Minimum Wage Canada by Province 2026: Full Table

Quick answer: As of October 3, 2026, the minimum wage in Canada by province ranges from $15.00 an hour in Alberta to $20.17 in Nunavut. Five provinces raised rates on October 1: Ontario to $17.95, Prince Edward Island to $17.30, Nova Scotia to $17.00, Manitoba to $16.40 and Saskatchewan to $15.70.

Key takeaways

Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island all increased their general minimum wage on October 1, 2026.
Nunavut has the highest general rate in the country at $20.17 an hour, while Alberta has stayed at $15.00 since October 2018.
Federally regulated workers, such as those in banking, telecommunications and interprovincial transport, are covered by the federal rate of $18.15 an hour.
Prince Edward Island already has a second increase lined up, to $17.60 on April 1, 2027.
Minimum wage is checked per pay period, so commission, piece-rate and part-time workers must still reach the hourly floor for every hour worked.

Last updated: October 3, 2026

If you are checking the minimum wage Canada by province figures for 2026, the numbers changed for many workers this week. On October 1, 2026, five provinces lifted their general hourly floor at the same time, with increases of between 25 and 40 cents. Below are the current rates for all 10 provinces, 3 territories and the federal jurisdiction, followed by what the new rates mean for a typical pay cheque.

Minimum wage Canada by province: what are the 2026 rates?

The general rate now runs from $15.00 an hour in Alberta to $20.17 in Nunavut. Each province and territory sets its own floor, and a separate federal rate applies to federally regulated industries.

Nunavut: $20.17 an hour (since September 1, 2026)
Yukon: $18.51 an hour (since April 1, 2026)
British Columbia: $18.25 an hour (since June 1, 2026)
Federal (federally regulated sectors): $18.15 an hour (since April 1, 2026)
Ontario: $17.95 an hour (since October 1, 2026)
Prince Edward Island: $17.30 an hour (since October 1, 2026; next change: $17.60 on April 1, 2027)
Northwest Territories: $17.20 an hour (since September 1, 2026)
Nova Scotia: $17.00 an hour (since October 1, 2026)
Quebec: $16.60 an hour (since May 1, 2026)
Manitoba: $16.40 an hour (since October 1, 2026)
Newfoundland and Labrador: $16.35 an hour (since April 1, 2026)
New Brunswick: $15.90 an hour (since April 1, 2026)
Saskatchewan: $15.70 an hour (since October 1, 2026)
Alberta: $15.00 an hour (since October 1, 2018)

Among the provinces, only British Columbia pays a higher general rate than Ontario. Quebec raised its rate earlier in the year, on May 1, so it was not part of the October round.

Which provinces raised the minimum wage on October 1, 2026?

Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island all moved on the same date. Each uses its own method to decide the new amount.

Ontario: up 35 cents, from $17.60 to $17.95. The province links the yearly change to its Consumer Price Index (CPI), which rose 1.9%, and its labour ministry expects more than 700,000 workers to benefit.
Prince Edward Island: up 30 cents, from $17.00 to $17.30, with a further step to $17.60 scheduled for April 1, 2027.
Nova Scotia: up 25 cents, from $16.75 to $17.00. This is the province's second raise of 2026 and follows a unanimous recommendation from its Minimum Wage Review Committee.
Manitoba: up 40 cents, from $16.00 to $16.40, based on the province's 2025 inflation figure rounded up to the nearest five cents.
Saskatchewan: up 35 cents, from $15.35 to $15.70, under a formula that gives equal weight to CPI and the provincial average hourly wage.

Prince Edward Island's Employment Standards Board is also reviewing future rates and will accept written public submissions until October 30, 2026.

How much does a minimum wage job pay per week and per year?

At 40 hours a week, a full-time minimum wage worker in Ontario now earns $718 before deductions, or about $37,336 over 52 weeks. The figures below use the same 40-hour, 52-week assumption for the five provinces that changed this month.

Ontario: $17.95 an hour, about $718.00 a week or $37,336 a year
Prince Edward Island: $17.30 an hour, about $692.00 a week or $35,984 a year
Nova Scotia: $17.00 an hour, about $680.00 a week or $35,360 a year
Manitoba: $16.40 an hour, about $656.00 a week or $34,112 a year
Saskatchewan: $15.70 an hour, about $628.00 a week or $32,656 a year

These are gross amounts calculated before deductions, so take-home pay will be lower. Hours beyond the regular work week may also attract overtime pay.

