What You Should Be Earning as a Yaya in 2026

Your legal minimum wage as a kasambahay in 2026

Under Batas Kasambahay (RA 10361), every kasambahay (yaya, housekeeper, cook, or all-around helper) is entitled to a minimum wage set by the region where you work. This is a legal requirement, not a suggestion, and paying below it is a labor standards violation.

Region	Legal minimum monthly wage
Metro Manila (NCR)	₱7,800 (eff. 7 Feb 2026)
Davao Region	₱6,500 (eff. 13 Mar 2026)
Every other region	Set by your regional wage board

NCR figure is Wage Order NCR-DW-06 (up ₱800 from ₱7,000), confirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC). Davao figure is set by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-XI), covering an estimated 64,111 domestic workers in the region.

The old 2013 figures written into RA 10361 itself (₱2,500 / ₱2,000 / ₱1,500) are outdated: they've been replaced region-by-region by newer wage orders, so don't quote those numbers to your employer as current. If you're outside NCR or Davao, check with your regional DOLE office or your barangay for the number that applies to you before you use it in a conversation.

Guidance, not law: if you don't know your region's current wage order number, that's normal. Most helpers don't. You don't need the exact order number to have the conversation; "the legal minimum for my region" is enough of an anchor to start with, and DOLE or your barangay kasambahay desk can confirm the exact figure if it's ever disputed.

Magkano dapat ang sahod mo talaga? (What families are actually paying)

The legal minimum is the floor. It is not what a fairly-paid yaya earns. In Metro Manila specifically, market pay for yayas in 2026 commonly runs ₱12,000 to ₱25,000 a month, depending on your experience, whether you're live-in or live-out, and how many children you care for. This is a market observation, not a government statistic: demand for trustworthy, experienced yayas is higher than the supply of them. That gap between "legal minimum" and "what families are actually paying" is exactly the space you negotiate in.

If you're earning close to or at the bare legal minimum for your region and you have any of the following, you likely have room to ask for more:

• More than 1–2 years of consistent experience with positive references
• Experience with infants (under 12 months) specifically
• You care for two or more children
• CPR/First Aid or a TESDA certificate in caregiving or early childhood care
• You speak conversational English or hold a driver's license
• You've been with the same family for over a year without a raise

Am I underpaid as a yaya? Check these five things

This is a straightforward self-check, not a legal ruling. Just a starting checklist.

1. Is your monthly pay below your region's legal minimum? If yes, this is a legal violation, not just a "low offer." See the section below on what to do about it.
2. Do you have SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG? (Legal requirement.) Any kasambahay who has worked at least one month must be enrolled in all three. If you're earning under ₱5,000/month, your employer must cover the entire contribution, and no deduction from your pay is allowed. Once you're earning ₱5,000/month or more, it splits like a normal job. If your payslip shows deductions while you earn under ₱5,000, or you see no enrollment at all above ₱5,000, that's worth raising.
3. Did you get 13th-month pay last December? (Legal requirement.) Every kasambahay is entitled to 13th-month pay, computed as at least 1/12 of the basic salary you earned during the year, paid on or before December 24. It only comes to a full month's salary once you've worked the whole year.
4. Have you had a raise in the last 1–2 years, especially after your duties grew? No automatic annual raise is required by law. Increases only happen through a new regional wage order, or through you actually asking. If your responsibilities have grown (more kids, more hours, new certifications) and your pay hasn't moved, that's a fair conversation to start.
5. Do you have a written contract? (Legal requirement.) Your employment should be covered by a written agreement, in a language you understand, spelling out your pay, duties, schedule, rest day, and benefits. RA 10361 also requires your employer to register you with your barangay, in its Registry of Domestic Workers. If everything you have is a verbal promise, that's a gap worth closing before a pay dispute ever happens.

What a fair pay package includes

When you think about "fair pay," don't just look at the number in your hand every payday. A fair package includes:

• Base monthly salary. At minimum your region's legal wage, and ideally closer to the market rate for your experience.
• SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG enrollment, which is a legal requirement. It protects you even if your employer is inconsistent about remitting, because you keep your SSS benefit entitlement regardless.
• 13th-month pay every December (legal requirement).
• Five days of paid Service Incentive Leave after your first full year with the same employer. This one is a legal requirement too, though the days don't roll over or convert to cash if unused.
• A weekly rest day of at least 24 consecutive hours (legal requirement). It can be moved or accumulated only if you agree to it, not decided on your behalf by your employer.
• Overtime pay for extra hours. This one is genuinely a gray area in Philippine labor law right now. Unlike regular employees, there's no clearly settled overtime rate written into Batas Kasambahay for kasambahay workers. The law's protection focuses instead on your guaranteed rest periods, not a fixed overtime formula. If you're regularly working well past normal hours, it's reasonable to raise it as a pay or schedule conversation. Just don't expect a specific legal percentage to point to, because there isn't a settled one.

Paano humingi ng sahod (how to actually ask for a raise)

Asking for money is uncomfortable for almost everyone. It isn't a "you" problem. Here's a straightforward way to structure it:

1. Anchor on facts, not feelings

Instead of "I feel like I deserve more," try: "The legal minimum in [region] went up this year, and I know families are also paying more for someone with my experience. Can we talk about adjusting my rate?" Facts are harder to argue with than feelings, and they give your employer something concrete to respond to.

