Over Half the Nation Tops the $15 Per Hour Minimum Wage Benchmark

The $15 per hour general minimum wage has now become a reality in every part of Canada except Saskatchewan, which is scheduled to hit the $15 mark on October 1, 2024, and New Brunswick, where the minimum wage stands at $14.75 but will almost surely top $15 once the 2024 inflation CPI-based annual adjustment (which has yet to be officially announced) takes effect on April 1. Ironically, $15 per hour is becoming an obsolete benchmark just at the time it’s being implemented on a nationwide basis. Eight, or more than half of Canada’s 14 jurisdictions, now have minimum wages above $15, 6 of them at or above $16.

Who Has the Highest & Lowest Minimum Wage

For the second consecutive semi-annual cycle, Yukon has Canada’s highest minimum wage at $16.77, followed closely by BC at $16.75) and the federal jurisdiction ($16.65). Saskatchewan continues to have the nation’s lowest minimum wage at $14 per hour, a dubious distinction it’s likely to retain even a year from now when the province’s minimum wage finally reaches $15 on Oct. 1, 2024.

Ranking of Minimum Wage Rates Across Canada (as of October 1, 2023)