Minimum wage in Brazil

A statutory national minimum wage

Brazil has a national minimum wage, set each year by the federal Government by decree under a legal formula. It is quoted per month, with daily and hourly equivalents.

Headline figure (from 1 January 2026)

1,621 BRL per month

Set by Decree 12.797 of 2025.

Roughly US$323 a month for a full-time worker, at exchange rates of 2026-10-09. This is a rough comparison only and does not show buying power.

Checked October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Check the date. Minimum wages change, in many countries every year. The figure above is the one in force at the date shown. Confirm the current amount with the official source below before you rely on it. This is general information, not legal or employment advice.

Who sets it

The President fixes the amount by decree each year, following a rule set by law that combines inflation with the growth of the economy two years earlier.

How it changes

It is adjusted every year, normally from 1 January. Several benefits are tied to it, so a change has wide effects.

Who is covered, and who is treated differently

Some states set higher regional minimum wages for their own workers.
Many sectors also have their own wage floors in collective agreements.

What to watch for

The monthly figure is the legal minimum for a full-time worker in the private sector.

Understand the legal system first

Brazil belongs to the Civil law family. How pay is regulated depends on how the legal system makes and applies labour law.

Read the Brazil legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →
Compare Brazil with another country →

Official sources

Presidency of Brazil: Decree 12.797/2025 setting the minimum wage

Take it further

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TheLawToKnow Tools’s Minimum Wage by Country guide is an educational overview. It is not legal or employment advice, and it does not replace the official source or a lawyer in the country. Report a mistake.