Salaries in St. Petersburg are at a high level relative to most regions of Russia; according to average values, they are second only to Moscow.
However, there is also a mandatory lower limit; if an employer pays remuneration for 2 months below the fixed level, he can be held criminally liable. If we are talking about a “white” salary, according to 133 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, when working for a whole month and correctly performing duties, payment below the minimum wage is possible only when using a contract or paid services.
The city on the Neva can independently regulate the value of this indicator, which it successfully uses by regularly indexing the minimum wage.
As for the minimum wages established by law, of course, this is not the money on which you can live fully; this amount certainly does not make it possible to rent housing or go on vacation somewhere.
Below is a video about salaries in Russia:
Approved wages in St. Petersburg for 2020
The minimum wage is the minimum wage, which is the smallest amount for paying an employee for a month worked; the federal minimum wage is 11,280 rubles. The minimum amount of payment in the country and region is established in accordance with Article No. 133 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. An employer does not have the right to pay an employee a wage below the minimum established in the territory. In case of violation of the law, the employer faces an administrative penalty in the amount of 30-50 thousand rubles.
The minimum wage in St. Petersburg in 2020 is 18,000 rubles, which is higher than the federal amount of payments. The minimum wage in St. Petersburg has increased by 1 thousand rubles since January 1, 2019. Increasing the minimum wage obliges businessmen to fix the amount in employment contracts.
What will be the minimum wage in 2020 in St. Petersburg?
Most likely, it will be increased, since, firstly, the Governor of St. Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, said that during the development of a new trilateral agreement, the task is to increase the level of wages in the Northern capital to a decent one (at least 100,000 rubles per month). Secondly, the size of the St. Petersburg minimum wage has been growing annually since 2009, although not always evenly, but recently the annual increase has amounted to significant amounts.
| Year | The amount of the St. Petersburg minimum wage in rubles |
| 2015 | 11 000 |
| 2016 | 11 700 |
| 2017 | 16 000 |
| 2018 | 17 000 |
| 2019 | 18 000 |
https://youtu.be/uFqmH0HRR7k
How has the minimum wage changed in St. Petersburg?
The minimum wage is increasing, primarily due to inflation in the country. Now this figure is 12.5%. In every region of Russia, the amount of the minimum wage has increased significantly over the years. Let's look in the table at how the amount of the minimum wage in St. Petersburg has changed over the years over the past five years.
| Year of application of changes to the minimum wage | Amount of payments |
| 2018, May | 17,000 rub. |
| 2018, January | 9489 rub. |
| 2017, July | 7800 rub. |
| 2017, January | 7500 rub. |
| 2016, July | 7500 rub. |
| 2016, January | 6204 rub. |
| 2015, January | 5965 rub. |
| 2014, January | 5554 rub. |
When calculating an employee's salary, the Regional coefficient is not taken into account, so the salary amount does not change. According to forecasts of financial organizations, the minimum wage can reach a single amount throughout Russia.
Minimum salary in St. Petersburg
The media and information portals of the Northern capital devoted a lot of space in their publications to both the signing of the agreement and the new minimum wage. The same document established the tariff rate for a 1st category worker in the amount of no less than 13,500 rubles. The steady growth of this indicator in St. Petersburg can be clearly seen in the annual Regional Agreements. It stipulates the conditions for payments (working out the time required by law and fulfilling job duties).
Alexander Beglov
Alexander Beglov, Acting Governor of St. Petersburg, expressed the hope that the new increase will help St. Petersburg residents more effectively overcome temporary difficulties, improve the quality of life and make living in the most beautiful city in the country even more enjoyable. Although it is in second place in terms of ease of life in Russia, it is preparing to lead the championship in this ranking.
For pensioners, conditions are not so favorable, especially compared to Moscow. In St. Petersburg, the minimum wage was 8,726 rubles, and in 2019 it increased slightly and is now 8,846 (increased by 120 rubles), while in Moscow the minimum wage for visitors is 12,115, and the city standard is 17,920, and even the increase in pensions is more significant - they have become more by 299 rub.
The authorities of the Northern capital make an annual decision to increase the minimum wage not so much because a corresponding decision is made by the federal authorities, but out of an understanding of the current situation in the city with prices and payments for the most necessary things. The cost of living of city residents is always lower than the minimum wage, and from a financial point of view, this is a normal state of affairs that allows people not to worry about the most essential things. The increase occurs annually and the decision on this is made at the level of the governor.
