Canada’s minimum wage varies significantly across its provinces and territories, reflecting local economic conditions and cost of living. Here is the minimum wage for every province in Canada:
Alberta: $15.00 (effective October 1, 2018)
The current general minimum wage for Alberta applies to all employees, except for students under 18 (for whom the minimum wage is $13 per hour).
There are separate weekly and monthly minimum wages for some salespersons ($598 per week) and domestic employees ($2,848 per month).
In Alberta, employees must be paid at least 3 hours of pay at the minimum wage each time they go to work even if they’re sent home after less than 3 hours, unless the employee is not available to work the 3 hours.
Maximum deductions below minimum wage for provided meals and lodging are $3.35 per consumed meal and $4.41 per day’s lodging.
British Columbia: $17.40 (effective June 1, 2024)
Some types of employees in British Columbia have different minimum wages. These are:
- Live-in camp leaders: $138.93 per day or part day worked
- Live-in home support workers: $129.62 per day or part day worked
- Resident caretakers:
- $1,041.80 per month plus $41.74 for each suite (for a building with nine to 60 residential suites)
- $3,548.63 per month for a building with 61 or more residential suites
Manitoba: $15.30 (effective October 1, 2023)
As of October 1, 2024, the minimum wage will rise to $15.80 in Manitoba.
The groups of employees excluded from minimum wage are:
- Domestic workers who work less than 12 hours a week
- In an approved provincial or federal training program
- Election officials, enumerators and any other temporary person appointed under The Elections Act
New Brunswick: $15.30 (effective April 1, 2024)
New Brunswick allows employers to have their employees work overtime. However, the employees must receive compensation for all overtime hours worked in New Brunswick.
The employer also must pay the eligible employee the greater of:
- three hours pay at the minimum wage or the minimum overtime rate for those hours, or
- the hours worked by the employee at their regular wage rate.
Newfoundland & Labrador: $15.60 (effective April 1, 2024)
Newfoundland & Labrador’s minimum wage was increased by $0.60 on April 1, 2024, in accordance with Labour Standards Regulations.
Northwest Territories: $16.05 (effective September 1, 2023)
Since September 1, 2023, Northwest Territories’ minimum wage has been adjusted annually using a formula based on the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Yellowknife and the the percentage change in the average hourly wage (AHW) in the NWT for the preceding calendar year.
This, according to the Education, Culture and Employment website, guarantees an increase in the minimum wage for most years.
If the percentage change in the CPI or AHW were to decrease below zero in a given year, however, and the application of the formula resulted in a decrease to the minimum wage, the minimum wage rate would remain the same.
Nova Scotia: $15.20 (effective April 1, 2024)
The Minimum Wage Review Committee for Nova Scotia – comprised of employee and employer representatives – is mandated to conduct an annual review of the province’s minimum wage.
Nunavut: $19.00 (effective January 1, 2024)
The minimum wage increase in Nunavut to $19.00 took place on January 1, 2024, and was an improvement from the previous minimum wage of $16.00.
Ontario: $16.55 (effective October 1, 2023)
In Ontario, there are certain classifications which have different minimum wages than the general minimum wage:
- Students under 18 who work 28 hours a week or less when school is in session or work during a school break or summer holidays are paid $15.60 per hour
- Hunting and fishing guides and wilderness guides are paid a minimum wage of
- $82.85, which is the rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day
- $165.75, which is the rate for working five or more hours in a day whether the hours are consecutive
- $18.20 per hour for homeworkers.
Prince Edward Island: $15.40 (effective April 1, 2024)
Minimum wage in Prince Edward Island will increase from $15.40 to $16 per hour on October 1, 2024.
Quebec: $15.75 (effective May 1, 2024)
Since 2019, the Quebec government has increased the minimum wage from $12.00 to $15.75, which corresponds to an increase of $3.75 (or 31.00%).
Its current minimum wage places Quebec in third place in the provincial ranking.
Saskatchewan: $14.00 (effective October 1, 2023)
According to the official Saskatchewan government website, some employees do not have to be paid the minimum wage. These are:
- farming, ranching or market garden labourers;
- some care providers employed in private homes;
- babysitters (only those that are of a very temporary or sporadic nature);
- athletes while engaged in their athletic endeavour;
- volunteers for non-profit organizations, and
- individuals who have a physical or mental disability or impairment and work for a non-profit organization or institution in programs that are educational, therapeutic or rehabilitative.
Yukon: $17.59 (effective April 1, 2024)
According to Yukon’s Minister of Community Services, Richard Mostyn, the provincial government is “committed to making life more affordable for Yukoners. This minimum wage increase, alongside the many other actions by our government to make life more affordable across the territory, will help the Yukon’s lowest-paid workers make ends meet.”
All provincial minimum wage rates are subject to annual adjustments based on inflation and other economic factors.
