This calculator works out the foreign employee minimum salary in Turkey that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS) looks for under the wage criterion in a work permit application, that is, the lowest gross salary you must declare for your foreign staff. It is based on the 2026 gross minimum wage of 33,030 TL; when you select the occupational group, you see the minimum gross wage, the approximate net salary and the employer cost without incentives side by side.
What is the wage criterion for a work permit?
The wage criterion is a rule the Ministry of Labour and Social Security uses when assessing work permits: the wage paid to the foreign national must not be less than a certain multiple of the gross minimum wage in force on the application date. The multiple depends on the nature of the work the foreign national will do. If the wage declared in the application is below this floor, the application may be assessed negatively.
How is a foreign employee's salary calculated?
The calculator produces three results based on the occupational group you select:
- Minimum gross wage = 33,030 TL × occupational multiplier (5, 4, 3, 2 or 1)
- Employer cost ≈ gross wage × 1.2375 (SGK employer share 21.75% + unemployment insurance employer share 2%, without incentives)
- Approximate net salary: At the minimum wage, net = gross × 0.85, i.e. 28,075.50 TL. For wages above the minimum wage, income tax and stamp duty apply to the part above it, so the calculator shows the net amount as an approximation.
Minimum gross wage = 33,030 TL × multiple; employer cost ≈ gross wage × 1.2375
Why is the net salary only approximate? The answer lies in how income tax works: because the tax brackets progress according to the cumulative tax base during the year, the same gross wage produces a different net amount in the first and last months of the year. For payroll purposes, rely on your accountant's (mali müşavir) calculation.
2026 foreign employee salary table by occupational group
| Occupational group | Multiple | Minimum gross wage | Approximate employer cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior executive, pilot | 5 | 165,150 TL | 204,373.13 TL |
| Engineer, architect | 4 | 132,120 TL | 163,498.50 TL |
| Other managers | 3 | 99,090 TL | 122,623.88 TL |
| Jobs requiring expertise or mastery of a craft | 2 | 66,060 TL | 81,749.25 TL |
| Domestic services and other jobs | 1 | 33,030 TL | 40,874.63 TL |
The employer costs in the table are calculated without incentives; any SGK (Social Security Institution) discounts your workplace benefits from may lower these amounts.
Example: hiring a foreign engineer
If a manufacturing company in Bursa obtains a work permit for a foreign mechanical engineer, the gross wage it declares must be at least 33,030 × 4 = 132,120 TL. The employer cost of this wage without incentives is approximately 132,120 × 1.2375 = 163,498.50 TL. Declaring a lower wage for the engineer can lead to the application being rejected on the wage criterion.
Example: foreign caregiver
Child, elderly and patient caregivers fall within the domestic services group, and their wages cannot be lower than the minimum wage. When a caregiver is paid 33,030 TL gross, they take home 28,075.50 TL net; the employer cost without incentives is 40,874.63 TL. For an annual budget that includes fees and extra expenses, you can use the foreign caregiver cost calculator.
Why does choosing the right occupational group matter?
An accurate result from the foreign employee salary calculator depends on the occupational group you choose matching the actual job. The occupational group must be consistent with the work the foreign national will do, the position declared in the application and the candidate's education documents. For example, a multiple of 4 is required for a foreign national with an engineering degree who is hired as an engineer; showing the same person in a position with a lower multiple can create an inconsistency in the file.
There is a similar distinction for management titles: a multiple of 5 applies to senior executives such as a general manager, and a multiple of 3 to other managers such as department or unit managers. Clarifying your position description before you apply reduces both the risk of rejection and unnecessary cost.
The wage criterion is set according to the gross minimum wage on the application date; if the minimum wage changes, the floors change too. Keep in mind that in extension applications the wage will also be assessed against the current minimum wage. It is important that the wage you declare in the application is consistent with your SGK declaration.
Some foreign nationals, such as those married to a Turkish citizen for at least 3 years or holders of a long-term residence permit, may be exempt from the assessment criteria; the scope of the exemption varies from person to person.
After setting the salary
The wage criterion is not the only requirement in the assessment. You can see whether your workplace meets the employment and financial criteria with the foreign employee quota calculator; the fee and the card fee are calculated separately for each person.
For the application steps and documents, see our work permit in Turkey page; for employer obligations, our company work permit service; and for families, our caregiver work permit process. We recommend our guide to hiring foreign employees to employers who want to read about wages, premiums and penalties together, and our article on the elderly and patient caregiver work permit to those looking for a caregiver for a mother or father.
Why Fast Danışmanlık?
Since 2010 we have advised employers and families on work permits across the Marmara Region, especially in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa and Tekirdağ, and throughout Turkey (officially Türkiye) through an online process. We check the wage criterion, the position description and the documents with you, and aim to maximize your chance of approval with a complete file.
This calculation is for information only; the exact amount is determined at the time of application according to the official tariff and the current minimum wage. Amounts apply to 2026 and are updated when the legislation changes.
Frequently asked questions
For engineers and architects, the wage must be at least 4 times the gross minimum wage. In 2026 this is 132,120 TL gross, and the employer cost without incentives reaches approximately 163,498.50 TL.
In domestic services and other jobs that do not require expertise, a foreign national can be paid the minimum wage; the wage cannot be lower than that. For manager, engineer, architect or specialist positions, 2 to 5 times the minimum wage is required.
The wage criterion is based on the gross minimum wage on the application date and the nature of the work the foreign national will do. A multiple of 5 applies to senior executives and pilots, 4 to engineers and architects, 3 to other managers, and 2 to jobs requiring expertise or mastery of a craft.
Without incentives, the employer cost is approximately gross wage × 1.2375, which includes the SGK employer share and the unemployment insurance employer share. The work permit fee and the card fee are paid separately.
If the declared wage is below the floor for the occupational group, the application may be rejected for not meeting the wage criterion. Consistency between the wage and the SGK declaration also matters in the assessment.
The minimum wage amount is exempt from income tax and stamp duty, but the part above it is taxed. Because income tax brackets progress cumulatively during the year, the net salary changes from month to month; consult your accountant for an exact payroll calculation.