# Ontario Minimum Wage and Every Province Compared

> Check the Ontario minimum wage and the rate in every province, the next scheduled increase, and what it pays per week, month and year

Ontario's general minimum wage is $17.95 an hour since 1 October 2026, which pays $718 for a 40-hour week and $37,336 over 52 weeks before deductions. Pick any province, territory or the federal level below to see its rate, the date it took effect and the next scheduled change.

## What's the minimum wage in each province?

Every province and territory sets its own floor. Workers in federally regulated jobs, such as banks and airlines, follow the federal rate instead, and where a province pays more than Ottawa does, the higher figure applies. Several provinces raised their rates on 1 October, and these rates were current on 11 October 2026.

| Where | Hourly rate | In force since | Next change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ontario | $17.95 | 1 October 2026 | None announced |
| Quebec | $16.60 | 1 May 2026 | None announced |
| British Columbia | $18.25 | 1 June 2026 | None announced |
| Alberta | $15.00 | Unchanged for years | None scheduled |
| Saskatchewan | $15.70 | 1 October 2026 | None announced |
| Manitoba | $16.40 | 1 October 2026 | None announced |
| New Brunswick | $15.90 | 1 April 2026 | None announced |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | 1 October 2026 | None announced |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.35 | 1 April 2026 | None announced |
| Northwest Territories | $17.20 | 1 September 2026 | None announced |
| Federal | $18.15 | 1 April 2026 | None announced |

The calculator covers Prince Edward Island, Yukon and Nunavut too. Its figures for those three come from less certain sources, so check the government page before you lean on them.

## How much is that per week and per year?

Multiply the hourly rate by your hours, then by the number of paid weeks. Take a part-time job in Ontario with 35 hours a week over 50 paid weeks. The calculator shows $628.25 a week, $2,617.71 a month and $31,412.50 for the year.

Same 40-hour week, different totals elsewhere. British Columbia pays $730 a week, or $37,960 a year. Alberta pays $600 a week, or $31,200, and Quebec pays $664 a week, or $34,528. Manitoba comes to $656 a week, or $34,112, and Saskatchewan to $628 a week, or $32,656. If your job has unpaid breaks or seasonal gaps, change the hours and paid weeks to match.

## What did the October increases change?

Ontario went from $17.60 to $17.95. That's 35 cents an hour, or $14 more in a 40-hour week and about $728 over 52 weeks, a few bucks that show up in every cheque. The province's own [minimum wage page in its employment standards guide](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/minimum-wage) lists the current general, student and homeworker rates.

Nova Scotia's minimum wage increased to $17 per hour today, October 1, helping more workers keep up with the cost of living.

Nova Scotia news release, Minimum Wage Rises to $17, [novascotia.ca](https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2026/10/01/minimum-wage-rises-17)
Saskatchewan moved to $15.70 and Manitoba to $16.40 on the same day. The gap between the highest and lowest general rates in the table is $3.25 an hour, which is $130 a week for someone working 40 hours in British Columbia instead of Alberta.

## Does everyone get the general rate?

No. Ontario pays $16.90 to students under 18 who work 28 hours a week or less during the school year or on breaks, and $19.70 to people who work from home. Quebec sets $13.30 for staff who usually receive tips, and Alberta lists a $13.00 youth rate for students under 18 in the school term. The calculator prints these under the main result when they apply.

A few other things fall outside it. Some sectors, such as construction in Manitoba and Nova Scotia, follow separate orders that this tool doesn't list. Tips, commissions and unpaid overtime run on different rules, and if you're salaried you may still be covered, because your salary divided by the hours you really work can't come out below the hourly floor.

## What will actually land in your bank account?

Less than the gross figure. To see the amount after CPP, EI and tax, run it through the [take-home pay calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/payroll-salary/take-home-pay-calculator). If you want a yearly salary shown as an hourly wage, the [hourly to salary calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/payroll-salary/hourly-to-salary) does that. Hours over the weekly limit are paid at a higher rate, and the [overtime pay calculator](https://tax-services.ca/calculators/payroll-salary/overtime-pay) works that out by province.

## Where this information comes from

We took the rates and dates from provincial and territorial labour pages and the federal minimum wage database, rechecked on 11 October 2026 after the 1 October increases. Alberta's page gives the rate but no effective date, so none is shown. Rates change on fixed dates, and the calculator switches to the new figure automatically. No government body has reviewed or endorsed what you read here.

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Source: https://tax-services.ca/calculators/payroll-salary/minimum-wage
Last updated: 2026-10-08
Independent information site. Not affiliated with the CRA. No services, no guarantee of accuracy. See https://tax-services.ca/disclaimer