What's the minimum salary an employer must offer a foreign worker in Türkiye?
General information, not legal advice. For high-stakes decisions, confirm with the official institution in the next-step below, or consult a qualified Turkish lawyer.
Pending expert review. This fact is sourced but has not yet been reviewed by an independent legal expert. Treat as a starting point.
The offered salary has to clear a floor set as a multiple of the current brüt asgari ücret (gross minimum wage):
| Role category | Minimum multiplier |
|---|---|
| Senior executives + pilots | 5× minimum wage |
| Engineers + architects | 4× minimum wage |
| Other managers | 3× minimum wage |
| Specialist or skilled-trade roles | 2× minimum wage |
| Domestic service and other | 1× (at least minimum wage) |
The multiplier applies to the brüt asgari ücret in effect at the date of the application, not the date of hiring or the date of the offer letter.
Watch-outs
- Falling below this floor is automatic rejection of the work permit application. Don't negotiate close to the line.
- Türkiye's minimum wage changes annually, sometimes mid-year for inflation adjustments. Re-check the current brüt asgari ücret before quoting any number.
- "Specialist or skilled trade" is interpreted broadly — software development, healthcare assistants, technical roles. Ambiguous cases are decided by CSGB, not by you and the employer.
- For Turkuaz Kart and exempt categories (work-17), the wage criterion may not apply.
Next step
Before negotiating salary with a Turkish employer, look up the current brüt asgari ücret (the Family Ministry publishes the official figure) and calculate your role's multiplier as the salary floor. Anchor on that, not on offer rumours.
All sources (1)
- CSGB — Çalışma İzni Başvurusu Değerlendirme Kriterleri — A Bölümü, Section 3 (Ücret kriteri) ↗
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