Manitoba is known as the “polar bear capital of the world” and is one of Canada’s most beautiful provinces. However, it also has one of the lowest minimum wages in the country.
Currently, the minimum wage in Manitoba is just $13.50 per hour, which is two dollars less than both of its neighbouring provinces.
Below, I’ll explain a bit more about the minimum wage in Manitoba, such as exceptions to the law, minimum wage tax rates, and more.
Minimum Wage Manitoba: Exceptions & Rules
For the most part, Manitoba’s minimum wage laws are pretty straightforward.
In response to recent inflation and rising costs, the province of Manitoba recently increased its provincial minimum wage on October 1st, 2022. Now, all employees must be paid at least $13.50 per hour, even for incentive-based positions such as salespeople or tip-earners.
However, there are a few exceptions to Manitoba’s minimum wage laws, including:
- Federal employees (who must be paid the federal minimum wage of $15.55 per hour)
- Domestic workers (i.e., live-in care professionals, cleaners, cooks) who work fewer than 12 hours per week
- Workers enrolled in an approved federal or provincial job training program
- Politicians and elections officials employed under the Elections Act
Now, let’s take a quick look at some of the more specific rules and exceptions to Manitoba’s minimum wage laws.
Student Minimum Wage In Manitoba
Some provinces have special laws regarding the employment of students and minors under the age of 18. For example, businesses in Alberta are only required to pay student workers (under 18) $13 per hour, which is two dollars less than Alberta’s standard $15 minimum wage.
In Manitoba, however, all student workers are entitled to the same $15.50 minimum wage as adult workers.
That being said, there are some restrictions when it comes to the type of jobs that underage students are allowed to work.
In Manitoba, student workers between the ages of 13 and 15 are required to complete the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course. This course provides basic job training to young teens and ensures that they’re ready and able to apply for their first job.
Exceptions to this include:
- Independent contractors and self-employed teens (ages 13 to 15)
- Volunteer workers
- Working on a farm for a family member who owns the farm
Workers between 15 and 18 do not have to complete the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course, are entitled to apply to any job, and can earn the minimum wage of $13.50 per hour or more.
Are Elections Officials Paid Minimum Wage In Manitoba?
If you’re running for political office or working as an election official, then minimum wage laws do not apply. Until you’re elected into office, then you’re technically considered a volunteer worker. Running for office and advertising your campaign can be expensive, which is why many politicians are also business owners.
Are Tip-Earners Paid Minimum Wage In Manitoba?
Some provinces have varying laws when it comes to tip-earners or other incentive-based jobs like sales, entertainment, or piecework production. In Manitoba, however, all incentive-based workers are entitled to the base minimum wage of $13.50 per hour.
If the worker earns less than $13.50 per hour after their tips, then the business must add additional payments to the worker’s cheque to ensure that they earn the minimum wage.
What Is The Minimum Wage In Winnipeg?
Winnipeg is the capital city of Manitoba and is home to over 749,000 residents and just under 18,000 small businesses. Just like all other cities in Manitoba, the minimum wage in Winnipeg is $13.50 per hour. That being said, many workers are paid over the minimum wage thanks to the competitive work environment of the city.
What Is Overtime Pay In Manitoba?
In Manitoba, a traditional work week consists of 8-hour days and a 40-hour work week.
If you work more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours total in a week, then you’re entitled to overtime pay for each hour over 8 hours per day or for each hour over 40 hours in a week.
Overtime laws in Manitoba state that workers must be paid at least 1.5x their normal wage for each overtime hour that they work.
For example, if you work 50 hours in a week, then you can expect to earn 40 hours worth of your standard pay and 10 hours worth of your standard pay multiplied by 1.5.
What Are Minimum Wage Tax Rates In Manitoba?
If you’re working full-time (40 hours weekly) for minimum wage, then you can expect to earn around $540 per week. At this rate, you’ll earn just over $28,000 per year, which would put you in Manitoba’s lowest tax bracket of 10.8% income tax.
The basic personal amount in Manitoba is $10,145, which is the amount that you don’t have to pay taxes on. If you earn $28,000 per year, then you would only have to pay taxes on $17,855.
At a 10.8% income tax rate, your provincial income tax would come out to $1,928.34.
You can view the full breakdown of Manitoba tax rates on Manitoba’s government website here.
Conclusion – Will Minimum Wage In Manitoba Increase?
Many Manitoba residents and political advocates have been pushing for a $15 minimum wage in Manitoba.
The increase from $11.95 to $13.50 was the first step in a multi-phase plan to increase the minimum wages in the province. However, an additional increase to $14.15 per hour will be initiated on April 1, 2023.
Find out what the minimum wages are for the rest of Canada here.
While these increases are good to see, it’s still hard to live off of minimum wage alone in Manitoba.
If you want to start earning more money, be sure to check out my guide to the best online side jobs in Canada next!
