BC’s general minimum wage is set to rise from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour on June 1st, as the province continues its plan to keep wages in line with inflation.
Since 2017, BC has steadily increased the minimum wage to help ensure workers better keep up with rising living costs. In 2024, minimum wage increases became protected by the law, tying the amount to the previous year’s inflation.
BC’s average monthly inflation in 2025 was just over 2.1%.
Historically, BC went nearly a decade without any minimum wage increase from 2002 to 2010, and then again through 2013 and 2014, before this recent period of increases took hold.
“Working people in our province are feeling the pressure of inflation,” said Jennifer Whiteside, Minister of Labour.
“That’s why we acted to bring in annual minimum-wage increases, which have helped paycheques keep up with increasing costs of essentials like food and transportation.”
The majority of minimum wage workers are young adults, women, and racialized workers in retail, food services, and care industries—sections where rising costs hit particularly hard.
The 2026 changes will also affect other wages tied to the minimum wage, including the special minimum wage for app-based ride-hailing, which will increase to $21.89 per hour, as well as delivery-service workers and adjusted minimum piece rates for hand-harvested crops.
With this increase, BC remains among the provinces with the highest minimum wage across Canada, reflecting the province’s ongoing support for minimum wage workers.
