Public Sector Pay in Czechia from 2027: What Is Expected to Change
Public sector pay in Czechia is expected to undergo a major reform from 2027. The Ministry of Labour is proposing new salary tables for state employees and workers in public services and administration, with changes to minimum tariffs, pay grades and recognition of experience.
The most important proposal is that the lowest salary tariff should no longer fall below the national minimum wage. For 2027, the expected minimum wage is 24,900 CZK gross per month.
The draft 2027 state budget also provides for additional pay growth of approximately 5–9% for employees funded from public budgets. As of 1 September 2026, however, the final salary tables and increases for individual professions have not yet been approved.
The lowest salary tariff should match the minimum wage
Under the current system, some public-sector salary tariffs are below the minimum wage or the applicable guaranteed pay level. Employers then have to make up the difference through additional payments or other components of salary.
From 1 January 2027, the Ministry proposes that the lowest salary tariff must be at least equal to the minimum wage. The expected minimum wage for 2027 is 24,900 CZK per month.
The reform is described in detail by the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
The number of experience-based salary steps will be reduced
Most public-sector salary scales currently contain 12 steps based on recognised professional experience. The proposed reform would reduce this number to eight.
Employees would normally move to the next step after every five years of recognised experience. The system would also give more weight to long careers, with separate steps covering experience up to 30 years, up to 35 years and more than 35 years.
The current system effectively stops further differentiation after 32 years of recognised experience.
Salary grades should differ by at least 4%
Public-sector salary grades reflect the complexity, responsibility and demands of a particular job. Under the proposed system, the difference between neighbouring grades should be at least 4%.
This rule is not intended to apply to teaching and academic staff, who are covered by separate pay arrangements.
The existing minimum guaranteed pay levels in the public sector are also expected to be abolished. Their protective function would instead be provided by the minimum salary tariff and the required differences between salary grades.
Examples of possible 2027 salary tariffs
The Ministry of Labour has published model calculations showing how the new system could affect selected jobs:
- cleaner, salary grade 1 – 25,940 CZK;
- administrative employee, grade 7 – 33,960 CZK;
- property administration specialist, grade 6 – 34,760 CZK;
- Labour Office employee, grade 10 in the civil service – 38,840 CZK.
Compared with the guaranteed pay levels for 2026, the differences in these examples range from at least 2,600 to 3,540 CZK. These are model salary tariffs, not guaranteed increases in every employee’s final monthly pay.
A higher tariff does not always mean the same increase in total pay
A public-sector employee’s total salary may include the basic tariff, a personal allowance, bonuses and other components. For some employees, personal allowances are currently used partly to compensate for a low basic tariff.
When the new system is introduced, the balance between the basic tariff and personal allowance may therefore change. An increase in the tariff of 3,000 CZK does not necessarily mean that total monthly pay will rise by exactly 3,000 CZK.
The Ministry nevertheless states that no employee should receive lower total pay solely because of the transition to the new system.
The 2027 budget also plans pay increases of 5–9%
The draft Czech state budget for 2027 increases spending on salaries and related costs by 36 billion CZK compared with the previous year. This amount covers both pay growth and the cost of newly recruited employees.
In addition to financing the salary-system reform, employees paid from public budgets are expected to receive increases of approximately 5–9%. The exact parameters for individual groups are due to be decided during September 2026.
The figures are published by the Czech Ministry of Finance.
Is the public sector pay reform final?
No. As of 1 September 2026, the Ministry of Labour has presented the reform with a planned start date of 1 January 2027, but the final legal rules, salary tables and increases for individual professions still have to be completed and approved.
The main planned changes for public-sector employees in Czechia are a minimum salary tariff linked to the minimum wage, a reduction from 12 to 8 experience-based salary steps and at least a 4% difference between most salary grades. Additional pay increases of around 5–9% are also planned, but the actual impact will depend on the employee’s profession, grade, experience and the final government decisions.