Vacation pay calculator by province (Canada)
Choose the province, enter the wages that count and your completed years of service. You get the minimum vacation pay, the rate and the weeks of vacation time.
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Working with a different rate? Edit the rates this calculator uses
These are the figures we verified on 2026-10-26. Change them to work with a historic period, or with a new rate that has been announced but which we have not published yet.
For a contract or policy that pays more, or a rule that has changed. Leave at 0 to use the rule for the place you chose.
How is vacation pay calculated in Canada?
Vacation pay is a percentage of your wages, set by the employment standards law where you work. In most places it is 4% of wages for the first years and 6% after five years (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Ontario and federally regulated employers, which also pay 8% from ten years). Saskatchewan pays 3/52 of wages (5.77%), or 4/52 (7.69%) from ten years. On $52,000 of wages, 4% is $2,080 and 6% is $3,120. These are minimums, and the wages that count differ by place, for example whether overtime is included.
Why we built this calculator
Vacation pay is one of the most asked-about parts of a paycheque and one of the most often miscalculated. The percentage is simple, but the rest is not: which wages count, whether overtime and holiday pay are in, when the rate steps up, and how many weeks of time off go with it. Each province and territory has its own rules, and the federal government has another set for banks, airlines, telecoms and other federally regulated employers. This calculator uses the official page of each place it covers, shows the working, and tells you which wages count there, so you can check a paystub or a final pay.
Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How it works
You choose where you work, enter the wages that count toward vacation pay for the vacation year, and the number of years you have completed with the same employer. The calculator finds your tier: for example, in Alberta, 4% and two weeks for one to four years, and 6% and three weeks from five years; in Saskatchewan, three weeks at 3/52 of wages after each year and four weeks at 4/52 from ten years; and federally, 4% and two weeks after one year, 6% and three weeks after five, and 8% and four weeks after ten. Vacation pay is the wages that count times the rate. Dividing by the weeks of vacation gives what one week of vacation is worth. The tier uses completed years: someone in their fifth year has completed four years, so Manitoba still applies 4% until the fifth year is complete.
How to use it
- Choose the province, territory or federal employer.
- Enter the wages that count: use the 'Wages that count here' line in the result to decide what to include.
- Enter your completed years of service with the same employer.
- Read the minimum vacation pay, the rate and the weeks of vacation time.
- Compare with your paystub; if it is lower, ask your employer or contact your employment standards office.
The rules at a glance
Minimums as published on each official page. Years are completed years with the same employer.
| Where | Weeks and rate | Steps up |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 2 weeks, 4% | 3 weeks, 6% from 5 years |
| British Columbia | 2 weeks, 4% | 3 weeks, 6% after 5 years |
| Manitoba | 2 weeks, 4% | 3 weeks, 6% after 5 years completed |
| Northwest Territories | 2 weeks, 4% | 3 weeks, 6% from the sixth year |
| Ontario | 2 weeks, 4% | 3 weeks, 6% from 5 years |
| Saskatchewan | 3 weeks, 3/52 (5.77%) | 4 weeks, 4/52 (7.69%) from 10 years |
| Federal | 2 weeks, 4% | 3 weeks 6% at 5 years; 4 weeks 8% at 10 years |
Use cases
- Checking vacation pay on a paystub or a final paycheque
- Working out what a week of vacation is worth
- Budgeting before an unpaid or part-paid vacation
- Comparing the rules when moving to another province
- Understanding what a contract that says 'as per the Act' means
- Employers and payroll staff checking minimums
Problems you may run into
Most differences come from which wages are counted.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| My employer's figure is different | A different wage base, such as overtime in or out, or vacation pay already paid each cheque | Compare the wage base on the 'Wages that count here' line with your payroll |
| I am in a province that is not listed | Its official page could not be read when this was built | Use your province's employment standards page; New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Yukon and Nunavut are not covered yet |
| Under one year of service | Most places earn vacation time over the first year | The calculator shows the first-year rate and says time off is not yet due |
| Vacation pay is paid each paycheque | Some employers pay it as you go, where the law and your agreement allow it | The yearly total is the same; check the line on the paystub |
| A union or contract gives more | These are minimums | Your agreement prevails if it is better |
| Exempt jobs and special industries | Some jobs have special rules | Check the official page for your job |
Where the figures come from
Each rate was read from the official page of the government that sets it: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, the Government of Canada (for federally regulated employers) and, for Ontario, the Ministry of Labour's guide. Employment standards rules change, and they can be raised by a new law, so check the page for your place before you rely on a figure. This is general information, not legal advice.
The formula
How the answer is worked out.
vacation pay = wages that count × rate (4%, 6%, 8%, depending on the place and the completed years)Saskatchewan = wages × 3 ÷ 52 (under 10 years) or wages × 4 ÷ 52 (10 years or more)one week of vacation = vacation pay ÷ weeks of vacation timecompleted years of service decide the tier
Minimums only. The wages that count differ by place and are shown with the result. The tier uses completed years with the same employer. Not covered: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Yukon and Nunavut.
Example: $52,000 of wages in Saskatchewan and in Alberta
Same wages, an employee with 3 years of service in each place.
- Saskatchewan3/52 × $52,000 = $3,000 (5.77%), three weeks
- Alberta4% × $52,000 = $2,080, two weeks
- Value of a weekSaskatchewan $1,000; Alberta $1,040
$3,000 in Saskatchewan and $2,080 in Alberta
From 10 years Saskatchewan pays 4/52 ($4,000); in Alberta 5 years brings 6% ($3,120).
Terms on this page
- Vacation pay
- Pay owed for vacation time, usually a percentage of wages.
- Completed years
- Full years of service with the same employer.
Common questions
What percentage is vacation pay?
4% in most places for the first years, 6% after five (Saskatchewan: 5.77% and 7.69%; federal jobs reach 8% at ten years).
Is overtime included?
It depends: in Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories it is included; in Alberta and Manitoba it is not.
What are completed years?
Full years with the same employer, so the fifth year counts only once it is finished.
Does it cover Quebec or Nova Scotia?
Not yet. Their official pages could not be read when this was built.
Can my employer pay vacation pay every paycheque?
In many places, yes, if the law and your agreement allow it. The yearly total is what counts.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general information on the minimums.
Is anything I enter sent to a server?
No. The calculation happens in your browser and nothing you type leaves your device.
Where these numbers come from
- Government of Alberta — Vacation pay Entitlement by years of employment, 4% and 6%, and which wages are excluded.
- Government of British Columbia — Vacation Two and three weeks, at least 4% and 6% of the previous year's wages, and what counts as wages.
- Government of Manitoba — Vacations and vacation pay fact sheet Two weeks at 4% and, after five years, three weeks at 6%; wage base.
- Government of the Northwest Territories — Employment standards fact sheet 4% for the first five years of earnings including overtime and 6% after; three weeks from the sixth year.
- Government of Saskatchewan — Calculating and paying vacation pay 3/52 (5.77%) and 4/52 (7.69%) of wages and the wages that count.
- Government of Canada — Annual vacations and general holidays for federally regulated employers Two, three and four weeks at 4%, 6% and 8%.
- Government of Ontario — Your guide to the ESA: Vacation time and vacation pay 4% and two weeks under five years; 6% and three weeks from five.
Last verified 2026-10-26 Rates on this page are checked against the sources above at least once a year, and whenever the governing authority announces a change. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.
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