overtime, allowances, or bonuses. Employers may pay above the floor but never below it for covered work.
Calculation — daily, hourly, and monthly equivalents
| Basis | Calculation | Amount (MMK) |
|---|---|---|
| Daily (8 hours) | Notification rate | 4,800 |
| Hourly | 4,800 ÷ 8 | 600 |
| Monthly (30-day) | 4,800 × 30 | 144,000 |
| Monthly (26 working days) | 4,800 × 26 | 124,800 |
Employers paying monthly typically use the 30-day equivalent for full-time staff because Myanmar payroll convention treats weekly rest as paid. Daily-wage workers are paid only for days worked.
Documentation requirements
- Payslip mandatory for every wage payment, with itemised gross, deductions, and net.
- Wage register showing the rate paid against the minimum wage benchmark.
- Record retention: at least 7 years.
- Payment frequency must follow the contract — monthly wages typically due by the 7th of the following month.
Edge cases
- Probationary workers — minimum wage applies in full from day one; no probation discount.
- Apprentices and trainees — generally covered, with limited exceptions if licensed under a recognised training scheme.
- Daily-wage workers — paid the daily floor for each day worked; rest days are typically unpaid unless the contract provides otherwise.
- Piece-rate workers — total earnings for the period must not fall below the minimum wage equivalent for hours worked.
- USD-paid expats — the MMK equivalent on the payment date must clear the floor (see salary paid in USD).
- SSB and PIT — both apply on minimum-wage earnings if the employer is registered (see how allowances are taxed).
Employer takeaway
Pay no less than MMK 4,800 per 8-hour day (current notification) for any covered worker. Treat the floor as basic wage — overtime, weekend, and public-holiday premiums apply on top. Issue a payslip every cycle, pay monthly wages by the 7th of the following month, and retain wage registers for 7 years. Late payment is a Payment of Wages Law violation.
Common payroll mistakes
- Treating the floor as gross including allowances — it is the basic wage only.
- Paying daily-wage workers below the floor on short days (under 8 hours) without pro-ration based on hourly rate MMK 600/hr.
- Missing the next minimum-wage notification update and continuing to pay the old rate.
- Computing OT on the minimum wage but paying basic at a lower rate — both must clear the floor.
- Failing to issue a compliant payslip showing the rate applied (see payslip requirements).
- Minimum Wage Law 2013 — Sections on coverage and rate-setting
- Minimum Wage Notification (current) — National Committee for the Minimum Wage
- Payment of Wages Law — payslip and payment frequency rules
Related questions
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