Pay frequency · Canada
Pay frequency rules by province.
How often wages must be paid and how many days an employer has after a pay period ends, for every jurisdiction where the statute or the government’s own guide states a rule.
The tightest lag is 5 working days (Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island) and the loosest is 10 working days (Manitoba). Several provinces cap the pay period at 16 days or require pay at least twice a month.
Choose your jurisdiction
Pay Frequency, jurisdiction by jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Ontario | Regular pay period and pay day; no day count in the guide |
| Quebec | Intervals of no more than 16 days |
| British Columbia | At least semimonthly; within 8 days of period end |
| Alberta | At least monthly; within 10 days of period end |
| Manitoba | At least semi-monthly; within 10 working days |
| Saskatchewan | Semi-monthly or every 14 days; within 6 days of cut-off |
| Nova Scotia | Twice a month; within 5 working days |
| New Brunswick | No more than 16 days between pays; 7-day lag |
| Prince Edward Island | Period of 16 days or less; within 5 work days |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | At least half monthly; within 7 days |
| Northwest Territories | Period of one month or less; within 10 days |
| Nunavut | Period of one month or less; within 10 days |
Not covered on this page
- Federal: the Labour Program pages read did not state how often or how soon after a pay period wages must be paid, so none is given.
- Yukon: yukon.ca and laws.yukon.ca refused automated access on 19 October 2026 (a Cloudflare challenge on every request), so no Yukon figure is published here.
Sources: each jurisdiction’s own employment standards Act or government guide, read directly 19 October 2026. The exact pages are linked on each jurisdiction’s page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortest pay lag allowed?
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island require wages within five working days after the pay period ends, Saskatchewan within six days, Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick within seven, British Columbia within eight, and Alberta, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories within ten days. Manitoba allows ten working days.
How often must employees be paid at minimum?
Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island cap the interval at 16 days. British Columbia, Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador require pay at least semimonthly or half monthly, Nova Scotia at least twice a month, and Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut allow a pay period of up to one month.
Why does Ontario show no day count?
The Ontario guide read for this page requires a regular pay period and pay day and requires wages to be paid by the regular pay day for the period, but it states no maximum number of days for the period or the lag.
Reference only — not legal advice
This page states the statutory pay frequency and pay day rules from the published employment-standards legislation or the government’s own guide, read on 19 October 2026. It is not legal advice, does not model a collective agreement or an individual contract, and rules change. For a binding answer, contact the employment standards office named in the source or a lawyer.