The 2024 Minimum Wage in Canada

Publié le 1 April 2024 Par Matt Dodge

The 2024 minimum wage in Canada is difference in each province and territory. With increases going into effect throughout the year, job seekers should know the legal requirements for pay in their province.

Minimum wage is the lowest amount that employers can pay their employees under the law. The 2024 minimum wage in Canada varies in every province and territory, and the Federal Government also sets a separate minimum wage for its own employees across the countries. Due to new provincial legislation, minimum wage increases occur at different points throughout the year. As employees deal with the rising Consumer Price Index and the aftereffects of another year of high inflation, it’s important that they remain fully aware of these 2024 minimum wage increases.

A Brief History of the Minimum Wage in Canada

The first province in Canada to legally mandate a minimum wage was Manitoba, where it became law in 1918. Within two years, five additional provinces had introduced a legal minimum wage. The final province to establish a minimum wage was Prince Edward Island, doing so in 1960. These early minimum wage laws did not apply to every job role in the province. Additionally, many also established different minimum wages based on the gender of employees — a practice that was only fully abolished in 1974.

What Is the Consumer Price Index?

As defined by Statistics Canada, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) “represents changes in prices as experienced by Canadian consumers. It measures price change by comparing, through time, the cost of a fixed basket of goods and services.” Multiple provinces in Canada link their minimum wage rates to the Consumer Price Index. In theory, this results in a minimum wage which more accurately reflects the true cost of living and housing. Inflation in Canada reached the highest rates in 40 years during the pandemic. Although there were decreases throughout 2023, workers across the country will continue to feel the impact of these rates.

What Is The Alternative Minimum Wage?

There are certain provinces which have multiple minimum wages which apply to different job types, meaning that the average minimum wage in Canada in 2024 can be affected by both location and job sector.

These alternative minimum wages allow people working in certain job types – commonly roles where they can receive tips such as food servers and bartenders – to be paid a rate below the standard minimum. The justification is that they can earn additional gratuities (tips) during their working hours. British Columbia eliminated their alternative minimum wage in 2021, and Ontario followed suit in 2022. In 2024, Quebec still has an alternative minimum wage for servers, and Alberta allows a lower minimum wage for students under 18.

The 2024 Minimum Wage in Canada– Per Hour by Province

British Columbia: $17.40 (June 1, 2024)

Alberta: $15.00

Saskatchewan: $15.00 (October 1, 2024)

Manitoba: $15.80 (October 1, 2024)

Ontario: $17.20 (October 1, 2024)

Quebec: $15.75 (May 1, 2024)

New Brunswick: $15.30 (April 1, 2024)

Nova Scotia: $15.20 (April 1, 2024)

Prince Edward Island: $15.40 (April 1, 2024) / $16.00 (October 1, 2024)

Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.60 (April 1, 2024)

Yukon: $17.59 (April 1, 2024)

Northwest Territories: $16.05 (September 1, 2024)

Nunavut: $19.00 (January 1, 2024)

Federal: $17.30 (April 1, 2024)

British Columbia: $17.40 (June 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in British Columbia will be $17.40 per hour, effective June 1st, 2024. This is a $0.65 raise, and a 3.8% increase of the minimum wage from $16.75 per hour in 2022. Last year, British Columbia became the third province or territory in Canada to offer a minimum wage of $16.00 or higher. The provincial government has stated that they are committed to linking the provincial minimum wage to the inflation rate. This increase reflects the inflation rate in the previous year.

Alberta: $15.00 per hour

The 2024 minimum wage in Alberta is $15.00 per hour. In 2018, Alberta became the first province in the country to mandate a $15.00 minimum wage and this rate has remained unchanged since this time. Alberta is also maintaining the alternative minimum wage of $13.00 per hour for students under the age of 18. Certain job roles remain exempt from minimum wage standards in the province, including real estate brokers, certain salespersons, non-profit counsellors and certain additional roles.

Saskatchewan: $15.00 per hour (effective October 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in Saskatchewan will be $15.00 per hour, effective on October 1^st, 2024. This is a raise of $1.00 and a 6.9% increase over the previous rate of $14.00 in 2023. Saskatchewan links its minimum wage to the CPI from the previous year, with changes scheduled to take effect in October. Saskatchewan does not have an official alternative minimum wage, but specific jobs can be paid below this rate, including farm and ranch labourers, certain care providers, babysitters, and more.