Since 2014, the minimum wage has doubled.
The situation with this indicator is regulated by the Labor Code and Federal Law No. 82 “On the minimum wage.” They provide for cases where the salary or remuneration for work done is less than the established norm, but in this case there must be compensatory payments that allow the employee to receive a figure no less than that established by law.
This is possible with part-time work, when a person works two or more jobs, or with part-time work. But if there is no compensatory mechanism or other circumstances specified in the law, the employer does not have the right to pay a lower salary than that specified in the regional law.
On November 28, 2018, the Regional Agreement on the Minimum Wage for 2020 (No. 332/18-C) was concluded in St. Petersburg.
The agreement establishes that the minimum wage in St. Petersburg from January 1, 2020 is 18,000 rubles. And the tariff rate (salary) of a 1st category worker cannot be less than 13,500 rubles. Thus, the minimum wage in St. Petersburg is higher than the federal one.
In accordance with the regional Agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg 2020, the specified minimum wage is mandatory for all employer-organizations and individual entrepreneurs that operate in the territory of St. Petersburg and have concluded this Agreement or acceded to it, with the exception of organizations financed from the federal budget (clause 4.1 Agreements).
Please note that employers joining the minimum wage agreement for 2020 in St. Petersburg occurs automatically. But giving up its use is not easy.
If the employer, within 30 calendar days from the date of official publication of the proposal to join the regional minimum wage agreement, has not sent to the authorized executive body of the constituent entity of the Russian Federation (in St. Petersburg this is the Committee on Labor and Employment of the Population of St. Petersburg) a reasoned written refusal to join to the agreement, then he is considered to have joined the new minimum wage in St. Petersburg in 2019.
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The government is trying to bring the minimum cost of living and the minimum wage closer to the same value. Work in this direction has been ongoing for a couple of years, and the goal will be achieved in January. Starting from the new year, it is planned to increase the minimum wage in order to achieve a living wage. The minimum wage from January 1 will be 11,280 rubles. This is the national average. In St. Petersburg the numbers are different.
The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the mayor of the city and the Leningrad Federation of Trade Unions united and decided that the minimum wage in St. Petersburg will be at the level of 18 thousand rubles. This is 1000 rubles higher than last year. The growth will be 6%, which will significantly increase wages.
Additionally, the tariff rate will change. It is planned to increase the salary of a first-class employee, the payment amount will be 13,500 rubles.
St. Petersburg ranks second in Russia in terms of the minimum wage. Moscow takes first place, and its minimum wage is 18,781 rubles.
The minimum wage in St. Petersburg in 2020 will increase by one thousand rubles, or more than 6%, and will amount to 18,000 rubles. This is the highest figure in Russia after Moscow - there the minimum is 18 thousand 781 rubles. The tariff rate for a 1st category employee has also been established; it should not be lower than 13,500 rubles. PolitExpert reports this.
As part of the event, Acting Governor of St. Petersburg Alexander Beglov, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Andrei Turchak and Chairman of the regional Federation of Trade Unions Vladimir Derbin signed an agreement under which a minimum wage threshold of 18 thousand rubles is established in the Northern capital.
Let us remind you that all employers in St. Petersburg can join the regional agreement on the minimum wage, even if they have not concluded it. Officials officially publish the proposal to join the document along with the text of the agreement. This is stated in Part 7 of Article 133.1 of the Labor Code.
From January 1, 2020, the federal minimum wage is increasing in Russia. From the beginning of 2020, the minimum wage will be equal to the cost of living for the working population for the 2nd quarter of 2020. The all-Russian value will be 11,280 rubles. What will the minimum wage be in St. Petersburg from January 1, 2020? Will it increase following the all-Russian minimum wage?
- From January 1, 2020, the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for commercial organizations will be 17,000 rubles;
- From January 1, 2020, the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for non-profit (budgetary) organizations will be 11,280 rubles;
- From January 1, 2020, the minimum wage in the Leningrad region for commercial organizations will be 11,400 rubles;
- From January 1, 2020, the minimum wage in the Leningrad region for non-profit (budgetary) organizations will be 11,280 rubles.
