Turkey's minimum wage for 2026 was announced in late December 2025 and applies from the start of the year — a 27% increase that changes payroll baselines for every employer, not just minimum-wage positions, since salary bands, overtime rates and severance calculations are all pegged to it.
What actually increased
The net monthly minimum wage rose to ₺28,075 (roughly $655 at prevailing exchange rates), with the gross figure set at ₺33,030. Government wage support, paid to employers to offset part of the increase, rose as well — from ₺1,000 to ₺1,270 per employee.
Where this shows up beyond minimum-wage roles
- Payroll baselines — any pay scale built as a multiple of minimum wage moves automatically.
- Overtime and premium pay — calculations that reference the minimum wage as a floor need updating.
- Severance and notice pay ceilings — statutory caps tied to wage levels shift with each increase.
- SGK (social security) premiums — both employer and employee contributions are calculated against the new base.
What to check before your next payroll run
Confirm that payroll software or your outsourced provider has the new net and gross figures loaded, recalculate any role currently paid at or near the previous minimum, and review whether the increased government support changes your effective labor cost per employee. If you run multiple pay grades, this is also a natural point to review whether your internal bands still make sense relative to the new floor.