Minimum wage and average salaries in Canada 🇨🇦: A guide for expats

Canada is known for having a strong economy and a generally good quality of life. But how much can you expect to earn if you move there to get a job? What are your minimum wage rights, and how do average salaries compare with other countries? How much do earnings vary across industries and different parts of the country?

This guide offers an insight into the minimum wage and average pay in Canada, and explains what you can do if you think your wages are too low.

Minimum wage in Canada 🇨🇦

Canada has a federal minimum wage that is reviewed annually on 1 April. It applies only to workers in federally regulated sectors (such as banking, telecommunications, and transportation), not to all workers.

In addition, each province and territory sets its own minimum wage, which applies to most employees. Workers in federally regulated industries are entitled to the higher of the federal or provincial/territorial rate.

The current federal minimum wage in Canada is CAD 18.15. This has been in place since 1 April 2026. Provincial and territorial rates range from CAD 15.00 in Alberta to CAD 19.75 in Nunavut.

Historically, provinces have had authority to set minimum wages, with British Columbia enacting the first minimum wage law in 1918. There has never been a single, universal federal minimum wage covering all workers. A federal rate for federally regulated sectors was first introduced in 1965, eliminated in 1996, and reintroduced in 2021. Since its reintroduction, it has increased by 21%.

Minimum wage generally refers to base pay and does not include benefits such as paid leave. According to OECD figures, the current minimum wage in Canada is 49.9% of the national average salary, below the OECD average of 55% (2023).

Salaries and wages for international workers in Canada

Foreign-born workers make up 28.2% of the total Canadian workforce (2024). According to 2021 Census Data, immigrant workers earn an average employment income of CAD 49,160. This compares to an average of CAD 51,400 for Canadian nationals, which represents a pay gap of 4.36%.

However, this varies across factors such as country of origin, skill level, education, industry, province/territory, gender, age, and number of years in Canada.

Sectors with a higher concentration of foreign-born workers in Canada include agriculture, food services, manufacturing, healthcare, and IT.

💡 Good sectors recruiting expat workers include:

• Healthcare
• IT
• Engineering
• Skilled trades (e.g., electrician, plumber)
• Constructions

Provinces and territories with high-paying jobs for skilled international workers include Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.

You can find detailed information about the foreign-born workforce in Canada on the Statistics Canada website.

Minimum wage in Canada: Exclusions and variations

At the federal level, there is only a single minimum wage in Canada. There are no reduced rates for specific groups. However, sectors that are not federally regulated are excluded from federal minimum wage coverage – for example, healthcare, education, and real estate.

At the regional level, most workers in all sectors are covered but exact rules vary by province/territory. Groups that may not be covered by minimum wage provisions in individual provinces/territories could include:

• Farmworkers
• Commissioned salespeople
• Students and trainees
• Live in care workers or domestic workers
• Young people aged under 18
• Tipped workers

In general, part-time workers, temporary workers, paid interns, and registered apprentices are entitled to the minimum wage in Canada.

You can find more information and check the situation for your province or territory on the Retail Council of Canada website.

Variations by province/territory in Canada

Here are the details of the current provincial and territorial minimum wage rates across Canada.

Province/territory	Current minimum wage	Effective date
Alberta	CAD 15.00	26 June 2019
British Columbia	CAD 17.85	1 June 2025 (increasing to CAD 18.25 in June 2026)
Manitoba	CAD 16.00	1 October 2025 (increasing to CAD 16.40 in Oct 2026)
New Brunswick	CAD 15.90	1 April 2026
Newfoundland and Labrador	CAD 16.35	1 April 2026
Northwest Territories	CAD 16.95	1 September 2025
Nova Scotia	CAD 16.75	1 April 2026 (increasing to CAD 17.00 in Oct 2026)
Nunavut	CAD 19.75	1 September 2025
Ontario	CAD 17.60	1 October 2025 (increasing to CAD 17.95 in Oct 2026)
Prince Edward Island	CAD 17.00	1 April 2026 (increasing to CAD 17.30 in Oct 2026)
Quebec	CAD 16.60	1 May 2026
Saskatchewan	CAD 15.35	1 October 2025
Yukon	CAD 18.51	1 April 2026

Minimum wage calculator in Canada

You can use the Government of Canada’s Payroll Deductions Online Calculator to find out how much take-home pay you will get from your salary or the minimum wage in your province.

➡️ Talent.com also has a good calculator for salary amount after tax.

