Victoria – As of Monday, June 1, 2026, the province’s general minimum wage will rise to $18.25 an hour.
Types of wages affected
The increase of just over 2.1% raises the general minimum wage from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour. The same percentage increase applies to the minimum rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based ride-hailing and delivery service workers.
The minimum agricultural piece-rate wages for the hand harvesting of specified crops will increase by just over 2.1% on Dec. 31, 2026. The Dec. 31 date for the annual increase to the minimum piece rates ensures crop producers will not need to adjust wages in the middle of the harvesting season.
Context for this increase
- The Province is committed to a minimum wage structure that benefits the lowest-paid workers, while providing employers with certainty and predictability.
- Changes were made to the Employment Standards Act in 2024 to ensure annual minimum wage increases occur automatically based on B.C.’s average monthly inflation rate from the previous year.
- Approximately 141,300 employees in B.C. earned the minimum wage or less in 2025.
- These increases have moved B.C. from near the bottom to among the highest minimum wages in Canada.
For minimum-wage rules in B.C., visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-
For details on this year’s minimum wage increase, read the news release: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026LBR0002-000191
