Alberta’s minimum wage of $15.00 per hour used to be one of the highest in Canada. However, in recent years, many provinces have surpassed Alberta with their minimum wage increases. Currently, only Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have lower minimum wage rates than Alberta.
What Is The Alberta Minimum Wage In 2024?
The minimum wage in Alberta is $15.00 per hour. It increased every year between 2009 when the minimum wage was $8.80 per hour, and in 2018 when the minimum wage became $15.00 per hour.
Most employees in Alberta must be paid at least the minimum wage, but there are a few exceptions for students and for certain professions.
| Minimum Wage Rate In Alberta | |
| Regular Workers | $15 |
| Federal Workers In Alberta | $17.30 |
| Student Workers (Under 18) | $13 (conditions apply) |
| Domestic Live-In Employees | $2,848 per month |
| Salespersons (land agents, certain professionals, etc.) | $589 per week |
What Is A Minimum Wage?
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage that employees can legally be paid by their employer, regardless of whether they work part-time or full-time. Each province and territory has its own labour laws, minimum wage, and exceptions, but most hourly employees are paid at least the minimum wage.
What Is The Minimum Wage Rate For Federal Workers In Alberta?
If you’re a federal worker in Alberta, or anywhere in Canada, the minimum your employer can pay you is $17.30 per hour starting April 1, 2024.
This applies to companies federally regulated by the government, such as the postal service, banks, and federal Crown corporations.
What Is The Alberta Minimum Wage For Students?
The minimum wage in Alberta for students is $13.00 per hour. However, this only applies to students under the age of 18. Moreover, this rate can only be applied to the first 28 hours worked in a week while school is in session. After 28 hours in a week, an employer must pay them the regular minimum wage of $15.00 per hour.
The $13 minimum wage rate also applies to students under 18 who work during a school break or summer holidays regardless of how many hours they work in a week.
The Employment Standards Amendment Regulation introduced a lower wage for students under 18 to help with job creation.
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What Is The Minimum Wage Rate For Salespeople?
Employees in this category have a minimum wage rate of $598 per week. Some employees in this category include:
- Salesperson
- Car salesman
- Land agent
- Dentist
- Lawyer
- Veterinarian
- Architect
To see a full list of eligible employees in this category, please visit Alberta.ca.
Does The Regular Minimum Wage Apply To Domestic Live-In Employees?
Domestic live-in employees earn a minimum of $2,848 per month. However, domestic employees who do not live in their employer’s home earn the general minimum wage of $15.00 per hour.
What Is The Alberta Minimum Wage For Employees Who Receive Tips Or Are On Commission?
Employees who are paid in this way are entitled to the regular minimum wage for all hours worked in a pay period.
These hours are calculated by dividing a month’s wages by the number of hours worked in a month.
If these pay structures result in an employee being paid less than minimum wage, then the employer must supplement their pay to meet the minimum wage requirement.
Curious About The Minimum Wage Across Canada?
- Minimum Wage Ontario
- Minimum Wage Quebec
- Minimum Wage Alberta
- Minimum Wage British Columbia
- Minimum Wage Manitoba
- Minimum Wage Saskatchewan
- Minimum Wage Yukon
- Minimum Wage Nunavut
- Minimum Wage Newfoundland & Labrador
- Minimum Wage PEI
- Minimum Wage Nova Scotia
- Minimum Wage New Brunswick
- Minimum Wage Northwest Territories
Allowable Deductions To Minimum Wage
- Employees must provide written authorization for employers to reduce their wages below the minimum wage for meals (by $3.35 for meals employees consume) and lodging (by $4.41 for each day that employers provide employees with lodging).
- Employers cannot subtract any uniform expenses, such as buying, cleaning, or repairing a required work uniform, from an employee’s minimum wage.
Are you eligible for the Alberta Seniors Benefit?
How Much Is Overtime Pay In Alberta?
Most students and employees are entitled to overtime pay, although there are exceptions for some industries and professions. Overtime is all hours worked over 8 hours in a day or 44 hours in a week (whichever is greater). Unless there is a written overtime agreement, overtime is paid at a rate of 1.5 times an employee’s regular wage.
Alberta Minimum Wage And The 3-Hour Rule
Depending on the type of employment you have and the number of hours you work, there are some extra rules about the minimum wage in Alberta that all employees should know.
- 3-Hour Rule: An employee must be paid for at least 3 hours of work if they are available to work, even if they work for less than 3 hours.
- 2-Hour Rule: This rule is the same as the 3-hour rule, but it applies to school bus drivers, home care employees, part-time employees of locally-run non-profit recreation or athletic programs, and 13-15-year-olds who work on a school day.
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Alberta Minimum Wage Paycheque Deductions
Even though the minimum wage is the lowest hourly wage rate an employer can legally pay an employee, employees will still see deductions on their paycheque. These deductions can include:
- Employment Insurance (EI): Paid to the federal government to support the Employment Insurance program, which provides those who are not working with financial benefits.
- Canada Pension Plan (CPP): Paid to the federal government to support the Canada Pension Plan, which is used paid to those who have retired from work.
- Income tax: Both the federal and provincial governments collect income taxes to fund their spending.
- Other deductions: Union dues are deducted if an employee is a member of a union. Employers may sponsor pension benefit plans, and contributions are taken directly from an employee’s paycheque. Health benefits and insurance premiums, which are voluntary, may also be deducted from a paycheque.
Final Thoughts
Alberta has the seventh-highest minimum wage in Canada at $15.00 per hour. This wage must be paid, at minimum, to most employees in Alberta, although there are exceptions. Employers can deduct the cost of meals and lodging from the minimum wage. There are also some extra rules around minimum wages, such as having to be paid for at least 3 hours of work, and there are some non-employer deductions that can be taken directly from an employee’s paycheque.
