- The minimum wage in Albania in 2026 is 50,000 gross leks per month, effective January 1, 2026, according to Government Decree No. 776, dated December 19, 2025.
- The minimum hourly wage is 287.3 lekë, for 174 work hours per month.
- The maximum salary on which social security contributions are paid is 186,416 lekë per month. Health insurance has no cap.
- At the minimum wage, the employee receives 44,400 net lek, while the employer pays 8,350 lek in contributions.
- The old minimum wage of 40,000 lekë, according to Government Decree No. 113/2023, is no longer valid.
The minimum wage in Albania for 2026 is 50,000 lekë per month, up from 40,000 lekë until December 2025. The same figure is also called the minimum salary, and both terms refer to the gross basic wage before contributions. It is mandatory for every employer, legal or natural person, domestic or foreign.
Along with the minimum wage, the maximum social security contribution also changed, and as of January 1, 2026, it is 186,416 lekë. Below you'll find both figures in a table: how much the employee takes home and how much each minimum-wage employee costs the employer.
Read also: How much are the contributions and taxes you pay on your salary?
Minimum and maximum wages for 2026 in a table
| Figure | In the month | For 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum gross wage | 50,000 lek | 600,000 lek |
| Minimum hourly wage for 174 hours | 287.3 lek per hour | Does not apply |
| Maximum wage for social security | 186,416 lek | 2,236,992 lek |
| Health insurance ceiling | There is no ceiling. | There is no ceiling. |
| Net pay at minimum wage | 44,400 lek | 532,800 lek |
Permanent character allowances are granted on the basic salary, according to point 4 of the decision. Thus, the basic salary does not fall below 50,000 lek even when the employee receives allowances.
Maximum Social Security wage for 2026
Social security is capped. As of January 1, 2026, the maximum monthly base is 186,416 lekë, and any portion of the salary above this amount is not subject to social security contributions. The cap is indexed together with the minimum wage, which is why it was raised from 176,416 lek when the minimum wage increased from 40,000 to 50,000 lek.
Health insurance at 3.41% is calculated on the entire gross wage, with no upper limit. For a monthly salary of 250,000 lek, social security is calculated only on 186,416 lek. The employer pays 27,962 lekë and the employee 17,710 lekë. Health insurance is calculated on 250,000 lekë and each pays 4,250 lekë.
Read also: Personal status declaration: who completes it and how
How much does an employee take home on the 2026 minimum wage?
| Voice | The | Amount per month |
|---|---|---|
| Gross salary | 50,000 lek | |
| Employees' Social Security | 9.5% | 4,750 lek |
| Employee health insurance | 1.7% | 850 lekë |
| Payroll tax | 0% | zero lek |
| Net pay | 44,400 lek |
Salaries up to 50,000 lek are not taxed, so the entire withholding is the employee's contribution, 5,600 lek. You can find the calculation for higher salaries, with progressive taxation, at Our guide to contributions and payroll taxes.
What will the 2026 minimum wage cost employers?
On the gross salary, the employer pays 15.1% social security, i.e., 7,500 lekë, and 1.71% health insurance, i.e., 850 lekë. Total 8,350 lekë, so the full cost of an employee at the minimum wage is 58,350 lekë per month.
Calculated example: a business with five employees at minimum wage.
In December 2025, each employee cost 40,000 lek gross plus 6,680 lek in employer contributions, for a total of 46,680 lek. In January 2026, it costs 58,350 lek. The difference is 11,670 lek per employee per month.
For 5 employees, the monthly cost increases by 58,350 lekë, and over 12 months by 700,200 lekë. This figure must be included in the annual budget before setting the selling prices.
Minimum wage in 2026 and the self-employed
The self-employed person pays social security contributions at 23.1% on a base starting from the minimum wage, i.e., 11,500 lekë per month. Health insurance is 3.4% on the amount above twice the minimum wage, i.e. 3,400 lekë per month. Total is 14,900 lekë per month, and the base can be declared higher, up to 186,416 lekë.
Minimum wage for part-time contracts
Here's the mistake that costs the most in Albania's minimum wage. When the schedule is part-time, the wage is reduced proportionally to the hours, but the contributions are not.