The amount of wages for commercial organizations is established by the regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2020 dated September 20, 2017 No. 323/17-S. In addition, the agreement also additionally sets the minimum wage for a category I worker at 13,500 rubles.
The minimum wage in St. Petersburg in 2019 will increase by one thousand rubles, or more than 6%, and will amount to 18,000 rubles. This is the highest figure in Russia after Moscow - there the minimum is 18 thousand 781 rubles. The St. Petersburg “minimum wage” is almost 1.6 times higher than the federal minimum wage, and one and a half times higher than the cost of living in the Northern capital. The tariff rate for a 1st category employee has also been established; it should not be lower than 13,500 rubles.
Today, at the Expoforum site, a Regional Agreement was signed between the City Government, the Leningrad Federation of Trade Unions and the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg on the minimum wage and the Obligations of the Parties (appendices to the Tripartite Agreement of St. Petersburg for 2017-2019).
The regional minimum wage applies to all persons working in the city of St. Petersburg, with the exception of employees of companies financed by the federal budget, as well as organizations that have officially refused to join the regional agreement - the federal minimum wage is relevant for them. The possibility of waiving the regional minimum wage and applying the federal “minimum wage” is provided for by labor legislation, and any employer can do this, but only within 30 calendar days after the official publication of the proposal to join such an agreement.
| Type of responsibility | Type of punishment | To whom is it assigned? | Amount of punishment | Base |
| Disciplinary | Remark, reprimand, dismissal | Executive* | Article 192 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation | |
| Material | Financial compensation | Employer | Not less than 1/300 of the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of Russia from amounts that were not paid on time, for each day of delay | Article 236 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation |
| Civil law | Financial compensation | Employer | The amount is determined by the court depending on the physical and moral suffering caused to the victim, as well as the degree of guilt of the employer | Article 237 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, art. 1101 Civil Code of the Russian Federation |
| Administrative | Fine | Executive* | From 1000 to 5000 rub. | Part 1 art. 5.27 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation |
| Employing organization | From 30,000 to 50,000 rubles. | |||
| Suspension of activities | Employing organization | Up to 90 days | ||
| Disqualification | Executive* | For a repeated similar violation – from one to three years | Part 2 Art. 5.27 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation | |
| Administrative | Fine or warning | Employer, person representing him | From 3000 to 5000 rub. | Article 5.31 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation |
| Criminal** | Fine | Head of the organization | If the salary is not paid partially*** for more than three months - up to 120,000 rubles. or in the amount of wages (other income) of the convicted person for a period of up to one year | Article 145.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation |
| The same criminal act, if it entailed grave consequences (for example, the death of an employee) - from 200,000 to 500,000 rubles. or in the amount of wages (other income) of the convicted person for a period of one to three years | ||||
| Deprivation of the right to work in certain positions or engage in certain activities | If the salary is not paid partially*** for more than three months - up to one year | Article 145.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation | ||
| Forced labor | If the salary is not paid partially*** for more than three months - up to two years | |||
| Deprivation of liberty | If the salary is not paid partially*** – up to one year | |||
| The same criminal act, if it entailed grave consequences (for example, the death of an employee) - from two to five years. May be appointed with deprivation of the right to work in certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to five years | ||||
| * The head of an organization or an employee who is obliged to establish and assign wages by law or by order of the employer. ** The perpetrator must have a motive - self-interest or other personal interest in the crime committed. *** Less than half the amount. | ||||
| date | Value, rub. | Normative act |
| from 01/01/2019 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. |
| from 05/01/2018 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. |
| from 01/01/2018 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2018 dated September 20, 2017. |
| from 01.07.2017 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2017. |
| from 01/01/2017 |
| Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2020 dated September 12, 2016. |
| from 01.07.2016 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. |
| from 01/01/2016 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2016 dated November 17, 2015. |
| from 01/01/2015 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2015 dated December 1, 2014. |
| from 01/01/2014 |
| Art. 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2014. |
Fines for paying wages below the minimum wage
According to Article No. 133 of the Labor Code, the Labor Inspectorate carries out inspections of the amount of payments at enterprises. The State Tax Inspectorate began inspections of entrepreneurs on May 1, 2020. The minimum salary in St. Petersburg in 2020, from January 1, is 18,000 rubles; an employer cannot pay an employee a salary less than the minimum wage in the region. An employee at an enterprise can receive a salary below the minimum wage if, with allowances, the amount of his income reaches the minimum value. In this case, the Labor Inspectorate will not have reasons for penalties and fines.
