Minimum wage, overtime and vacation in Canada by province (2026)

In short: Canada has no single set of pay rules. Minimum wage, overtime and vacation are set province by province (plus a separate federal regime), so the same job can carry very different rights on either side of a provincial border. In 2026 minimum wage runs from $15.00 an hour in Alberta to $19.75 in Nunavut, overtime usually starts somewhere between 40 and 48 hours a week, and paid vacation begins at two weeks and climbs with service. CourtStairs answers questions like these in plain language, with citations to the actual statute that governs your job.

If you want to know what you are owed at work, the first question is not "what does Canada require?" but "which province am I in, and am I provincial or federal?" Employment standards are largely a provincial responsibility, so each legislature has set its own numbers. This post maps the three that matter most — pay, overtime and vacation — as they stand in 2026.

Provincial or federal? It decides which rules apply

Most Canadians are provincial employees, covered by their province's employment standards act. You fall under the federal Canada Labour Code, Part III only if you work in a federally regulated industry — banks, airlines, railways, telecom, ports and interprovincial trucking, among others. The two systems set different thresholds, so getting this wrong can throw off every number that follows.

The 2026 comparison table

The figures below are the general adult standards as of mid-2026. Many provinces have already scheduled an increase later in the year (noted where known), and special rules exist for students, liquor servers, farm workers and others. Treat this as a map, not the final word.

Minimum wage: same idea, different number

Every jurisdiction guarantees a floor hourly rate, but the number is a local political choice. In 2026 the spread is wide: Alberta sits lowest at $15.00 (unchanged since 2018), while Nunavut leads at $19.75. Most provinces now index their rate to the Consumer Price Index and bump it automatically, usually on April 1 or October 1, which is why several 2026 figures above carry a scheduled increase.

For federally regulated workers, the federal minimum wage is $18.15 in 2026, but the rule is generous: you get the higher of the federal rate or the rate in the province where you work.

Overtime: watch the threshold, not just the rate

Almost every Canadian jurisdiction pays overtime at time and a half (1.5×). The real variation is in when overtime starts and what it multiplies.

• The weekly trigger ranges from 40 hours (federal, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, the territories) to 44 hours (Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick) up to 48 hours in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
• A daily trigger exists in several provinces. Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the territories add overtime after 8 hours in a day, so you can earn overtime in a week even if your weekly total is modest.
• BC goes further, and is the only jurisdiction that mandates double time — 2× your wage after 12 hours in a single day.
• The multiplier's base differs too. In most places 1.5× applies to your regular wage. But Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador calculate overtime as 1.5× the minimum wage, which can mean far less for a higher-paid worker.

If you believe overtime has gone unpaid, our guide to recovering unpaid wages and overtime in Canada walks through how to file an employment standards claim and the deadlines that apply.

Vacation: two weeks to start, more with service

Paid vacation has two parts: vacation time (days off) and vacation pay (a percentage of your earnings). The near-universal starting point is two weeks off after one year, with vacation pay of 4% of gross wages. Time then grows with service:

• Most jurisdictions move to three weeks (6% pay) after five years of service.
• Quebec reaches three weeks sooner — after three years (art. 67–74 of the Act respecting labour standards).
• Saskatchewan is the most generous, granting three weeks from the first year and four weeks (8% pay) after ten years.
• The federal jurisdiction adds a third tier: four weeks after ten years.

Vacation pay is calculated on your gross earnings, which usually includes overtime, commissions and most bonuses — not just base salary.

How to check your own numbers

1. Confirm your jurisdictionProvincial for most workers; federal only for banks, airlines, railways, telecom and interprovincial transport. This decides which act applies.
2. Find the current minimum wageCheck the official government page for your province — rates often change each April or October, and the figures above may already have moved.
3. Locate your overtime thresholdNote both the weekly and any daily trigger, and whether your role is exempt based on actual duties, not job title.
4. Match vacation to your years of serviceConfirm both the weeks off and the pay percentage, and remember vacation pay is calculated on gross earnings.

Why the variation exists

The differences are not random. Under the Constitution, employment and labour relations fall mostly to the provinces, with the federal government regulating a defined set of national industries. Each legislature has struck its own balance between protecting workers and limiting costs for employers, which is why minimum wage, overtime and vacation all shift at the border. The recurring lesson across Canadian law holds here too: the answer is jurisdictional, so identify your province — or the federal system — before you rely on any number.

Where CourtStairs fits

CourtStairs answers everyday work questions like "when does my overtime start?" or "how much vacation am I owed?" with a citation to the primary source that governs your job — your provincial employment standards act or the Canada Labour Code — so you can read the rule yourself before you raise it with your employer. If your job is ending rather than continuing, see our related guide to severance, termination and notice in Canada.

This post is general information, not legal advice. Minimum wages, overtime thresholds and vacation rules vary by jurisdiction and change frequently, so confirm the current figure against the official statute or an employment standards office before relying on it.