Many Canadians entering the workforce are likely to get a pay bump as the minimum wage in certain provinces is set to increase in 2025.
Today, the federal minimum wage has been raised to keep pace with inflation, going up 45 cents to $17.75. This raise applies to employees and interns working in the federally regulated private sector, including businesses like banks, telecom companies and interprovincial air, marine, rail and road transportation.
Many provinces also increase their hourly amount in the spring and summer, while others do so in the fall. Some provinces might not 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 must apply the higher rate.
Last year, some workers in Canada saw bumps in their paycheques after several provinces raised their minimum wage.
Here’s what minimum wage rates look like across the country and when some Canadians can expect another raise.
British Columbia
British Columbia’s lowest-paid workers received a pay raise, going from $16.75 to $17.40 last year, and they expect to get another one in 2025.
In February, the B.C. government announced a 2.6 per cent wage increase on June 1 this year to keep up with inflation. The general minimum wage will increase from $17.40 to $17.85 per hour.
This raise will also apply to residential caretakers, live-in home-support workers, camp leaders and app-based ride-hailing and delivery services. Another increase of the same percentage will be implemented on December 31 for 15 hand-harvested crops.
Most wage rates in B.C. 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
The Alberta government has not announced any plans to raise its minimum wage in 2025. It’s the only province in Canada that has not bumped its lowest-paid workers’ paycheques this decade.
The province’s wage rate has been $15 per hour since October 2018. It was once the highest in Canada but is now tied with Saskatchewan 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.
Ontario
The Ontario government announced a minimum wage increase effective October 1. The hourly amount will increase from $17.20 to $17.60 to keep up with the province’s 2.4 per cent inflation rate.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development of Ontario, minimum wage employees who work 40 hours a week will see an annual pay increase of up to $835 due to these changes.
Ontario gave its lowest-paid workers a 65-cent raise last October, with the wage going from $16.55 to $17.20 per hour.
Minimum wage increases in other areas in 2025
The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) created a map of minimum hourly wage rates as of April 1, 2025.
Other provinces that increased their wages on April 1 alongside the federal minimum wage are:
The lowest-paid workers in Nova Scotia will get another pay bump on Oct. 1 to $16.50, bringing their total pay increase to $1.30 in 2025.
Manitoba will also increase its minimum wage from $15.80 to $16 in October. Quebec workers will get a raise on May 1 from $15.75 to $16.10.
Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, and Saskatchewan have yet to announce minimum wage increases for 2025.
Margarita Young / Shutterstock.com
