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People working for minimum wage in B.C. will get a small pay bump this year, as the provincial rate increases from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour.
The 40-cent increase takes effect June 1 and reflects the province’s average inflation in 2025, the province said in a news release.
“Working people in our province are feeling the pressure of inflation,” Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in the release.
The increase also applies to specialized minimum wage workers, like resident caretakers and live-in home-support workers, the province said.
App-based ride-hailing and delivery drivers will also receive a minimum wage increase, up from $20.88 to $21.89 per hour of engaged time.
Minimum wages in B.C. are among the highest in the country, according to the Retail Council of Canada.
While the increased wage is surely welcome news for those working for minimum pay, $18.25 is not a living wage, according to Living Wage B.C., which calculates what people in communities throughout B.C. need to earn in order to keep up with the cost of living.
According to Living Wage B.C.’s 2025 report, the lowest living wage in B.C. is in Grand Forks, where residents would need to earn at least $21.55 per hour, working 35 hours per week.
The highest living wage is in Whistler, where workers would need to earn $29.60 — more than $10 more than the minimum wage that kicks in later this year — to stay afloat, the organization says.