Are there different rates for students and other workers?

Yes, in some provinces. Ontario keeps a lower student rate and higher special rates for certain jobs, while Manitoba applies one rate to everyone regardless of age.

Ontario students: $16.90 an hour for students under 18 who work 28 hours a week or less while school is in session, or who work during school breaks and summer holidays.
Ontario homeworkers: $19.70 an hour for employees who do paid work from their own homes, such as sewing, call-centre work or writing software.
Ontario hunting, fishing and wilderness guides: paid by blocks of time, at $89.75 for under five consecutive hours in a day and $179.50 for five or more hours.
Manitoba: the provincial factsheet states the minimum wage applies equally to all employees, whatever their age or hours.

Federally regulated employees, for example in banking, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation, fall under the $18.15 federal rate rather than the provincial one.

Does minimum wage apply to commission, piece-rate and part-time work?

Yes. Pay is checked across each pay period, so total earnings divided by hours worked must reach the minimum rate, however the pay is structured.

Ontario's guide shows how this works: a commission employee who earns $300 over 25 hours in a week is owed a top-up, because 25 hours at $17.95 comes to $448.75. Nova Scotia applies the same logic to piecework, and Manitoba requires employers to add wages when incentive pay falls short of the minimum in a pay period.

A few other protections worth knowing:

Call-in pay in Nova Scotia: if you are called in outside regular hours, you must be paid for at least three hours at minimum wage, which is now $51.
Uniform costs in Nova Scotia: an employer cannot deduct the cost of a required uniform if it pushes your hourly pay below the minimum.
Room and meals in Manitoba: deductions cannot take you below minimum wage by more than $1 per meal and $7 per week for a room.
Pay timing in Manitoba: employees must be paid at least twice a month, within 10 business days of the end of the pay period.

Common mistakes to avoid after a minimum wage increase

One problem to watch for is a pay cheque that still uses the old rate for hours worked after September 30. Check your first October pay stub carefully.

Assuming a raise is automatic if you already earn above the minimum. Manitoba's factsheet notes there is no legal requirement to raise wages that are already above the floor.
Forgetting that a pay period can straddle the change date. Hours worked from October 1 onward must be paid at the new rate.
Confusing provincial and federal coverage. Employees in federally regulated sectors such as banking are covered by the $18.15 federal rate, even in provinces with a lower floor.
Overlooking overtime. In Manitoba, overtime is paid at one and a half times regular wages.

What this means for you

If you work in one of the five provinces that changed, your hourly pay should already reflect the new rate. Workers in Ontario can use the province's Employment Standards Self-Service Tool to check their entitlements, while Manitoba Employment Standards and Nova Scotia Labour Standards can answer questions about the rules. Job seekers comparing the minimum wage Canada by province before accepting an offer, including newcomers planning a move, can use the list above as a baseline for the legal minimum. You may also find our guide Work Permit Extension Processing Time in Canada (2026) useful if you are a temporary foreign worker weighing your next step.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest minimum wage in Canada in 2026?

Nunavut has the highest general minimum wage at $20.17 an hour, in effect since September 1, 2026. Among the provinces, British Columbia leads at $18.25, followed by Ontario at $17.95.

What is the lowest minimum wage in Canada?

Alberta has the lowest general rate at $15.00 an hour. It has not changed since October 1, 2018, and no increase has been announced.

What is the minimum wage in Ontario right now?

Ontario's general minimum wage is $17.95 an hour from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027. The student rate is $16.90 and the homeworker rate is $19.70.

What is the federal minimum wage in Canada?

The federal minimum wage is $18.15 an hour, effective April 1, 2026. It covers federally regulated sectors such as banking, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation.

When does the minimum wage go up next in Canada?

The next confirmed increase is in Prince Edward Island, where the rate rises to $17.60 on April 1, 2027. Other jurisdictions have not yet announced their next rates.

Does minimum wage apply to part-time workers and students?

Yes. Part-time workers are owed the same hourly minimum as full-time staff. Ontario has a lower student rate for under-18s working 28 hours a week or less during the school year, while Manitoba applies one rate regardless of age.

Sources

This article was compiled by Jobsiz from the sources listed above, with AI-assisted writing and automated fact-checking. Published October 3, 2026. We update stories when new verified information becomes available.

Minimum Wage Canada by Province 2026: All 13 Rates