Quebec’s new minimum wage taking effect May 1

Quebec will raise its general minimum wage to $16.60 an hour on May 1, 2026, up from the current $16.10.

"In the current economic climate, it is important that the minimum wage evolves in a balanced way,” Jean Boulet, minister of labour and minister responsible for the Mauricie region, said previously. “This increase protects the purchasing power of workers, while allowing our businesses to remain competitive. It will also help encourage unemployed people to enter the labour market."

At the same time, the minimum wage for tipped workers will be $13.30 per hour. For certain agricultural workers paid by the kilogram, the minimum wage will be set at $1.32 per kilogram for strawberry pickers and $4.93 per kilogram for raspberry pickers. These sector‑specific rates will take effect on the same date as the general increase.

The Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) states that minimum wage protection applies across working‑time arrangements. 

“Workers are entitled to it, whether they work full time or part time,” the report notes. “A worker may not be paid less than the rate in effect.”

Wage floor, not total compensation

The CNESST makes clear that the minimum wage must be met in cash wages and cannot be offset by non‑cash benefits. The report states that an employer “must pay them a wage that is equal to or higher than the minimum wage, even if they have certain benefits, such as a car or accommodation provided by their employer.”

Rules also apply to workers whose earnings are based on output or sales. “People who are paid by the piece or on commission must be paid at least the equivalent of the minimum hourly wage rate for the time worked,” the CNESST says. Employers must ensure that total earnings, divided by hours worked, reach at least the applicable minimum rate.

The agency notes that the increase does not require employers to raise wages that are already above the minimum. “When the minimum wage rate increases, the employer is not obliged to adjust the worker's wage if the wage they are paid is higher than the minimum rate,” the report states.

Tipped wage and tip rules

The report confirms that “the general minimum wage rate is different from the minimum tipped wage rate, which is reserved for a specific category of workers in some companies.” From 1 May 2026, the tipped minimum will be $13.30 per hour.

Tip rules remain unchanged. “Regardless of the worker's wage, the rules regarding tips apply in the same way,” the CNESST notes, directing employers and workers to its “Tips and tip‑sharing arrangement” page for details on the “notion of tips,” the “collection of tips by the employer” and any “tip‑sharing arrangement.”

The federal government as well as several Canadian provinces have announced minimum wage increases this year.

In an email to HRD, Loren Remillard, president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, called the Manitoba government's framework for minimum wage increases a “responsible action”. 

He said it “utilises a formula tied to inflation to adjust the minimum wage,” anchored in “very objective, quantitative calculations” that “we can't really dispute.” 

Here are the current minimum wage rates across Canada: