Minimum wage in Canada 2026 by province and territory
The federal minimum wage is $18.15 an hour from April 1, 2026. Each province and territory sets its own general minimum wage, from $15.00 in Alberta to $20.17 in Nunavut. Here are the rates in force today, when they started and what they are worth per week and per year.
Rates in force on 6 October 2026 · Official government sources · Last checked: 6 October 2026
Current minimum wage by province and territory
| Jurisdiction | Hourly rate | In force since | 40 h week | Year (2,080 h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal (federally regulated private sector) | $18.15 | April 1, 2026 | $726.00 | $37,752 |
| Nunavut | $20.17 | September 1, 2026 | $806.80 | $41,954 |
| Yukon | $18.51 | April 1, 2026 | $740.40 | $38,501 |
| British Columbia | $18.25 | June 1, 2026 | $730.00 | $37,960 |
| Ontario | $17.95 | October 1, 2026 | $718.00 | $37,336 |
| Prince Edward Island | $17.30 | October 1, 2026 | $692.00 | $35,984 |
| Northwest Territories | $17.20 | September 1, 2026 | $688.00 | $35,776 |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | October 1, 2026 | $680.00 | $35,360 |
| Quebec | $16.60 | May 1, 2026 | $664.00 | $34,528 |
| Manitoba | $16.40 | October 1, 2026 | $656.00 | $34,112 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.35 | April 1, 2026 | $654.00 | $34,008 |
| New Brunswick | $15.90 | April 1, 2026 | $636.00 | $33,072 |
| Saskatchewan | $15.70 | October 1, 2026 | $628.00 | $32,656 |
| Alberta | $15.00 | October 1, 2018 | $600.00 | $31,200 |
General adult rate. Weekly and annual amounts assume 40 paid hours a week, 52 weeks a year, before tax. Some provinces have separate rates for students, liquor servers, tipped employees or specific industries.
Federal minimum wage
The federal minimum wage applies to employees in federally regulated private sectors — for example banks, airlines, rail and road transport across provincial borders, telecommunications and ports. It rose to $18.15 an hour on April 1, 2026, up from $17.75. It is adjusted every 1 April by the previous year's increase in the Consumer Price Index (2.1% for 2025). Where a province or territory has a higher minimum wage, federally regulated employers must pay the higher rate.
Changes in 2026
- Federal (federally regulated private sector): $18.15 from April 1, 2026 (was $17.75 from April 1, 2025).
- Yukon: $18.51 from April 1, 2026 (was $17.94).
- Newfoundland and Labrador: $16.35 from April 1, 2026.
- New Brunswick: $15.90 from April 1, 2026 (was $15.65).
- Quebec: $16.60 from May 1, 2026 (was $16.10 from May 1, 2025).
- British Columbia: $18.25 from June 1, 2026.
- Nunavut: $20.17 from September 1, 2026 (was $19.75 from September 1, 2025).
- Northwest Territories: $17.20 from September 1, 2026 (was $16.95).
- Ontario: $17.95 from October 1, 2026 (was $17.60 from October 1, 2025).
- Prince Edward Island: $17.30 from October 1, 2026 (was $17.00 from April 1, 2026); rising to $17.60 on April 1, 2027.
- Nova Scotia: $17.00 from October 1, 2026 (was $16.75 from April 1, 2026).
- Manitoba: $16.40 from October 1, 2026.
- Saskatchewan: $15.70 from October 1, 2026.
Alberta has not changed its general rate of $15.00 since October 1, 2018, which makes it the lowest in the country in 2026.
Special rates
- Alberta: Students under 18: $13/hour for the first 28 hours a week while school is in session.
- Quebec: Employees receiving tips: $13.30/hour.
Minimum wage after tax
Working 40 hours a week all year at the Ontario minimum wage of $17.95 gives a gross salary of about $37,336. After 2026 federal and Ontario income tax, CPP and EI, take-home pay is about $30,911 a year, or $2,576 a month (estimate based on the annual rate in force since October 1, 2026). Use the Canadian take-home pay calculator for other provinces and hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in Canada in 2026?
