Canada Minimum Wage by Province

2026 current minimum wage by province

Here is a breakdown of the current minimum wages in Canada as of September 2026, along with expected increases and when they take effect. The current federal minimum wage is $18.15 per hour, effective April 1, 2026.

The province or territory with the highest minimum wage is Nunavut, at $20.17 per hour. Yukon has the next highest at $18.51 per hour, with British Columbia third at $18.25 per hour.

Minimum wage increases already in effect in 2026

Several provinces and territories increased their minimum wage earlier in 2026:

• Yukon: Increased to $18.51 per hour effective April 1, 2026.
• New Brunswick: Increased to $15.90 per hour effective April 1, 2026.
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Increased to $16.35 per hour effective April 1, 2026.
• Nova Scotia: Increased to $16.75 per hour effective April 1, 2026.
• Prince Edward Island: Increased to $17.00 per hour effective April 1, 2026.
• Quebec: Increased to $16.60 per hour effective May 1, 2026.
• British Columbia: Increased to $18.25 per hour effective June 1, 2026, under its annual formula (in place since 2024) tied to the prior year’s average provincial inflation rate.
• Northwest Territories: Increased to $17.20 per hour effective September 1, 2026.
• Nunavut: Increased to $20.17 per hour effective September 1, 2026.
• Federal minimum wage (for federally regulated employers): Increased to $18.15 per hour effective April 1, 2026.

Upcoming minimum wage increases for October 2026

The following provinces have already confirmed further minimum wage increases effective October 1, 2026:

• Manitoba: Rising from $16.00 to $16.40 per hour.
• Nova Scotia: Rising from $16.75 to $17.00 per hour (its second increase of 2026).
• Ontario: Rising from $17.60 to $17.95 per hour.
• Prince Edward Island: Rising from $17.00 to $17.30 per hour (its second increase of 2026).
• Saskatchewan: Rising from $15.35 to $15.70 per hour.

Ontario minimum wage

The minimum wage in Ontario is currently $17.60 per hour, effective since October 1, 2025. This is the general minimum wage which applies to most employees in Ontario. The next scheduled increase, to $17.95 per hour, takes effect October 1, 2026. This table shows the minimum wage history in Ontario.

The student minimum wage in Ontario applies to students under the age of 18 years old who work 28 hours or less a week. The student minimum wage in Ontario is currently $16.60 per hour, effective October 1, 2025.

How often does minimum wage change?

Minimum wage adjustments in Canada vary by province and territory. Some provinces review and adjust their minimum wage annually on a set date, such as Ontario which updates on October 1 each year. Several provinces, including British Columbia, have tied their minimum wage increases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or average provincial inflation, meaning the wage adjusts automatically each year. Other provinces make changes on a less predictable schedule based on government policy decisions. The federal minimum wage, which applies to federally regulated industries, is also indexed to CPI and adjusts annually on April 1. To see how your hourly wage translates to an annual income, use our hourly to salary calculator.

Minimum wage and cost of living

While minimum wage rates have increased across Canada in recent years, the cost of living has also risen significantly. Whether minimum wage provides a livable income depends largely on where you live. In major cities like Toronto and Vancouver, housing costs alone can consume a substantial portion of a minimum wage earner’s income. Nunavut’s minimum wage ($20.17 an hour) reflects the higher cost of goods and services in remote communities. Living wage estimates, calculated separately by regional organizations such as the Ontario Living Wage Network and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, generally run well above the legal minimum wage in expensive cities, though exact figures vary by methodology, household composition assumed, and how recently each region last updated its calculation, so specific dollar figures are not reproduced here. Understanding your take-home pay after taxes is just as important as knowing the gross hourly rate. Use our salary calculator to estimate your net pay and our income tax calculator to see how much tax you will owe on your earnings.

Annual salary at minimum wage by province

This table shows the approximate gross annual salary for a full-time worker (40 hours per week, 52 weeks per year) at the current minimum wage in each province and territory. Use our hourly to salary calculator for a personalized conversion.

Keep in mind these are gross figures before tax. Your actual take-home pay will be lower after deductions for federal and provincial income tax, CPP contributions, and EI premiums. Use our income tax calculator to estimate your net income, and see how your earnings compare to others with the income percentile calculator.

Federal minimum wage

The federal minimum wage in Canada is $18.15 per hour, effective April 1, 2026. This rate applies to employees in federally regulated industries, which include:

• Banks (credit unions and most other financial services are provincially regulated)
• Telecommunications and broadcasting
• Interprovincial and international transportation (airlines, railways, trucking)
• Canada Post
• Federal Crown corporations
• First Nations band councils

The federal minimum wage is indexed to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and adjusts automatically on April 1 of each year. If a province or territory has a higher minimum wage than the federal rate, the higher rate applies to federally regulated workers in that jurisdiction.

Tipped minimum wage in Canada

Unlike the United States, most Canadian provinces do not have a separate lower minimum wage for tipped employees. Workers who receive tips or gratuities are generally entitled to the full provincial minimum wage.

The notable exception is Quebec, which has a tipped minimum wage of $13.30 per hour for employees who regularly receive tips (such as restaurant servers and bartenders), effective May 1, 2026. This is lower than Quebec’s general minimum wage of $16.60 per hour, with the expectation that tips will make up the difference.

All other provinces and territories pay tipped workers the same minimum wage as all other employees.

Minimum wage vs. living wage

The minimum wage and living wage are different concepts:

• Minimum wage — The legal minimum hourly rate employers must pay, set by provincial or federal legislation.
• Living wage — A voluntary benchmark calculated by regional organizations, such as the Ontario Living Wage Network, Living Wage BC, and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, representing the hourly rate needed for a family to meet basic needs (housing, food, transportation, childcare) in a specific community.

Living wage estimates are typically higher than minimum wages, often substantially so in expensive cities like Toronto and Vancouver, and are recalculated on different schedules by each regional organization. Because figures change year to year and methodology differs by region, check the relevant regional living wage network directly (for example, the Ontario Living Wage Network or Living Wage BC) for the current rate in a specific community rather than relying on a single national figure.

Historical federal minimum wage changes

The federal minimum wage has been adjusted as follows in recent years:

Before December 29, 2021, there was no separate federal rate: since 1996, federally regulated employers had paid the minimum wage of the province or territory where the employee usually worked. The government established an independent federal minimum wage of $15.00 per hour on December 29, 2021 and indexed it to CPI going forward.

Related calculators

• Salary Calculator — Estimate your after-tax take-home pay
• Hourly to Salary Calculator — Convert your hourly wage to an annual salary
• Income Tax Calculator — Calculate your federal and provincial income tax
• Income Percentile Calculator — See how your income compares to other Canadians
• Tax Brackets — View the current federal and provincial tax brackets