The government of Macau’s labour laws protect its residents, ensuring that workers attain reasonable standards of well-being. If you are looking to hire in Macau, learning the country’s employment requirements, including the minimum wage, is essential.

Below, we provide a breakdown of the key details regarding the minimum wage in Macau, enabling you to comply with the government’s laws and improve employee satisfaction.

Here’s What to Know About the Minimum Wage in Macau

As of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Macau is MOP 7,280 ($898 approx.) per month. This figure is an improvement on the previous minimum wage, which was MOP 7,072 ($874 approx.) from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, and MOP 6,656 ($823 approx.) until the start of 2024.

In Macau, relations between employers and employees, including the minimum wage, are handled by the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL). The Labour Affairs Bureau maintained the minimum wage of MOP 6,656 for over three years – from November 1, 2020, to December 31, 2023.

Subsequently, Law No. 19/2023 was approved as an update of Law No. 5/2020 ‘Minimum Wage for Employees’, and became effective from the 1st of January, 2024.

The effect of this legislation was an increase in the monthly minimum wage to MOP 7,072, and the further adjustment effective January 1, 2026, raised it to MOP 7,280. The wage increase also applies to weekly, daily, and hourly-rated employees, as well as commission-based or piece-rate work.

To help you visualize things better, here’s a table containing a breakdown of the previous and current minimum wages in Macau for monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly employment.

Remuneration ModePrevious Minimum Wage (MOP)Current Minimum Wage (MOP)
Monthly-Rated Employees7,0727,280
Weekly-Rated Employees1,6321,680
Daily-Rated Employees272280
Hourly-Rated Employees3435
Commission-Based or Piece Rate34 per hour on average35 per hour on average

Piece-Rate Earnings

Before doing business in Macau, here’s a peek at how the authorities calculate the minimum wage for piece-rate employment.

For piece-rate payments, an employee earns a fixed rate for every single unit of a product or service they offer. You can calculate the average hourly rate by dividing the total amount the employee earns from the products made in the month by the number of hours the employee spends working during that month.

For example:

An employee is paid MOP 5 per set of beads. Over the course of a month, they produced 1,400 sets, earning a total of MOP 7,000 (1,400 × MOP 5). They worked 180 hours during that month. To find the average hourly wage, divide the total earnings by hours worked: MOP 7,000 ÷ 180 = MOP 38.9 per hour.

Macau’s minimum wage is MOP 35 per hour, so this worker’s average hourly pay of MOP 38.9 meets the legal requirement.

What Employee Benefits Are Excluded from the Minimum Wage in Macau?

According to Article 59 of the Labour Relations Law, the remuneration for work includes the basic wage, overtime remuneration, food and family allowance, and additional remuneration for night or shift work. Other benefits include subsidies and commissions, and 13th-month pay or other similar period-based benefits.

However, not all of the benefits above are included in the minimum wage. The exclusions are:

  • Overtime remuneration
  • Additional remuneration for night or shift work
  • 13th-month pay or other similar period-based benefits.
  • Another benefit that is excluded from minimum wage is accommodation for non-residential workers.

If you offer any of the above excluded benefits, you are not legally allowed to include them in your minimum wage calculations for workers in Macau.

Here’s a brief overview of the exclusion of overtime remuneration and non-resident worker lodgings from the minimum wage.

Overtime Remuneration

The official figures for normal overtime remuneration per hour are calculated based on the minimum wage, but are paid separately from the minimum wage.

For monthly-rated employees, normal overtime is (MOP 7,280 ÷ 30 days a month ÷ 8 days a week) = MOP 30.3. For weekly, daily, and hourly-rated employment, normal overtime is MOP 35.

The actual remuneration rate for overtime depends on whether overtime is voluntary (plus an extra 20% of normal remuneration) or non-voluntary (plus an extra 50% of normal remuneration).

The table below contains the exact figures.

Remuneration ModeNormal Overtime Remuneration (MOP)Voluntary Overtime +20% (MOP)Non-Voluntary Overtime +50% (MOP)
Monthly-Rated Employees 30.336.445.5
Weekly-Rated Employees 354252.5
Daily-Rated Employees354252.5
Hourly-Rated Employees354252.5
Commission-Based or Piece Rate354252.5

To avoid getting caught up in all these numbers surrounding employee wages, our Global Payroll Calculator can ease your calculations.

Non-Resident Workers

In Macau, non-resident workers are entitled to suitable lodging provided by the employer according to Law No. 21/2009. It is important to note that the obligatory lodging is not included in the minimum wage, as employers are required to pay the minimum wage requirement regardless of accommodation provisions.

As a business owner, you do not have to be physically present in Macau to employ workers in the country. The aim of our Employer of Record (EOR) service is to handle recruitment, payroll, and taxes on your behalf while complying with the laws established by the Labour Affairs Bureau.

What Employees Do Not Qualify for the Minimum Wage in Macau?

While the minimum wage in Macau applies to most employees in the country, domestic and disabled workers do not need to earn up to the minimum wage.

Domestic Workers

Employers in Macau are not required to pay domestic workers the standard minimum wage of MOP 7,280 per month. Before 2024, the minimum wage for domestic workers was MOP 3,000 per month, which the Labour Affairs Bureau increased to MOP 3,200 to account for inflation. As of January 1, 2026, the minimum wage for domestic workers has been further adjusted to MOP 3,300 per month.

Disabled Workers

Disabled workers are also not entitled to the general minimum wage from employers, but the Income Subsidy Plan by the government ensures that their income meets the minimum wage.