There is no single national rate. The federal minimum wage — for federally regulated private-sector employees — is $18.15 an hour from April 1, 2026. Other workers are covered by their province or territory, where the general rate ranges from $15.00 (Alberta) to $20.17 (Nunavut).
Which province has the highest minimum wage?
Nunavut has the highest general minimum wage, $20.17 an hour since September 1, 2026. Among the provinces, the highest is British Columbia at $18.25.
What is the minimum wage in Ontario?
$17.95 an hour from October 1, 2026 to 30 September 2027 (it was $17.60 before). Ontario adjusts its minimum wage every 1 October.
How much is the minimum wage per year?
At 40 hours a week for 52 weeks (2,080 hours), the federal minimum wage of $18.15 is about $37,752 a year before tax; the Ontario rate gives about $37,336.
Do federally regulated employers pay the provincial rate?
They must pay at least the federal minimum wage. If the province or territory where the employee works has a higher general minimum wage, the employer must pay that higher rate.
Sources
- Federal (federally regulated private sector) — ESDC news release, 24 March 2026 (CPI +2.1% in 2025, Canada Labour Code s. 178)
- Nunavut — Government of Nunavut news release, 30 June 2026 — "Nunavut's minimum wage increases September 1 to $20.17 per hour" (official page via search index)
- Yukon — Government of Yukon — "Starting April 1, 2026 ... to $18.51" (CPI +3.2%) (official page via search index)
- British Columbia — BC Employment Standards — "As of June 1, 2026, minimum wage is $18.25 per hour"
- Ontario — Ontario, Your guide to the Employment Standards Act — minimum wage (1 Oct 2026 to 30 Sep 2027)
- Prince Edward Island — Minimum Wage Order EC2026-379 (Employment Standards Act), Royal Gazette, 31 March 2026
- Northwest Territories — GNWT news release — "Effective September 1, 2026 ... from $16.95 per hour to $17.20 per hour"
- Nova Scotia — Nova Scotia news release, 1 October 2026 (two-step 2026 increase announced 2 December 2025)
- Quebec — Gouvernement du Québec news release, 1 May 2026 (Regulation respecting labour standards)
- Manitoba — Manitoba Employment Standards fact sheet — "$16.40 per hour effective October 1, 2026"
- Newfoundland and Labrador — Government of NL news release, 26 February 2026 (Labour Standards Regulations, CPI indexation)
- New Brunswick — GNB news release, February 2026 — "Minimum wage to increase to $15.90 per hour" on April 1 (official page via search index)
- Saskatchewan — Saskatchewan Employment Standards — "Effective October 1, 2026, the minimum wage is $15.70 per hour" (indexation formula)
- Alberta — Alberta Employment Standards — minimum wage page; unchanged since 1 October 2018 (Alberta Minimum Wage Profile, open.alberta.ca)
Last checked: 6 October 2026.
Glossary
Statutory minimum wage
The pay floor set by law, which no contract may undercut. Each country sets it by the hour, by the day or by the month, and the number of annual payments differs from country to country.
Gross salary
The figure agreed in the contract, before any deduction. It is the number on the employment record and the starting point of every payroll calculation.
Net salary
What is left after the compulsory deductions. It stays an estimate until the deductions written into your own contract are added, such as health cover, commuting allowances, alimony and advances.
Effective rate
How much the deduction represents of the whole salary, as a percentage. It is always lower than the top bracket rate, because the lower slices were charged at lower rates.
Contribution ceiling
The highest salary on which the employee pays social security. Above it the deduction stops growing in money terms, so the effective rate starts falling as the salary rises.
Holiday and Christmas subsidies
In Portugal, two extra annual payments on top of the twelve monthly salaries, which is why people speak of fourteen months. The yearly figure for a Portuguese salary is therefore not simply twelve times the monthly one.