Otherwise, the merchant pays an administrative fine, the amount of which ranges from 1 thousand rubles to 50 thousand rubles, depending on the organizational and legal form.
If management pays staff wages below the regional minimum without compensating the difference, a fine will follow. In the employment contract, the hirer must specify the amount that he undertakes to pay. If the salary in the region is higher than the federal figure, the merchant transfers money to the employees in the regional coefficient. When a company refuses payment standards in its region, a notice of refusal is drawn up and submitted to the regulatory authority. This must be done within 30 days, or local rules will automatically apply to the enterprise. Not only citizens, but also company managers need to know the minimum wage in St. Petersburg.
State payment program in St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg has a program aimed at supporting low-income city residents, including pensioners. Information about it is given in the table:
| Categories | PM size in the 4th quarter of 2020 | PM size in the first quarter of 2020 |
| Retired | 8981 | 9221 |
| Children | 10783 | 11074 |
| Able-bodied | 12118 | 12472 |
| Average | 11055 | 11363 |
The program includes a number of sections related to assistance to children, pensioners, and large families. It is expected that with its help the incomes of citizens will be increased.
Insurance premium rates in 2020 in a convenient table
- from the payer category (the organization must charge contributions at general rates or has the right to apply reduced contribution rates);
- from the category of employee in whose favor payments are made;
- from the amount of payments accrued to the employee during the year (more than the maximum base
or less than this amount).
- contributions to compulsory pension insurance - at a rate of 22% from payments not exceeding the maximum base in the amount of 1,150,000 rubles. In excess of this base, a 10% tariff is applied. Insurance premiums are transferred in one payment order without distribution of contributions to finance the insurance and funded part of the labor pension. In this case, the BCC indicates the one that is provided for payments credited to the payment of the insurance part of the labor pension.
- contributions to compulsory social insurance - at a rate of 2.9% from payments not exceeding the maximum base in the amount of 865,000 rubles. Contributions beyond the excess are not paid;
- contributions for compulsory health insurance - at a rate of 5.1%, regardless of income. That is, contributions are calculated on all payments. There is no limit set here.
Minimum Rot in St. Petersburg from January 1, 2020 for organizations financed from the state budget
- Minimum wage in St. Petersburg
- Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2020
- Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2020
- What is the minimum wage
- Can an employee’s salary be less than the minimum wage?
- Federal minimum wage
- to calculate wages and benefits
- for fines, taxes and penalties
- Reference legal information for St. Petersburg
- Useful links on the topic
- Minimum wage in St. Petersburg The institution of minimum wage, by its legal nature, is intended to establish the minimum amount of money that should be guaranteed to an employee as remuneration for performing work duties, taking into account the subsistence level.
In accordance with Article 133 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the minimum wage is established simultaneously throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation by federal law. Subjects of the Russian Federation, in accordance with Article 133.1, can establish a higher minimum wage on their territory.
Change table
The current value of the minimum wage in St. Petersburg, which was established from May 1, 2020 based on the adopted regulatory and legal acts, currently amounts to 17 thousand rubles. (basic value), 13 thousand 500 rub. (the lowest salary of a 1st category worker) and 11 thousand 163 rubles. (for organizations financed from the federal budget) rub.
The table of changes in the minimum wage value in the region is presented below:
| date | Value, rub. | Normative act |
| From 05/01/2018 |
| Article 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. |
| From 01/01/2018 |
| Article 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2020 dated September 20, 2020. |
| From 01.07.2017 |
| Article 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2017. |
| From 01/01/2017 |
| Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2020 dated September 12, 2020. |
| From 01.07.2016 |
| Article 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. |
| From 01/01/2016 |
| Article 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2016 dated November 17, 2020. |
| From 01/01/2015 |
| Article 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2015 dated December 1, 2014. |
| From 01/01/2014 |
| Article 1 of the Law of June 19, 2000 No. 82-FZ on the minimum wage. Regional agreement on the minimum wage in St. Petersburg for 2014. |
The minimum wage in St. Petersburg since 2019
- Due to frequent changes in legislation, information sometimes becomes outdated faster than we can update it on the website.
