Minimum Wage in Egypt 2026: Gross and Net Pay

Masroofak team • Updated 2026-10-22

"The minimum wage" in Egypt is actually two numbers, not one: one for the private sector and one for state employees. Both are gross figures, so what reaches your pocket is less. This guide covers both numbers, who sets them, and the net pay of each, worked out step by step.

The figures here are as of 22 October 2026. If a new decision is announced after that date, the same method works on the new figure in the net salary calculator.

The two figures in force today

In other words, the increase announced in 2026 (from EGP 7,000 to EGP 8,000) applies to state employees. The private sector is still at EGP 7,000 as of today.

Private sector: EGP 7,000

The National Wages Council, chaired by the Ministry of Planning, decided in February 2025 to raise the private-sector minimum wage from EGP 6,000 to EGP 7,000, effective 1 March 2025. The same decision set two more rules:

• Annual raise: at least 3% of the insurable wage, with a minimum of EGP 250 a month.
• Part-time and temporary work: for the first time, an hourly minimum of EGP 28 net per hour.

According to the Ministry of Labour's circular, as reported in the press at the time:

• The EGP 7,000 applies to your pay before deductions, whether the figure in your contract or what you actually receive.
• All wage components count towards it, such as raises, commission, allowances and your share of profits. So your basic salary alone does not have to be EGP 7,000.
• No private-sector employer may apply for an exemption, and violations can lead to legal action and fines.

Is there a private-sector increase in 2026?

As of 22 October 2026, no decision has been made. What has happened so far:

• June 2026: a member of the National Wages Council said the council had not yet met to discuss raising private-sector wages, and that the figures circulating were not based on an official decision.
• August 2026: the same member said companies cannot currently afford an increase of EGP 1,000 to reach EGP 8,000.
• 16 September 2026: the cabinet approved a draft decision regulating the National Wages Council's work: it meets at least once every 6 months, reviews the minimum wage periodically, and can form specialised subcommittees. This is an organisational decision with no new figure.

Some news reports say "EGP 8,000 for both sectors", but the official sources we found contain no decision for the private sector. If a decision is announced, it will come from the National Wages Council.

State employees: EGP 8,000

On 1 April 2026 the Prime Minister announced a EGP 1,000 increase in the minimum wage, from EGP 7,000 to EGP 8,000 a month, starting with the 2026/2027 fiscal year in July. He confirmed this before the House of Representatives on 21 April, saying the wage bill in the budget would rise by 21%. The July 2026 salary payment dates were announced as including the new increase.

The package also includes an annual raise and exceptional increases for teachers and health workers, but the raise percentages differ between sources (12% and 15% depending on the category and the calculation base), so check them with your employer.

If you work for a public-sector or public business sector company, ask your HR department whether the increase applies to you, as each entity has its own regulations.

Net minimum wage: the calculation

Assumption: the insurable wage equals the gross wage, with no tax-exempt allowances or other deductions. The rules are the same as in the net salary 2026 guide (Arabic): 11% social insurance, a personal exemption of EGP 20,000 a year, the brackets of Law 7 of 2024, and 0.05% for the Martyrs' Fund.

How is the tax on EGP 7,000 worked out? Insurance is EGP 770, leaving EGP 6,230 a month, or EGP 74,760 a year. Subtract the EGP 20,000 exemption and you get EGP 54,760. The first EGP 40,000 is taxed at zero, and the remaining EGP 14,760 at 10% = EGP 1,476 a year, or EGP 123 a month.

And EGP 8,000? Annual taxable income is EGP 65,440: the first EGP 40,000 at zero, EGP 15,000 at 10% = EGP 1,500, and the remaining EGP 10,440 at 15% = EGP 1,566. Total EGP 3,066 a year, or EGP 255.50 a month.

Bottom line: someone earning exactly the minimum wage does not take home EGP 7,000 but about EGP 6,100. That is the figure to build a budget on. For a ready-made split of a salary in this range, see the budget on a EGP 7,000 salary (Arabic).

Why the net on your payslip may differ

• Insurable wage: if your employer registers you for insurance on a lower figure than your gross pay, insurance goes down and tax goes up slightly.
• Variable allowances or bonuses: any extra amount in a month is taxed.
• Other deductions: loans, private medical insurance, or Universal Health Insurance in the governorates where it has been rolled out.

Try your own figure in the net salary calculator, and if you want to track where that net pay goes during the month, you can log it in Masroofak.