British Columbiavs
Alberta
British Columbia +$3.25/hr· ~$6,760.00/yr FT
$18.25 vs $15.00
26 pair pages · Federal CLC $18.15
Minimum Wage Canada Comparison 2026
Compare any two Canadian provincial minimum wages for 2026. See who has the higher floor, hourly and full-time annual gaps, federal CLC context, and scheduled increases.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
$3.25
Largest featured gap
13
Featured corridors
26
Pair URLs
$18.15
Federal CLC
Compare any two provinces
Opens a dedicated page with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
vs
Minimum wage by province & territory
All 13 provinces and territories ranked by general hourly minimum, plus the federal Canada Labour Code floor. Use the picker above to open any pair comparison.
| # | Jurisdiction | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| — |  Federal (CLC)Federally regulated workplaces — pay the higher of CLC and local provincial rate | $18.15 |
| 1 |  Nunavut | $19.75 |
| 2 |  Yukon | $18.51 |
| 3 | British Columbia | $18.25 |
| 4 |  Ontario | $17.60 |
| 5 |  Prince Edward Island | $17.00 |
| 6 |  Northwest Territories | $16.95 |
| 7 |  Nova Scotia | $16.75 |
| 8 |  Quebec | $16.60 |
| 9 |  Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.35 |
| 10 |  Manitoba | $16.00 |
| 11 |  New Brunswick | $15.90 |
| 12 |  Saskatchewan | $15.35 |
| 13 | Alberta | $15.00 |
Featured comparisons
High-intent corridors ranked by hourly gap. Open either direction for the full scoreboard.
OntariovsAlberta
Ontario +$2.60/hr· ~$5,408.00/yr FT
$17.60 vs $15.00
British ColumbiavsManitoba
British Columbia +$2.25/hr· ~$4,680.00/yr FT
$18.25 vs $16.00
NunavutvsOntario
Nunavut +$2.15/hr· ~$4,472.00/yr FT
$19.75 vs $17.60
QuebecvsAlberta
Quebec +$1.60/hr· ~$3,328.00/yr FT
$16.60 vs $15.00
OntariovsManitoba
Ontario +$1.60/hr· ~$3,328.00/yr FT
$17.60 vs $16.00
NunavutvsYukon
Nunavut +$1.24/hr· ~$2,579.20/yr FT
$19.75 vs $18.51
OntariovsQuebec
Ontario +$1.00/hr· ~$2,080.00/yr FT
$17.60 vs $16.60
Nova ScotiavsNew Brunswick
Nova Scotia +$0.85/hr· ~$1,768.00/yr FT
$16.75 vs $15.90
British ColumbiavsOntario
British Columbia +$0.65/hr· ~$1,352.00/yr FT
$18.25 vs $17.60
ManitobavsSaskatchewan
Manitoba +$0.65/hr· ~$1,352.00/yr FT
$16.00 vs $15.35
SaskatchewanvsAlberta
Saskatchewan +$0.35/hr· ~$728.00/yr FT
$15.35 vs $15.00
YukonvsBritish Columbia
Yukon +$0.26/hr· ~$540.80/yr FT
$18.51 vs $18.25
What this Canada minimum wage comparison covers
Each province-vs-province page lines up the same legal floor metric for 2026: the general hourly minimum, full-time annual gross at 40 hours/week, federal CLC context, and scheduled increases. The winner is the higher general floor for workers—not average wages or take-home pay.
General floor
The legal hourly minimum under provincial or territorial employment standards.
FT annual gap
Hourly gap × 40 hrs × 52 weeks — gross income difference before taxes.
Federal CLC
Federally regulated employers pay the higher of $18.15/hr and the worksite rate.
Scheduled raises
Published future increases where listed by the Labour Program or province.
Wage layers
Federal CLC and provincial minimum wages work in layers
Most employers follow provincial or territorial employment standards. Federally regulated workplaces under the Canada Labour Code must pay the higher of the CLC rate and the rate where the employee usually works. Comparing two provincial floors is the starting point for provincially regulated payroll.
Federal CLC
The federal floor is $18.15/hour for CLC-covered workplaces.
Provincial / territorial
Each province and territory sets its own general minimum wage.
Special rates
Some provinces publish student, liquor server, or other special floors — confirm on ESA pages.
How to choose a province pair
Start with migration corridors (Ontario vs Alberta, BC vs Alberta), neighbours (Nova Scotia vs New Brunswick), or high-vs-low floors (Nunavut vs Ontario). Use the picker for any other combination.
Before you change payroll
- Confirm whether the workplace is federally or provincially regulated.
- Verify the in-effect and scheduled rates on the Labour Program database.
- Model take-home with the Canada tax and hourly calculators — floors are gross, not net.
Related hubs
Not legal advice
Rates are for educational reference from published Labour Program and provincial sources. Always confirm with the applicable employment standards office before changing payroll.
Frequently asked questions
Each pair compares general provincial/territorial legal minimums from our 2026 tracker: hourly floors, full-time annual gross at 40 hours, federal CLC context, and scheduled increases. The “winner” is the jurisdiction with the higher general minimum. Take-home after tax is separate — use our hourly and Canada tax calculators.
British Columbia vs Alberta shows a $3.25/hour gap (British Columbia higher), or about $6,760.00 more gross per year at 40 hrs/week. Open any pair for the hours ladder and FAQ.
Yes. Use the picker on this page or go to /minimum-wage-canada/compare/{province-a}-vs-{province-b} (for example ontario-vs-alberta). Featured corridors are highlighted below; every other valid pair resolves the same way with scoreboard, hours ladder, and FAQ.
Not necessarily. Gross floors differ, but provincial income tax, sales tax, and cost of living can offset gains. Our scoreboard is about the legal wage floor; model net pay with the tax tools.
The federal CLC floor is $18.15/hour. Federally regulated employers must pay the higher of federal and the provincial/territorial rate where the employee usually works.
People search both ways. Each URL is a full comparison with the same data; the scoreboard still labels the higher-wage jurisdiction. Related links include the reverse matchup and each province page.
We multiply the hourly gap by 40 hours/week and 52 weeks/year. That is gross income at the general floor before overtime, tips, taxes, or unpaid time off.
Open the main Canada minimum wage table for all 13 provinces and territories plus the federal CLC spotlight, then return here to compare any two floors head-to-head.
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