The rule is set by Decision No. 77, dated January 28, 2015, as amended. For contracts lasting less than 87 hours per month, the social security contribution is 23.31% of the gross wage, with 13.9% paid by the employer and 9.4% by the employee. With health insurance, the total rises to 26.7%.
But the same decision says that the basis cannot be less than the minimum wage and it's not even higher than the maximum wage. So a part-time employee is declared with a salary of 25,000 lek, while his contributions are calculated on 50,000 lek.
| Type of contract | Social Security rate | Employer | Employee | Total with healthcare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 87 hours a month | 24.5% | 15% | 9.5% | 27.9% |
| Under 87 hours per month | 23.3% | 13.9% | 9.4% | 26.7% |
The budget impact is straightforward. Two part-time employees cost as much in contributions as two full-time employees, even though they're paid half. Before splitting a position in two, this figure must be taken into account.
The minimum hourly wage remains 287.3 lekë, because the monthly salary is paid for 174 working hours. If the actual hours worked exceed 174, overtime hours are paid on that basis, in accordance with the Labor Code.
History of the minimum wage in Albania
The minimum wage in Albania has increased fivefold over five years. The table below shows each step with the corresponding decision, so that a figure from a previous year can be quickly found when a past payroll is recalculated.
| Effective from | Minimum wage | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2021 | 30,000 lek | Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 1025, dated December 16, 2020 |
| April 2022 | 32,000 lek | Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 158, dated March 12, 2022 |
| September 2022 | 34,000 lek | Government Decree No. 604, dated September 14, 2022 |
| April 2023 period | 40,000 lek | Decision of the Council of Ministers No. 113, dated March 1, 2023 |
| January 1, 2026 | 50,000 lek | Government Decree No. 776, dated December 19, 2025 |
From 30,000 lek to 50,000 lek, the increase is 66.71% over five years. For the employer, this means that the minimum cost of an employee has risen from 35,010 lekë to 58,350 lekë per month, an increase of 23,340 lekë per person.
Along with the minimum wage, the Social Security ceiling has also been raised, from 176,416 lekë to 186,416 lekë. You can find the 2023 notice with both old figures at Minimum and maximum wages as of April 2023.
Decision of the Council of Ministers, December 19, 2025
The decision was adopted on December 19, 2025, repealed decision no. 113 of March 1, 2023, and made its financial effects effective as of January 1, 2026. Its main points are as follows.
1. The minimum monthly basic wage for employees nationwide, which must be applied by any domestic or foreign legal or natural person, shall be 50,000 (fifty thousand) lek.
2. The basic monthly minimum wage is provided for 174 (one hundred and seventy-four) working hours per month, performed during normal working hours.
3. The basic hourly minimum wage shall be 287.3 (two hundred and eighty-seven point three) ALL.
4. Permanent allowances are provided on top of the base salary.
5. Decision No. 113, dated 1.3.2023, of the Council of Ministers, "On determining the national minimum wage," is repealed.
You can find the full text of the decision here., The decision on the minimum wage in PDF.
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Send me free notificationsFrequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage for 2026 in Albania?
50,000 lek gross per month, as of January 1, 2026. The minimum hourly wage is 287.3 lek.
What is the minimum wage in Albania today?
The minimum wage in Albania is 50,000 lek gross per month, effective January 1, 2026. The employee receives 44,400 lek in hand, because 5,600 lek in contributions are withheld and payroll taxes are zero.
What is the maximum Social Security wage for 2026?
186,416 lekë per month. Social security is not paid on this amount, while health insurance is calculated on the entire salary.
How much does a minimum-wage employee take home?
44,400 lek per month. Out of a 50,000-lek gross salary, 5,600 lek are withheld for contributions and the tax is zero.
Is the minimum wage taxed?
No. Salaries up to 50,000 lek are not subject to personal income tax.
Can I pay less than the minimum wage for a full-time employee?
No. The decision makes a base salary of 50,000 lek mandatory for every employer, and contributions for a standard contract are not calculated below this amount.
Legal basis
The minimum wage is set by Government Decree No. 776, dated December 19, 2025, adopted in support of Article 111 of the Labor Code and Law No. 35/2023. The contribution rates, minimum base, and cap are explained in the document. Our Social Security page, while the official notice of the meeting is located at Ministry of Foreign Affairs page.
