Canada Minimum Wage Calculator 2026

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Federal minimum wage is $18.15/hour, but most workers are covered by their province instead. Provincial and territorial rates range from $15.00 to $20.17/hour. Select your province to calculate weekly, monthly and annual minimum pay.

Quick answer: Canada's federal minimum wage is $18.15/hour (federally regulated industries only). Most workers are covered by their province: Ontario is $17.60/hour (rising to $17.95 on October 1, 2026), and Nunavut is highest overall at $20.17/hour. Working 40 hours/week in Ontario earns $704.00/week or $36,608 CAD/year gross (Employment and Social Development Canada).

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Gross pay before federal and provincial income tax, CPP and EI deductions. Figures in Canadian dollars (CAD). Comparing US or UK pay instead? Use the US Minimum Wage Calculator or UK Minimum Wage Calculator.

📐 Canada Minimum Wage Formula

Weekly Minimum Pay = Provincial (or Federal) Hourly Rate × Hours Worked per Week
Monthly Minimum Pay = Weekly Pay × (52 ÷ 12)
Annual Minimum Pay = Weekly Pay × 52

How to Use the Canada Minimum Wage Calculator

1

Select your province or territory

Choose where you work to apply its 2026 minimum wage rate, or the federal rate if you work in a federally regulated industry.

2

Enter your weekly hours

Input total hours worked per week.

3

See weekly, monthly and annual pay

The calculator multiplies your province's rate by hours worked, then converts to monthly (× 52 ÷ 12) and annual (× 52) gross figures, in Canadian dollars.

4

Check if you're paid fairly

Enter your actual hourly rate to instantly see whether you're being paid at, above, or below the legal minimum for your province.

Canada Minimum Wage in 2026: Federal vs. Provincial

Canada has no single national minimum wage that applies to most workers. The federal minimum wage of $18.15 per hour (effective April 1, 2026) only covers employees in federally regulated industries: banking, telecommunications, broadcasting, and interprovincial or international transportation. Everyone else, the large majority of Canadian workers, is covered by their own province or territory's minimum wage instead, which is why the calculator above defaults to Ontario rather than the federal rate.

Four jurisdictions raise their minimum wage on October 1, 2026: Ontario (to $17.95), Manitoba (to $16.40), Nova Scotia (to $17.00), and Prince Edward Island (to $17.30). Most provinces tie their annual adjustment to the previous year's Consumer Price Index inflation rate.

Highest and Lowest Minimum Wages by Province and Territory: 2026

RankJurisdictionHourly rate (CAD)
HighestNunavut$20.17
2ndYukon$18.51
3rdBritish Columbia$18.25
4thFederal jurisdiction$18.15
5thOntario$17.60
LowestAlberta$15.00

Full Province-by-Territory Minimum Wage Table: 2026

Ontario, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island each have a scheduled increase taking effect October 1, 2026, shown alongside their current rate below.

Province / TerritoryHourly rate (CAD)Notes
Federal jurisdiction$18.15Banking, telecom, broadcasting, interprovincial transport only
Ontario$17.60Rising to $17.95 on October 1, 2026
British Columbia$18.25Effective June 1, 2026
Alberta$15.00Unchanged since October 2018, no scheduled increase
Quebec$16.60Tipped/liquor server rate: $13.30/hr
Manitoba$16.00Rising to $16.40 on October 1, 2026
Saskatchewan$15.35Rising to $15.70 on October 1, 2026
Nova Scotia$16.75Rising to $17.00 on October 1, 2026
New Brunswick$15.90Effective April 1, 2026
Newfoundland and Labrador$16.35Effective April 1, 2026
Prince Edward Island$17.00Rising to $17.30 on October 1, 2026
Yukon$18.51Effective April 1, 2026
Northwest Territories$17.20Effective September 1, 2026
Nunavut$20.17Effective September 1, 2026, highest in Canada

Quebec's Tipped Minimum Wage

How Quebec's Tip Credit Works

Quebec is the only Canadian jurisdiction with a distinct, lower minimum wage for employees who regularly receive tips: $13.30/hour, compared to the general $16.60/hour rate. It applies specifically to employees such as servers in restaurants and bars whose tips form a regular part of their income.

Do other provinces allow a lower rate for tipped workers?

No. Every other Canadian province and territory requires the full general minimum wage for all employees, tipped or not. Tips are treated as additional income on top of the full minimum wage, not a credit against it.

Worked Example

/* A worker in Ontario working 40 hours a week */ $17.60 × 40 hours = C$704.00 per week /* Converted to monthly (× 52 ÷ 12) */ C$704.00 × 52 ÷ 12 = C$3,050.67 per month /* Converted to annual (× 52) */ C$704.00 × 52 = C$36,608.00 per year

What If I'm Paid Below Minimum Wage?

Paying below the applicable federal or provincial minimum wage violates that jurisdiction's employment standards legislation. You can file a free complaint with your provincial labour ministry (for most workers) or with Employment and Social Development Canada's Labour Program if you work in a federally regulated industry. Employers found in violation can be ordered to pay back wages plus applicable penalties.

Want to see what you actually take home after taxes? Use our Paycheck Calculator or Tax Calculator for a full breakdown by pay period.

⚠️ Disclaimer Rates reflect the most current publicly available 2026 figures at the time of writing, compiled from Employment and Social Development Canada and each province's own labour ministry. Quebec, Yukon, and Nunavut's figures, plus Manitoba's current pre-October rate and Northwest Territories' effective date, could not be independently re-verified against their own government pages at the time of writing due to automated access restrictions on those sites; they are corroborated against multiple independent sources but should be checked at their official source before relying on this for payroll decisions. Always verify the exact current rate for your specific province at canada.ca or your provincial labour ministry. This tool does not constitute legal or financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

The federal minimum wage is $18.15 per hour as of April 1, 2026. It applies only to employees in federally regulated industries: banking, telecommunications, broadcasting, and interprovincial or international transportation. Nearly everyone else is covered by their province or territory's own minimum wage instead.
Nunavut has the highest minimum wage at $20.17 per hour. Among the provinces, British Columbia is highest at $18.25/hour, followed by Ontario at $17.60/hour (rising to $17.95 on October 1, 2026).
Ontario's general minimum wage is $17.60 per hour, in effect since October 1, 2025. It rises to $17.95 per hour on October 1, 2026, under Ontario's annual inflation-indexed adjustment.
Alberta has the lowest general minimum wage in Canada at $15.00 per hour, unchanged since October 2018. Alberta is one of the only provinces without an automatic annual inflation adjustment.
Most provinces require the full general minimum wage for all employees regardless of tips. Quebec is the main exception: it sets a separate, lower minimum wage of $13.30/hour for employees who regularly receive tips, alongside its $16.60/hour general rate.
Most provinces and the federal jurisdiction update their minimum wage once a year, commonly on April 1 or October 1, usually tied to the previous year's Consumer Price Index inflation rate. Alberta is a notable exception, having made no scheduled increases since 2018.
Paying below the applicable federal or provincial minimum wage violates that jurisdiction's employment standards legislation. You can file a complaint with your provincial labour ministry or, for federally regulated employers, with Employment and Social Development Canada's Labour Program, both at no cost. Employers found in violation can be ordered to pay back wages plus penalties.
Yes. Minimum wage in every Canadian jurisdiction is set as an hourly rate, so it applies equally to full-time, part-time, and casual employees. There is no separate, lower rate for reduced hours: every covered hour must be paid at least the applicable minimum wage.

Sources & Methodology

Calculations are based on the most current publicly available data from authoritative government sources: