Monday 22 June 2026 Apia Samoa. Samoa’s minimum wage will increase by 40 sene from WST$4.84 per hour to $5.24 per hour, to take effect 01 July 2026. The multi-stage rollout that began in July 2024 will see the minimum wage reach $6.05 in July 2028.
The announcement was made by Samoa Prime Minister Hon Laaulialemalietoa Polataivao Fosi Schmidt during his weekly press conference with the media in May.
Today the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour have issued a further statement to clarify the movements.
The Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) Party campaigned on a manifesto target of WST$6.00 per hour. Worker advocacy groups like the Samoa First Union have historically pressed for faster wage increases.
The Samoa Chamber of Commerce and local business leaders historically highlight fears that a sudden jump to WST$6.00 or WST$7.00 per hour could shock the market, leading to local inflation or staff layoffs.
The Prime Minister said the decision to stagger the approach over the next three years, will balance worker purchasing power with private-sector sustainability.
Forr July 2026, the Government opted for a mid-point transition to WST$5.24 per hour to safeguard local businesses.
01 July 2027: min wage moves up 5.65
01 July 2028: min wage moves to $6.05
The multi-stage rollout started in July 2024 when the rate boosted from WST$3.00 to WST$4.00.
The 01 July 2026 adjustment marks the third increase of minimum wage since the FAST Party administration.
The minimum wage is consulted under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Labour (MCIL) through the National Tripartite Forum that includes representation of Employers and Workers.
The mandatory rate applies to all workers across the public service, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), and private-sector businesses.
Samoa’s hourly minimum wage for unskilled formal sector workers was held at $2 for many years when Yazaki operated and employed up to 2,000 staff, mostly women.
From 2015 – 2019 it was WST$2.30 per hour and in 2020 the Tripartite Forum agreed to $3 tala per hour with a staggered approach to ensure it moves regularly through the years. However, it was not until 2024 that the multi-stage approach started with the shift to $4/hour.
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