2. Pick a natural moment

After finishing a trial period successfully, at your one-year anniversary, after taking on new responsibilities (a new baby, more hours, more kids), or right after a wage order increase are all natural, low-awkwardness moments to raise it. Much easier than bringing it up out of nowhere.

3. Know your number before you ask

Have a realistic target in mind based on your region's market rate and your own experience, certifications, and duties, not just "more." A specific, reasonable number is easier for an employer to say yes to than an open-ended ask.

4. Ask for the whole package, not just the peso figure

"Can we adjust my pay to ₱[X], and make sure SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG and 13th-month are properly in place?" is a stronger, more complete ask than the salary number alone.

5. Be ready to talk about what you bring, not just what you need

Reliability, how long you've stayed, skills you've picked up, and how you've handled the family's specific situation are your leverage. Bring them up plainly, without over-explaining or apologizing for asking.

If your employer won't pay fairly or won't fix a violation

If your pay is genuinely below your region's legal minimum, or you've been denied SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG, 13th-month pay, or your rest day, and a direct conversation hasn't worked, you have free options:

• DOLE's Single Entry Approach (SEnA) desk. You can file a Request for Assistance (RFA), online or in person, for free conciliation-mediation. You don't need a lawyer to start this process.
• Your Barangay Kasambahay Desk. This is often the first, closest place to raise a concern, especially if your employment was properly registered there when you started.
• Know your time limit. Monetary wage claims (unpaid or underpaid wages) generally must be filed within 3 years of when the underpayment happened, so if you're owed back pay, don't wait indefinitely to raise it.

You keep your SSS benefit entitlement even if your employer failed to remit contributions on your behalf. That failure is on them, not a reason for you to lose your benefit, and it's something you can pursue separately if it comes up.

A quick payslip check you can run yourself

Here's how it plays out in practice: if you're earning ₱6,000/month, your payslip should show SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG deductions, because you're above the ₱5,000 threshold and contributions split between you and your employer. But if you were earning under ₱5,000/month, you should see no deductions at all, because your employer is required to shoulder the entire contribution at that income level. Pull out your last payslip (or ask for one, if you've never gotten one) and check which bracket you're actually in, and whether what's being deducted (or not deducted) matches it.

Frequently asked questions

Magkano dapat ang sahod ko bilang yaya sa 2026?

Depende sa region mo. Sa Metro Manila (NCR), ang legal minimum ay ₱7,800/buwan simula Pebrero 2026; sa Davao Region, ₱6,500/buwan simula Marso 2026. Pero ito ang legal floor lang. Base sa nakikita naming market rate (obserbasyon ito, hindi opisyal na datos ng gobyerno), maraming live-in yaya sa Metro Manila na may ilang taon nang karanasan ang kumikita ng ₱12,000–₱25,000/buwan, mas mataas kaysa sa legal minimum.

What is the legal minimum wage for a kasambahay in 2026?

It depends on your region. In Metro Manila (NCR), it's ₱7,800/month effective 7 February 2026 (Wage Order NCR-DW-06). In Davao Region, it's ₱6,500/month effective 13 March 2026. Other regions set their own minimum through their regional wage board. The original 2013 figures in RA 10361 itself are outdated and no longer the current rate anywhere.

How do I know if I'm underpaid as a yaya?

Start with five checks: is your pay below your region's legal minimum; do you have SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG (mandatory once you've worked one month, fully employer-paid if you earn under ₱5,000/month); did you get 13th-month pay last December; have you gone over a year without a raise despite more duties; and do you have a written employment contract at all. Any "no" is worth a conversation with your employer.

Paano ako dapat humingi ng sahod nang hindi parang nangungutya?

Mag-anchor sa facts: halimbawa, sabihin mong tumaas ang legal minimum sa region mo, o na mas mataas ang binabayad sa mga katulad mong karanasan. Pumili ng natural na sandali, tulad ng pagkatapos ng trial period, sa anniversary mo, o pagkatapos dumami ang trabaho mo. At humingi ng buong package (sahod, SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG, at 13th month), hindi lang ang numero.

What can I do if my employer won't pay the legal minimum or my benefits?

You can file a free Request for Assistance through DOLE's Single Entry Approach (SEnA) desk, online or in person, without needing a lawyer, or raise it first at your Barangay Kasambahay Desk. Wage claims generally need to be filed within 3 years of the underpayment. You also keep your SSS benefit entitlement even if your employer failed to remit contributions: that's on them, not you.

Do I get 13th-month pay and SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG as a kasambahay?

Yes, both are legal requirements under Batas Kasambahay. You're entitled to 13th-month pay, computed as at least 1/12 of the basic salary you earned during the year, on or before December 24. That works out to a full month's salary only after a complete year of service. You must also be enrolled in SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG after one month of service; if you earn under ₱5,000/month, your employer pays the full contribution, and above that, it splits between you and your employer.

Sources & further reading

• DOLE: "Kasambahays in NCR to receive P800 monthly minimum wage increase" (the Wage Order NCR-DW-06 announcement)
• National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC-DOLE)
• Social Security System (SSS): official kasambahay registration page
• Pinoyaya's plain-English guide to RA 10361 (Batas Kasambahay)
• How much should you pay a yaya in 2026?: what families should expect to pay
• The SSS/PhilHealth/Pag-IBIG registration guide, step by step

This guide is for general information only. It is not legal advice. For a specific wage dispute or region-specific minimum wage figure, confirm with DOLE, your regional wage board (RTWPB), or your Barangay Kasambahay Desk.