Minimum Wage in Canada 2026 (All Provinces & Territories)
Current minimum wage rates for every Canadian province and territory. Highest: Nunavut at $19.00/hour.
| Province / Territory | General rate | Student / other | Next adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
Alberta Students under 18 working ≤28 hrs/week during school. | $15.00/hr | Student $13.00 | — |
British Columbia Liquor servers earn the general minimum since 2021. | $17.85/hr | — | Indexed to inflation, adjusted every June 1. |
Manitoba | $15.80/hr | — | Reviewed annually on Oct 1. |
New Brunswick | $15.65/hr | — | Indexed to CPI each April 1. |
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00/hr | — | Adjusted every April 1. |
Nova Scotia | $15.70/hr | — | Indexed to CPI + 1% each April 1. |
Northwest Territories | $16.70/hr | — | — |
Nunavut Highest general minimum in Canada. | $19.00/hr | — | — |
Ontario Student rate applies to those under 18 working ≤28 hrs/week during school; homeworkers earn 110% of the general rate. | $17.60/hr | Student $16.60 | Adjusted every Oct 1 (CPI-linked). |
Prince Edward Island | $16.50/hr | — | Reviewed every April 1 and Oct 1. |
Quebec Tipped employees (servers) earn $12.90/hr in 2026. | $16.10/hr | — | — |
Saskatchewan | $15.35/hr | — | Indexed each Oct 1. |
Yukon | $17.94/hr | — | Indexed to CPI each April 1. |
| Federal (federally regulated) | $17.75/hr | — | Indexed annually each April 1 |
Sources: provincial labour ministries and the federal Labour Program. Last verified 2026-04-01. Rates can change mid-year — confirm on the government of your province's site before using in employment contracts.
Working at minimum wage? See your take-home pay
Our Ontario take-home calculator and full salary converter show net pay after tax, CPP and EI for every province.
How minimum wage works in Canada in 2026
- Every province sets its own minimum wage — there is no single Canadian rate.
- Nunavut is highest at $19.00; Alberta is lowest at $15.00.
- The federal $17.75 rate applies only to federally regulated industries.
- Most provinces now index to inflation and adjust annually.
- Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan adjust each Oct 1; Atlantic provinces each April 1.
Who is covered by the federal minimum wage
The federal minimum applies to federally regulated employers: banks, telecom (Bell, Rogers, Telus), airlines (Air Canada, WestJet), interprovincial trucking, marine and rail, First Nations government, radio and TV broadcasting, and postal service. If you're a cashier at a Loblaws in Ontario, you get the Ontario rate, not the federal.
Special rates within a province
Ontario runs three sub-rates: student (under 18, ≤28 hrs/week during school) at $16.60, homeworker at 110% of the general rate ($19.36), and hunting/fishing guides at a piece rate. Alberta keeps a student rate of $13.00. Only Quebec still has a separate lower rate for tipped workers ($12.90/hr).
People also search for
- minimum wage canada 2026
- minimum wage ontario 2026
- minimum wage bc 2026
- minimum wage alberta 2026
- minimum wage quebec 2026
- federal minimum wage canada
- hourly minimum wage canada
- canada minimum wage by province
- student minimum wage ontario
- minimum wage increase 2026
- canada wage rates 2026
- lowest minimum wage canada
- highest minimum wage canada
- tipped minimum wage canada
- living wage canada
Frequently asked questions
More free tools
No signup required. Built for the Canadian job market.
ATS Resume Checker
Free ATS resume checker for Canada — score, missing keywords, 5 fixes.
Resume Bullet Point Generator
Turn weak resume bullets into action + impact + metric in 5 seconds.
Resume Summary Generator
Generate a sharp 2–3 line resume summary tailored to your target role.
Cover Letter Generator
Free AI cover letter generator for Canadian jobs — 3 paragraphs, no signup.