The minimum wage for 2026 is €915: what employers need to adjust in their payroll and budget
As of 1 January 2026, the minimum monthly wage in Slovakia is €915 and the minimum hourly wage is €5.259. For the employer, this is not just a figure to be entered into payroll software. The change is reflected in payroll costs, selected wage supplements, internal budgets and, for some positions, also in the review of minimum wage entitlements according to the level of job complexity.
If there are employees, February is a good time to check whether the January setup was done correctly. Payroll is not an isolated item: it is linked to the employment contract, hours worked, vacation, bonuses, contributions, tax, and ultimately also to the company’s accounting.
What exactly applies from 1 January 2026
For 2026, the Ministry of Labour sets the minimum monthly wage at €915 for employees remunerated on a monthly basis and the minimum hourly wage at €5.259. Compared to 2025, when the minimum monthly wage was €816, this represents an increase of €99.
For a company, it is essential to distinguish between the “minimum wage” and the minimum remuneration that a specific employee must receive according to their job and employment regime. For positions subject to job difficulty levels, the minimum wage entitlement may be higher than €915 itself.
IMPORTANT: €915 is a basic reference point, not an automatic answer for every job position.
Why it is not enough to check only the gross salary
A correctly processed salary is created only by combining multiple data points. It is necessary to have the employment relationship set up correctly, the working time fund, hours worked, absences, vacations, bonuses, any extra payments and deductions. Only then does it make sense to check the final gross and net salary.
- check the base salary in employment contracts and salary statements;
- verify whether job positions correspond to the correct level of job difficulty, if this regime is applied;
- recalculate the impact on bonuses linked to the minimum hourly wage;
- take higher personnel costs into account in the company’s cash flow and budget;
- check the payroll system settings before closing the next month.
The minimum wage also affects selected bonuses
Several wage bonuses are linked to the minimum hourly wage. When announcing the January change, the Ministry of Labour explicitly pointed out that as the minimum wage increases, so do bonuses for night work and weekend work. If a company operates in retail, hospitality, logistics, manufacturing, services, or any other regime involving work outside standard working hours, the impact may be more significant than the increase in base salary itself.
This is exactly where mistakes arise when a company monitors only the monthly salary rate. Payroll staff need to know the actual work schedule. Accounting, in turn, needs accurate payroll outputs so that personnel costs and liabilities towards employees, insurance companies, and the tax authority match correctly.
How much does an employee cost? Look at the total expense
When planning a budget, it is not worth confusing gross salary with the employer’s total cost. In addition to the gross salary, the company must cover mandatory contributions and, depending on the situation, other employee-related expenses – meals, work equipment, benefits, reimbursements, or administration.
If the budget has so far been set “on the edge”, the increase in the minimum wage is a reason to create a new model for the entire year. For a single employee, the change may seem manageable, but with dozens of people, every monthly difference multiplies. From the perspective of company management, it is therefore better to know the new annual cost in February than to feel it later through weaker cash flow in the summer.
Four situations that deserve extra attention
1. The employee has a base salary just above the minimum
Check whether, after the change, all requirements are still met and whether the minimum wage entitlement for the position has not changed.
2. The company frequently uses night and weekend shifts
Calculate wage costs based on actual shifts, not on an average “monthly salary”.
3. There are employees paid by the hour
For them, the hourly minimum wage of €5.259 is directly relevant. Pay attention to the time fund and to months with a different number of working hours.
4. Wages are processed by several people or external partners
Clarify who provides attendance data, who approves changes, and who is responsible for deadlines. Most errors do not arise in the formula, but during the transfer of data between people.
What a good payroll routine looks like in 2026
- closed attendance records and approved absences;
- up-to-date work and personnel data;
- control of salary changes, bonuses, and deductions;
- payroll processing and payslip preparation;
- monthly reports and obligations to the Social Insurance Agency, health insurance companies, and the tax office;
- posting payroll costs and liabilities to accounting.
When this process is regular, payroll stops being “firefighting” every month. At the same time, there is better data available for financial decision-making.
What the payroll accountant should receive from the company every month
Even perfectly configured payroll software calculates incorrectly if it receives incorrect inputs. That is why a fixed deadline should be set by which managers submit attendance records, approved overtime, premium hours, vacations, sick leave, bonuses, and changes to personal data. If an employee has joined or left, payroll needs this information before payday.
Such a simple closing calendar reduces stress as well as the number of corrections. For employees, the result is the correct salary on time; for the company, accurate monthly reports; and for accounting, data that does not have to be rewritten retroactively.
How we can help with this
We can handle payroll, payslips, monthly reports, and related HR administration for you. In the case of employee onboarding and offboarding, we can also take care of the necessary registration procedures, depending on the scope of the ordered service. When combined with accounting services, payroll data flows directly into the accounting process without unnecessary retyping between multiple providers.
Questions and Answers | FAQ
1. Aká je minimálna mzda v roku 2026?
The monthly minimum wage is €915 and the hourly minimum wage is €5.259.
2. Znamená 915 €, že každému zamestnancovi stačí takáto hrubá mzda?
Not necessarily. For a specific job position, it is also necessary to assess the minimum wage entitlement and working conditions.
3. Musím kvôli zmene upraviť aj mzdový rozpočet?
If there are employees on minimum or near-minimum wages, it is definitely sensible to recalculate the total cost, including contributions and bonuses.
4. Čo zahŕňa služba mzdy a personalistika?
Includes payroll processing, payslips, monthly reports, employee onboarding and offboarding, registrations and deregistrations, as well as related administration.
5. Pre koho je táto služba vhodná?
For companies that want their payroll and HR administration processed professionally, on time, and without unnecessary burden on the internal team.
6. Pomáhate aj pri nástupe nového zamestnanca?
Yes. The service can also include administration related to the commencement or termination of employment.
7. Je možné outsourcovať len mzdy bez iného účtovníctva?
Yes. Payroll and HR can also be handled separately, according to the needs of the company.
8. Čo sa stane po odoslaní nezáväznej objednávky?
After sending the non-binding order, all the necessary information and instructions will be sent by e-mail. Depending on the nature of the request, there may also be a phone call to go through everything together. Once all the necessary details are received, all documents will be prepared and sent by e-mail along with instructions.
Non-binding order
Fill in all the required details and a response will be provided as soon as possible.
If salaries need to be processed accurately and on time, see the Payroll and HR section.
The payroll processing price listed on the website starts at €15 per employee per month; the specific scope depends on the personnel agenda.
Need advice?
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