- New Brunswick's wage rules at a glance
- How the April increase is worked out
- Overtime is based on the minimum wage, not your rate
- The three-hour minimum reporting wage
- Vacation and vacation pay
- Other rules New Brunswick employers miss
- New Brunswick against its neighbours
- My verdict
- Frequently asked questions
The minimum wage in New Brunswick is $15.90 an hour, effective April 1, 2026. It's updated every April 1 in line with New Brunswick's consumer price index, and overtime after 44 hours a week is paid at one and a half times the minimum wage.
New Brunswick has one of the lower rates in Canada, but the way it's calculated is about to be looked at closely. In 2026 the province opened its first public consultation on the minimum wage in 10 years, asking employers and workers about the amount, how it's set and when it changes, with feedback open until October 9.
New Brunswick's wage rules at a glance
| Rule | New Brunswick, as of October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Minimum wage | $15.90 an hour from April 1, 2026 |
| When it changes | Every April 1 |
| How it's set | Percentage change in the all-items New Brunswick consumer price index |
| Hours at the minimum wage | Up to 44 hours a week |
| Overtime minimum | One and a half times the minimum wage after 44 hours |
| Reporting wage | At least three hours, in the cases the Act sets out |
| Weekly rest | 24 consecutive hours, through Sunday where possible |
How the April increase is worked out
The Minimum Wage Regulation sets the formula. Each April 1, the rate moves by the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index between the calendar year before the adjustment and the calendar year two years before it. If that calculation would cut the wage, there's no adjustment, so the rate can't fall.
The timing is predictable too. Within 30 days of Statistics Canada releasing December's index, the minister must publish the new rate in The Royal Gazette. That gives employers a few weeks' notice before April 1 to update payroll.
Separately, the Employment Standards Act requires the minister to complete a review of the minimum wage every two years, looking at its social and economic effects, including what it costs to buy the necessities of life. That's the review now running with public input.
Overtime is based on the minimum wage, not your rate
This is the New Brunswick rule employers coming from other provinces most often get wrong. The regulation caps the hours paid at the minimum wage at 44 a week, and the minimum for time beyond that is one and a half times the minimum wage per hour.
So the legal floor for overtime is tied to the minimum wage, not to what the employee normally earns. Someone on a higher hourly rate is owed whatever their contract says for those hours, as long as it's at least that floor. Check your contracts and any collective agreement, because they often promise more than the law does.
Where hours can't be verified and the employee isn't purely on commission, the weekly minimum is the minimum wage multiplied by 44. Piece workers must earn at least the minimum wage for the hours they work in a pay period.
The three-hour minimum reporting wage
Section 16.1 of the Act gives a non-bargaining employee who reports for work as the employer required at least the greater of three hours at the minimum wage or the hours they work at their regular rate. It applies to employees whose regular rate is less than twice the minimum wage and who are regularly employed for more than three consecutive hours in a shift.
If the employee has already worked the week's maximum hours at the minimum wage, the reporting minimum becomes three hours at one and a half times the minimum wage, again unless the hours worked at their regular rate come to more. Hours paid under this rule count as hours worked.
Vacation and vacation pay
| Length of service | Vacation | Vacation pay |
|---|---|---|
| Under 8 years | 2 weeks, or one day per month worked if less | Four per cent of wages for the vacation pay year |
| 8 years or more | 3 weeks, or one and a quarter days per month worked if less | Six per cent of wages for the vacation pay year |
The vacation pay year runs from July 1 to June 30. Vacation must be given within four months after the year ends, and if someone leaves before the end of the year, their vacation pay is due no later than their final pay.
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Other rules New Brunswick employers miss
- You must post a copy of every applicable minimum wage regulation somewhere conspicuous in your workplace.
- You can't deduct anything for board or lodging you didn't provide.
- There's no general limit on daily or weekly hours, but every employee who usually works more than three hours a day gets a weekly rest of at least 24 consecutive hours.
- Under-16s can't work more than six hours a day, or more than three hours on a school day.
For the island province, our PEI minimum wage guide explains the rate and next year's change.
New Brunswick against its neighbours
| Province | Rate | Effective |
|---|---|---|
| New Brunswick | $15.90 | 1 April 2026 |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | 1 October 2026 |
| Prince Edward Island | $17.30 | 1 October 2026 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.35 | 1 April 2026 |
| Quebec | $16.60 | 1 May 2026 |
For the full national picture, the minimum wage by province guide lists every province side by side, and if staff leave, the Record of Employment rules apply wherever you are.
My verdict
New Brunswick sits near the bottom of the national table, but its minimum isn't static: it climbs every April with prices, and the 2026 consultation could change the method. If you employ people here, the 44-hour overtime threshold and the three-hour reporting wage matter more day to day than the headline rate. Put April 1 in the payroll calendar and watch for the outcome of the review.
Quebec sets a separate tips rate, and our Quebec minimum wage guide covers it along with the overtime rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum wage in New Brunswick?
The minimum wage in New Brunswick is $15.90 an hour, effective April 1, 2026.
When does New Brunswick's minimum wage go up?
It's adjusted every April 1 by the percentage change in the consumer price index, and the new rate is published in The Royal Gazette within 30 days of the December index being released.
When does overtime start in New Brunswick?
After 44 hours in a week. The minimum for those hours is one and a half times the minimum wage.
Does New Brunswick have a three-hour minimum shift pay?
Yes, for eligible non-bargaining employees who report for work as required: the greater of three hours at the minimum wage or the hours worked at their regular rate.
How much vacation pay do New Brunswick employees get?
Four per cent of wages for the vacation pay year with under eight years of service, and six per cent with eight years or more.
