Salário mínimo vs. ordenado mínimo
Both salário mínimo and ordenado mínimo refer to the lowest remuneration employers can legally pay workers, translating to "minimum wage". The primary difference is regional usage: salário mínimo is the official legal term used in all Portuguese-speaking countries (especially Brazil), while ordenado mínimo is a common synonym used primarily in Portugal.
Salário mínimo
B1This is the standard, official term used in legislation, news, and formal contexts in both Brazil and Portugal. It refers to the lowest legal amount of pay. In Brazil, this is the exclusive term used in daily life, as ordenado is considered old-fashioned there.
O governo anunciou um aumento do salário mínimo para o próximo ano.
(The government announced a minimum wage increase for next year.)
Muitas famílias brasileiras vivem com apenas um salário mínimo por mês.
(Many Brazilian families live on just one minimum wage per month.)
Ele recusou a oferta porque pagavam menos que o salário mínimo.
(He refused the offer because they paid less than the minimum wage.)
O valor do salário mínimo influencia a economia de todo o país.
(The value of the minimum wage influences the entire country's economy.)
É difícil manter as contas em dia ganhando apenas o salário mínimo.
(It is difficult to keep bills up to date earning only the minimum wage.)
Ordenado mínimo
B2This term is used frequently in European Portuguese (Portugal) interchangeably with salário mínimo. While ordenado specifically implies a fixed monthly salary, when paired with mínimo, it refers to the same national baseline value. You will rarely hear this in Brazil.
Em Lisboa, é quase impossível alugar um apartamento recebendo o ordenado mínimo.
(In Lisbon, it is almost impossible to rent an apartment receiving the minimum wage.)
O sindicato exige que o ordenado mínimo suba para acompanhar a inflação.
(The union demands that the minimum wage rise to keep up with inflation.)
Recebo o ordenado mínimo, mas tenho direito a subsídio de alimentação.
(I receive the minimum wage, but I am entitled to a food allowance.)
A maioria dos jovens naquela empresa ganha o ordenado mínimo nacional.
(Most young people at that company earn the national minimum wage.)
O meu primeiro emprego pagava apenas o ordenado mínimo.
(My first job paid only the minimum wage.)
Summary
To summarize, use salário mínimo as the universal term for legal documents or when speaking in Brazil. Use ordenado mínimo as an acceptable and common synonym when speaking casually or formally within Portugal. However, legally speaking, the index is officially defined as the Salário Mínimo Nacional even in Portugal.