A worker in Ontario with three years of service earns 4% vacation pay, which is $2,400 on $60,000 of wages, plus two weeks off. At five years the rate goes up to 6% and the time to three weeks. Pick your province and enter your years and earnings to get your own figure.
What are the minimum vacation rules in each province?
Every province sets a floor, and most use two tiers based on how long you’ve been with the same employer. Saskatchewan is the odd one out, starting at three weeks. The federal code, which covers banks, airlines and telecom firms, adds a third tier.
| Where | Starting tier | Higher tier |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba | 2 weeks, 4% of pay | 3 weeks, 6% after 5 years |
| Saskatchewan | 3 weeks, 5.77% of pay | 4 weeks, 7.69% after 10 years |
| New Brunswick | 2 weeks, 4% of pay | 3 weeks, 6% after 8 years |
| Nova Scotia | 2 weeks, 4% of pay | 6% from the 8th year, third week after 8 years |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 2 weeks, 4% of pay | 3 weeks, 6% after 15 years |
| Federal employers | 2 weeks, 4% of pay | 3 weeks, 6% after 5 years, 4 weeks, 8% after 10 years |
The calculator covers Quebec, Prince Edward Island and the territories too. Their rules rest on less certain sources, so compare the result with the official page.
How much is vacation pay on $60,000?
Take someone in Ontario with three completed years and $60,000 of wages in the vacation year. They earn 4%, which is $2,400, or $200 for each month of the year. Move the years to five and the rate becomes 6%. That’s $3,600 and a third week off.
Saskatchewan pays more at the start. The same $60,000 earns 5.77%, or $3,462, since three weeks of a 52-week year works out to that share. A federal employee with ten years gets 8%, or $4,800, with four weeks off.
The same logic explains the 4% in most provinces. Two weeks out of 52 is about 3.85%, which is where the round 4% comes from. Take Sam in Regina, who earned $48,000 in a vacation year. At 5.77% the pay is $2,769.60, and it’s calculated on what he actually earned, so a raise or extra hours during the year lifts it as well.
A quick check on your own pay stub: multiply the year’s gross wages by your rate and compare the result with the vacation pay line. If the two are a few hundred bucks apart, ask payroll which earnings they counted before you assume a mistake.
What does the estimate leave out?
The figure is the legal minimum for one vacation year. Real arrangements often differ.
- Your contract or union agreement may give more weeks or a higher rate.
- Pay can be added to each cheque instead of paid at vacation time, but only where the law and your agreement allow it, and Ontario asks for consent in writing.
- Earnings should be gross wages for the vacation year, without vacation pay you’ve already received.
- If you reach a tier during the year, some provinces apply the higher rate to the whole year.
First-year workers in most provinces haven’t yet earned time off. The tool still prints the pay, but the weeks start after the first year of service.
When do you actually get the money?
In Ontario the vacation year normally runs 12 months from your start date, though an employer can pick another one, such as the calendar year. As the province’s guide to vacation time and vacation pay explains, the pay usually comes as a lump sum before you leave, unless you agree to have it added to each paycheque. Your employer also has to make sure the time is taken within 10 months after the vacation year ends. Other provinces differ on timing, so read your own province’s page.
Is vacation pay taxed, and what else is nearby?
It is, like any wages, so the take-home pay calculator gives the amount after deductions. A statutory holiday that lands in your time off is a different matter, and the holiday pay calculator handles it. Extra hours worked before a break belong with the overtime pay calculator. If the job ends, the severance pay calculator shows what else may be owed.
How we checked the figures
Weeks, rates and service thresholds come from each province’s employment standards pages and from the federal labour code, as of 29 September 2026. Quebec and the territories are the least certain. Employment law changes, so check the current page before you act on a figure. No level of government runs or endorses this site.
About this calculator
- What it does
- Find your minimum vacation time and vacation pay for your years of service in any province.
- Category
- Payroll and Salary
- Last checked
- September 30, 2026
- Result type
- Estimate for information only, not tax advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much vacation pay do I get in Canada?
Most provinces set 4% of wages for the first years and 6% later. Saskatchewan pays 5.77% from the start, and federal employers reach 8% after ten years.
When do I get a third week of vacation?
In Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta and Manitoba, after five years. New Brunswick asks for eight years and Newfoundland and Labrador for fifteen.
Does my employer have to pay more than the legal minimum?
No, but a contract or union agreement can. The result here is the least the law requires, so your own terms may be better.
Can I get vacation pay on every cheque?
Only where the law allows it and you agree. In Ontario the agreement must be in writing or electronic and show on the pay stub.
Is vacation pay taxed?
Yes. It's income like your regular wages, and CPP, EI and income tax come off it.
Sources and updates
Updated: . How we check rates · Editorial team · Updates