A new year likely means more expenses, so Canadians looking to enter the workforce might want to know the current state of minimum wage nationwide.
The federal minimum wage will increase on April 1 this year to keep pace with inflation.
Last year, the government raised the federal hourly wage from $16.65 to $17.30 on the same date.
Many provinces also raise their hourly minimum wages in the summer, while some do so in the fall. However, others may decide not to raise it at all.
According to the government, if the minimum wage in a province or territory is higher than the federal number, federally regulated employers in the province must apply the higher rate.
Last year, some workers in Canada saw a bump in their paycheques after several provinces raised their minimum wage, while other provinces decided not to implement a pay increase.
Here’s what minimum wage rates look like across the country and when some Canada can expect another raise.
British Columbia
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BC’s lowest-paid workers got a pay raise from $16.75 to $17.40 last June.
The province said minimum-wage earners can count on annual wage increases as future increases to minimum rates are automatically determined by the previous year’s average inflation rate for BC.
Most wage rates in BC increase on June 1 of each year, except for agricultural piece rates, which increase on December 31 to ensure crop producers do not have to adjust wages in the middle of the harvesting season.
Alberta
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Alberta is the only province in Canada that has not seen an increase in the minimum wage this decade.
The province’s $15-an-hour rate was once the highest in Canada but is now tied with Saskatchewan’s as the lowest.
The last update to Alberta’s minimum wage was in June 2019, when the province lowered it for students under 18 from $15 to $13 per hour, though with restrictions on overtime hours and school enrolment.
Alberta hasn’t announced plans to raise the wage this year.
Ontario
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The Ontario government announced in March 2024 that the minimum wage of $16.55 would increase. As of October 1, 2024, it has risen by 65 cents to $17.20 per hour.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development of Ontario, the lowest-paid worker who works 40 hours a week saw an annual pay increase of up to $1,355.
The province has yet to confirm, but if it plans to increase its rates this year, it will likely do so on October 1, 2025.
Minimum wage in other provinces and territories
The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) created a map of minimum hourly wage rates as of October 2024.
Retail Council of Canada
New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the Yukon raised their wages on April 1.
The Nova Scotia government says it’s set to introduce its most significant increase ever this year. The rate will increase by $1.30 this year, rising to $15.70 per hour on April 1 and then to $16.50 on October 1.
“As a result of these increases, workers earning the general minimum wage and working 37.5 hours per week will see an annual pay raise of up to $2,535,” reads the announcement.
Manitoba, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan hiked their wages in October.
Newfoundland and the Yukon adjusted their wage annually on April 1 relative to the Consumer Price Index. The Northwest Territories does the same thing every year on September 1.
Nunavut has the highest rate at $19 an hour out of all the provinces.
With files from Irish Mae Silvestre, Allison Stephen, and Nikitha Martins