Minimum wage in Papua New Guinea in 2026
5.00 PGK per hour1
per hourGeneral rate since January 1, 2026
No scheduled increase on record.
Year 2026
Rates in force during 2026
| Applies to | Rate | Effective | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
StandardSource: Statement to the National Parliament by Prime Minister Hon. James Marape (Department of the Prime Minister and NEC, 6 June 2026), section E "Labour Standards and the Minimum Wage"After more than a decade without review, our Government delivered the National Minimum Wage Board Review, increasing the hourly minimum wage from K3.50 to K5.00 effective 1 January 2026.
Verified September 27, 2026 | 5.00 PGKJanuary 1, 2026 – current | January 1, 2026 | current |
2025 to 2026
History
Each step is a rate row with its own quoted source.
Show the history as a table
| Applies to | Rate | Effective | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
StandardSource“The minimum wage has remained at K3.50 per hour for too long, and the Government recognises the need for an adjustment,” Prime Minister Marape stated.
Verified September 27, 2026 | 3.50 PGKFebruary 13, 2025 – January 1, 2026 | February 13, 2025 | January 1, 2026 |
5.00 PGK / hour
Calculators
Estimates before tax at this rate. Nothing you type leaves this page.
What this wage pays
| Weekly | 200.00 PGK |
|---|---|
| Monthly52 weeks ÷ 12 | 866.67 PGK |
| Annual52 weeks | 10,400.00 PGK |
| Overtime rate1.5× where overtime applies | 7.50 PGK |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Papua New Guinea in 2026?
5.00 PGK per hour since January 1, 2026. For a 40-hour week that is about 200.00 PGK a week or 10,400.00 PGK a year before tax.
Is the minimum wage in Papua New Guinea increasing?
No increase is scheduled on record as of October 1, 2026. Inflation-indexed jurisdictions announce the next figure a few months before it takes effect.
1 level of law
How this rate is resolved
The highest minimum that covers the work location applies.
Employers must pay the highest minimum that covers the work location. WageTable checks each level in turn:
- Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea sets 1 rule of its own.
Notes on this jurisdiction's rules and sources
National minimum wage set by Minimum Wages Board determination, hourly. K3.50 per hour (from the 2014-15 Board cycle; recorded from the Prime Minister's office statement of 13 February 2025) until the Board's review raised it to K5.00 per hour from 1 January 2026, as stated by the Prime Minister to Parliament on 6 June 2026. Later scheduled steps are not recorded because no official text stating them was found.
Papua New Guinea
Enforcement
Enforced by Department of Labour and Industrial Relations.