Canada’s federal minimum wage is about to go up

The federal minimum wage in Canada is set to go up.

The federal minimum wage will rise from the current $17.75 to $18.15 an hour, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) said Tuesday in a press release.

This will apply to all workers in federally regulated industries such as air transportation, banking, most federal Crown corporations, ports and telecommunication, among others.

The new minimum wage will represent a 21 per cent increase compared to 2021, the government said.

The federal minimum wage is indexed to inflation, which rose by 2.1 per cent in 2025.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.

“An employee should be paid at least the federal minimum wage. If the minimum wage of the province or territory where the employee usually works is higher than the federal minimum wage, the employer is to pay the higher minimum wage,” ESDC says on its website.

Starting April 1, all employers in federally regulated private sectors will be required to adjust their payrolls accordingly.

After April 1, Yukon ($18.51) and Nunavut ($19.75) will have minimum wages higher than the federal minimum wage, while British Columbia’s minimum wage is set to rise to $18.25 in June.