Average salary in Canada

The average weekly wage for full-time employees in Canada in 2025 was CAD 1,510, increasing around 3% from the 2024 average. This equates to an annual salary of CAD 78,520.

The median weekly wage works out at slightly lower, at CAD 1,320. This equates to an annual salary of CAD 68,640, around 4.75% increase from 2024.

These figures are taken from Statistics Canada and include gross pay (base pay, bonuses, commissions, and tips) before tax and deductions.

Average salary in Canada varies by province and territory. Overall averages in selected provinces include:

• Alberta: CAD 1,600 (highest)
• British Columbia: CAD 1,573
• Ontario: CAD 1,570
• Prince Edward Island: CAD 1,237 (lowest)

➡️ You can research more information on the Statistics Canada website.

💡 Overall, salaries in Canada score fairly well compared with other countries. According to Numbeo data, Canada ranks 19th out of 103 countries for monthly net salary.

If you’re an expat working in Canada and managing your finances in multiple currencies, you can use Wise to receive money easily, spend with debit card, and make international payments.

The Wise multi-currency account allows you to hold and convert funds in 40+ currencies. You can also send payments to 140+ countries and use the WIse debit card for spending in 150+ countries.

Conversions use the mid-market exchange rate with no hidden fees, meaning you keep more of your salary in your new home.

Average salary in Canada by sector

Salary also varies by industry in Canada. Here are some of the latest weekly averages (2025):

Sector	Average weekly earnings	Average annual salary
🏭 Manufacturing	CAD 1,423	CAD 73,996
💰🏘️ Finance/real estate	CAD 1,725	CAD 89,700
🔍🧑‍🔬 Professional/scientific/ technical	CAD 1,939	CAD 100,828
🏥 Healthcare and social assistance	CAD 1,349	CAD 70,148
🏨 Accommodation and food services	CAD 871	CAD 45,292
🏢 Public administration	CAD 1,792	CAD 93,184

What are the highest paying jobs in Canada?

According to the job website Indeed Canada, here are some of the highest-paying jobs in Canada (2026).

Job title	Annual salary
Orthodontist	CAD 398,523
Psychiatrist	CAD 333,711
Chief Marketing Officer	CAD 144,389
Software Engineering Manager	CAD 136,038
Data Scientist	CAD 96,641

Salary checker in Canada

You can use the government’s Job Bank tool to check salary rates for different occupations or parts of the country. Another good resource is the Hays Salary Calculator, where you can filter results by employment type, experience level, and location.

Gender pay gap in Canada

Despite generally having good salary rates, Canada’s gender pay gap remains high. According to OECD data from 2024, its median pay gap is 16.5%, ranking it sixth out of the assessed countries and well above the OECD average of 10.3%.

Statistics Canada calculates a lower figure of 12% in 2025, down from 18% in 1997. This figure is much higher (21–22%) for indigenous and racialized women in Canada.

Canada ranks 32nd out of 148 countries on the WEF Global Gender Gap Report. The ranking drops to 43rd when measuring wage equality for similar work.

Recent government initiatives to reduce the gender pay gap in Canada include the 2021 Pay Equity Act, which requires employers in federally regulated sectors to take steps to identify, report, and correct gender-based pay gaps for equal value work.

What to do if your salary is too low in Canada

Minimum wage and most employment standards in Canada are set by provincial or territorial laws, while federally regulated workplaces fall under the Canada Labour Code.

If you believe you are being paid below the minimum wage, you should first take the matter up with your employer. If the matter is not resolved, you should contact your provincial/territorial employment standards office. For disputes in federally regulated sectors, you can report the pay issue and file a complaint.

Employers who violate wage laws may be required to repay unpaid wages and may face additional penalties, depending on the jurisdiction. Fines can be CAD 10,000 or more for serious breaches.

If you believe your pay is unfair due to discrimination (e.g., gender, ethnicity, age), you can file a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

For more information on wages and workplace standards, visit the Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).

Useful resources

• Current minimum wage rates – federal and provincial/territorial figures on the government website (accessed on 26 April 2026)
• Statistics Canada – government website with data on Canadian wage and salary rates (accessed on 26 April 2026)
• Retail Council of Canada – information on wages and salaries of Canadian workers (accessed on 26 April 2026)
• Job Bank tool – government tool to compare wages in different parts of Canada or between occupations (accessed on 26 April 2026)
• Employment and Social Development Canada – information on wages, benefits, and workplace standards in Canada (accessed on 26 April 2026)