- All cases are very individual and depend on many factors. Basic information does not guarantee a solution to your specific problems.
In accordance with the instructions of regional regulations, the size of the ILO is established by the government of the city of St. Petersburg. The decision to index it is secured by a tripartite agreement, which is signed by the authorized bodies.
Minimum wage 2020
The minimum wage (minimum wage) is used to regulate wages and determine the amount of benefits for temporary disability, pregnancy and childbirth, as well as for other purposes of compulsory social insurance. The employee’s right to receive a salary not lower than the minimum wage is guaranteed by the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, in accordance with Art. 133 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the approved minimum wage is valid throughout the country and cannot be less than the subsistence level of the working population.
Based on the order of the Ministry of Labor of Russia dated August 24, 2018 N 550n “On establishing the cost of living per capita and for the main socio-demographic groups of the population in the Russian Federation as a whole for the second quarter of 2020,” the cost of living for the working population is 11,280 rubles.
We recommend reading: Programs for Large Families for the Purchase of Secondary Housing NSO
PM and minimum wage
The definitions of “minimum wage” and “living wage” should not be confused. St. Petersburg is one of the subjects of Russia where the minimum wage is higher than the subsistence level. The cost of living is published on the official website of the city administration.
The PM value in St. Petersburg for different categories of residents as of the 3rd quarter of 2020 is as follows:
| Per capita | 10 thousand 791 rub. 60 kopecks |
| Children | 10 thousand 403 rub. 20 kopecks |
| Pensioners | 8 thousand 612 rub. 20 kopecks |
| Population capable of working | 11 thousand 868 rub. 20 kopecks |
This indicator is approved by Decree of the Government of St. Petersburg No. 963 of November 27, 2020.
Wage indexation in 2020
- Art.22. This article establishes the main responsibilities of the employer. Among them, there is no direct indication of the need to increase the employee’s real wages, however, the direct responsibility of the employer and the obligation to comply with the provisions of labor legislation are established.
- Art.46. The provisions of this article regulate the structure of the collective agreement between employees and employers, in particular, they require mandatory indication in the current collective agreement of information on measures and methods for ensuring a real increase in workers’ salaries.
- Article 130. The standards set out in it touch upon the issues of providing workers with certain social guarantees in connection with their work activities, and also establish direct types of guarantees in matters of wages, which include salary increases.
- Art. 134. It is this article that clearly regulates the obligation of employers to ensure wage indexation in 2020 and other time periods, also entrusting the possibility of legal regulation of the work of public sector employees and civil servants to individual legislative acts.
Public sector workers and civil servants often rely on the provisions of individual departmental documents in matters of wages. At the same time, due to the consequences of the economic crisis, in accordance with the provisions of Federal Law No. 68 of 04/06/2015, indexation of civil servants’ wages has not been carried out in recent years. However, as of January 1, 2020, the moratorium on increasing salaries of public sector employees ended. Therefore, the indexation of civil servants’ wages in 2020 was carried out from January 1, 2019. At the same time, the size of the salary increase for public sector employees and civil servants was tied to the inflation index and amounted to 4%.
Minimum wage level in the Northern Capital
St. Petersburg is recognized as one of the most expensive urban districts of the Russian Federation. The increased cost of products and services of everyday demand determines the high minimum wage in comparison with indicators at the federal level.
The minimum wage in St. Petersburg is determined by Law No. 577-114, which was adopted in 2011. The standard states that the indicator is identified together with the PM. When it grows, the minimum wage increases; when it decreases, it remains the same.
The value of the minimum level will be determined when several parties to the discussion are in favor of it:
- Leningrad Federation of Trade Unions;
- Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of St. Petersburg;
- executive power of the city district.
The adopted resolution is enshrined in the legislation of the subject and will be published on the official website of the executive branch.
The minimum wage also applies to enterprises operating in the urban district. It is not relevant for budgetary institutions and organizations that are financed by the state.
The regional “minimum wage” seems to be a guarantee condition for employees that they will not earn labor income below the designated value.
The indicator, which is fixed in St. Petersburg, is used only to control wages and is not used to calculate benefits for absence from work, pregnancy and childbirth, and individual entrepreneur insurance contributions. For the designated targets, it is necessary to take an indicator at the federal level.