Manitoba: $15.80 per hour (effective October 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in Manitoba will be $15.80 per hour, coming into effect on October 1, 2024. This is a $0.50 increase and a 3.2% rase from $15.30, and is the third increase in Manitoba’s minimum wage since April 2023. There is no alternative minimum wage, but certain job roles are exempt from minimum wage requirements, including domestic workers who work under 12 hours per week and people in an approved provincial or federal training program.

Ontario: $17.20 per hour (effective October 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in Ontario will be $17.20 per hour, effective October 1^st, 2024. This is a 3.9% increase and a $0.65 raise from the 2023 minimum wage in Ontario. It also ensures that Ontario will have the second highest minimum wage of any province after British Columbia and excluding the Territories. Ontario links its provincial minimum wage to the CPI, and increases to this account for the newly announced minimum wage increase. The alternative minimum wage for liquor servers was eliminated in Ontario in 2022, so the new rate continues to apply to all workers over the age of 18 in the province.

Quebec: $15.75 (effective May 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in Quebec will be $15.75 per hour, effective May 1st, 2024. This is a 3.2% increase and a $0.50 raise from the 2023 minimum wage in Quebec of $14.25 per hour. The government argues that this increase will benefit approximately 200,700 workers, including 111,200 women, who will see their salaries rise as a result.

New Brunswick: $15.30 (effective April 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in New Brunswick is $15.30 per hour, effective on April 1^st, 2024. This is an $0.55 raise and a 3.7% increase, and comes after the provincial minimum wage increased by more than $3. This is partially due to the New Brunswick linking their minimum wage to the CPI. Before this change was implemented in 2019, they offered the lowered minimum rage in the Maritime provinces.

Nova Scotia: $15.20 (effective April 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in Nova Scotia is $15.20, effective on April 1, 2024. This is a $0.20 raise after the minimum wage increased to $15.00 in October 2023. Since April 22, the provincial minimum wage has been raised by $1.85 per hour based on recommendations from Nova Scotia’s minimum wage review committee.

Prince Edward Island: $15.40 (effective April 1, 2024) / $16.00 (effective October 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in Prince Edward Island will increase twice, first to $15.40 on April 1^st and then to $16.00 per hour on October 1^st, 2024. By the end of the year, this will mean a $1.00 increase and a 6.6% rise. Over the period of two years, the PEI minimum wage has increased by $2.30 from $13.70, a 16.79% raise in total. This comes is a result of PEI linking their minimum wage in the CPI.

Newfoundland and Labrador: $15.60 (effective April 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in Newfoundland and Labrador is $15.60 per hour, effective April 1, 2024. This is a $0.60 rate and a 3.9% increase. This is part of the plan announced by the provincial government to raise the minimum wage to more than $15.00 per hour by April 2024 from a rate of $13.20 in 2022.

Yukon: $17.59 (effective April 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in the Yukon is $17.59 per hour and came into effect on April 1st. This is a raise of $0.82 and an increase of 4.9%. The Yukon calculates their minimum wage passed on the CPI of Whitehorse, the territorial capital. This is the second highest minimum wage offered anywhere in Canada in 2024, and one of two that are more than the Federal minimum wage.

Northwest Territories: $16.05 per hour (effective September 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage in the Northwest Territories is $16.05 per hour, effective on September 1, 2024. This is a raise of $0.85 and 5.6% increase from the 2023 rate of $15.20 per hour. The territorial government announced in 2023 that future minimum wage increases will now be linked to the consumer price index, meaning that they will occur on a more regular schedule to better reflect prices and costs.

Nunavut: $19.00 per hour

The 2024 minimum wage in Nunavut is $19.00 per hour. This is a $3.00 raise and 18.75% increase from the previous rate of $16.00. This raise came into effect on January 1^st, 2024, and gives Nunavut the highest hourly minimum wage of any province or territory in Canada.

Federal: $17.30 (effective April 1, 2024)

The 2024 minimum wage for job roles in the Canadian Federal Government is $17.30 per hour, effective April 1st, 2024. This is a $0.65 raise and a 3.9% increase over the 2023 federal minimum wage of $16.65 per hour. People employed by the Federal Government will earn this rate regardless of which province or territory in which they work. This means that that a Federal employee working in Quebec will still earn $17.30 per hour, even though the 2024 minimum wage in Quebec is $15.75 per hour.

The 2024 minimum wage in Canada is different in each province and territory. There are increases in minimum wage rates scheduled to take effect throughout the year in most Canadian provinces and territories. Job seekers should remain aware of minimum wage increases in their jurisdiction, as it ensures that employers remain legally compliant in terms of compensation. This information also helps job seekers find where their skills and abilities will be valued most highly.