If you earn minimum wage in Nova Scotia, your pay goes up today.

As of Thursday, Oct. 1, the minimum wage is $17 an hour. That’s 25 cents more than the $16.75 rate that started April 1.

What it means for your paycheque

Twenty-five cents an hour adds up over a full-time schedule.

At 40 hours a week, a minimum wage worker now earns $680 before deductions. That’s $10 a week more than before.

Over a full year of 40-hour weeks, it works out to about $520 more.

One rule worth knowing: if your employer calls you in outside your regular hours, they must pay you for at least three hours at minimum wage. At the new rate, that’s at least $51, even if you only work one hour.

Who gets the raise

About 31,000 Nova Scotians earn minimum wage. That’s about 6.5 per cent of workers in the province.

Some jobs aren’t covered by the general minimum wage. They include certain farm workers, apprentices working under an apprenticeship agreement, real estate and car salespeople, and people who work on fishing boats.

Construction, property maintenance, logging and forestry workers have their own separate minimum wage rules.

Why it went up twice this year

This is the second increase in 2026. The province says the amount follows a formula in the minimum wage regulations: inflation plus one per cent.

The province says the change also follows a unanimous recommendation from the Minimum Wage Review Committee. Both employee and employer representatives sit on that committee.

Not everyone likes the schedule

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business wants the province to go back to one increase a year.

“Raising wages twice a year is not how businesses operate across the province,” Louis-Philippe Gauthier, CFIB’s Atlantic vice-president, said in a statement Thursday.

CFIB also wants future increases tied to wage growth in the private sector.

What’s next

The province’s minimum wage page doesn’t list any increase after today’s.

If you think you’re being paid less than minimum wage, Labour Standards handles complaints. Contact details are on the province’s minimum wage page linked below.

Bottom line

Check your next pay stub. If you work at minimum wage, every hour from today on should be paid at $17.

From the Government of Nova Scotia:

Minimum Wage Rises to $17

Nova Scotia’s minimum wage increased to $17 per hour today, October 1, helping more workers keep up with the cost of living.

The second minimum wage adjustment this year – following the April 1 increase to $16.75 – follows the unanimous recommendation of the Minimum Wage Review Committee, which includes employee and employer representatives.

“Raising the minimum wage means more money in the pockets of Nova Scotians who need it most,” said Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “This increase supports workers and recognizes the valuable work they do every day. We’re also helping employers manage costs by lowering taxes and investing in programs that help businesses attract and keep skilled workers.”

The adjustment reflects the consumer price index plus one per cent, as outlined in the minimum wage regulations. The phased approach is designed to help workers while giving employers time to adapt.

To help Nova Scotians get ahead, the Province is also:

• delivering more than $680 million in tax-saving measures that will save the average Nova Scotian family more than $1,400 this year
• providing the More Opportunity for Skilled Trades and Occupations Tax Refund for eligible workers under age 30
• making the Heating Assistance Rebate Program permanent at $400 per year
• investing $1.7 billion through Our Homes, Action for Housing, the government’s five-year housing plan
• increasing support for people on income assistance and indexing it to inflation
• providing skills development and training programs to connect more people to jobs.

The Province also supports employers through programs and services that help businesses recruit, train and retain workers, including:

• supports for workers and businesses affected by tariffs and global market shifts
• business development resources through the Grow Your Business website
• employment and training programs, such as Apprenticeship START and Nova Scotia Works, that help employers recruit talent and build the skills businesses need
• reduced small business tax rate and increased income threshold.

Quick Facts:

• about 6.5 per cent of workers, or 31,000 Nova Scotians, currently earn minimum wage

Additional Resources:

More information on Nova Scotia’s minimum wage: https://novascotia.ca/lae/employmentrights/minimumwage.asp

The Minimum Wage Review Committee report: https://news.novascotia.ca/sites/default/files/2025-12/25-55705%20-%20%20Minimum%20Wage%20Review%20Committee%20Report%20-%20ENG.pdf

More Opportunity for Skilled Trades and Occupations Tax Refund: https://www.novascotia.ca/more-opportunity-skilled-trades-and-occupations-tax-refund

Grow Your Business: https://novascotia.ca/grow-your-business/

Tariff response: https://novascotia.ca/tariffs/

Sources

• Government of Nova Scotia news release, Oct. 1, 2026, 8:46 a.m.: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2026/10/01/minimum-wage-rises-17
• Nova Scotia minimum wage rules, exemptions and call-in pay: https://novascotia.ca/lae/employmentrights/minimumwage.asp
• CFIB statement, emailed Oct. 1, 2026