How old do you have to be to work in Canada? Minimum working age by province and territory
There is no single minimum working age in Canada. Each province and territory sets its own rule, ranging from 13 in Alberta and Manitoba, through 14 in Ontario and Quebec, to 16 as the general age in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, while the Atlantic provinces and territories set no fixed minimum and instead restrict hours and job types for young workers. The table below has every jurisdiction with its official source.
Minimum working age table for all 13 provinces and territories
| Province or territory | General minimum age | Younger workers | Key limits for minors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alberta | 15 for any job | 13 and 14 with parental consent in retail, delivery, food service, tutoring, coaching, janitorial and clerk roles | 13 and 14: 2 hours on a school day, no work 9 pm to 6 am. 15 to 17: night limits |
| British Columbia | 16 | 14 and 15 for light work with written parental consent; under 14 needs a Director's permit | 14 and 15: 4 hours on a school day, 7 on a non-school day, 20 a week in a school week, 35 when school is out |
| Manitoba | 16 without a course | 13 to 15 after completing the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course with a parent's signature; under 13 cannot work | 13 to 15: 20 hours a week in a school week, no work 11 pm to 6 am, no construction or heights over 1.5 metres |
| New Brunswick | No fixed minimum | Under 14 barred from construction, forestry, industrial work, garages, hotels, restaurants and theatres without a permit | Under 16: 6 hours a day, 3 hours on a school day, 8 hours of school plus work combined, no work 10 pm to 6 am |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | No fixed minimum | Under 16 only with written parental consent and in non-hazardous work | Under 16: 3 hours on a school day, 8 hours a day, no work 10 pm to 7 am, 12 consecutive hours of rest |
| Nova Scotia | No fixed minimum | Under 16 barred from construction, manufacturing, garages and hotels; 14 and 15 allowed in restaurants with supervision and no cooking equipment | Under 14: 3 hours on a school day, 8 hours a day, 8 hours of school plus work combined, no work 10 pm to 6 am |
| Ontario | 14 in stores, offices and restaurant serving areas | No work under 14 outside entertainment | 15 for factories, warehouses and restaurant kitchens; 16 for construction and logging; 18 for underground mines and window cleaning |
| Prince Edward Island | No fixed minimum | Under 16 cannot work in construction or anything that risks their well-being | Under 16: 3 hours on a school day, 40 hours in a non-school week, no work 11 pm to 7 am |
| Quebec | 14 | Under 14 only in specific jobs listed in law, with a parental consent form | While subject to compulsory schooling: 17 hours a week, 10 hours Monday to Friday, at home 11 pm to 6 am, except during breaks of more than 7 days |
| Saskatchewan | 16 | 14 and 15 after the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course with written parental consent | 14 and 15: 16 hours in a school week, no work after 10 pm before a school day or before classes |
| Northwest Territories | No fixed minimum | Under 17 needs Employment Standards Officer authorization to work 11 pm to 6 am or during school hours | Under 16 barred from construction, confined spaces, forestry and powered mobile equipment |
| Nunavut | No fixed minimum | Under 17 counts as a young person; employers are asked to seek Labour Standards Officer approval | Under 17: no work 11 pm to 6 am without written approval, no construction without a permit |
| Yukon | No fixed minimum | No legal minimum age except mining | 16 for surface mines, 18 for underground mines |
Table sources: Alberta youth employment laws; BC hiring young people; Manitoba young employees fact sheet; New Brunswick employment of children under 16; Newfoundland and Labrador Your Rights at Work; Nova Scotia employment of children; Ontario minimum age for work; PEI Employment Standards Guide; Quebec CNESST young workers; Saskatchewan minimum age and workplace restrictions; NWT Employment Standards FAQ; Nunavut Labour Standards Compliance Office; Yukon WCB young and new workers.
Three different ways provinces set the rule
Provinces use three different approaches, and knowing which one yours uses makes the rule easier to remember.
A hard minimum age with exceptions
Quebec (14), British Columbia (16) and Saskatchewan (16) name a general age and carve out exceptions below it: a consent form in Quebec, light work with consent in BC, a readiness course plus consent in Saskatchewan.
A minimum age by type of workplace
Ontario sets 14 for stores, offices and restaurant front of house, 15 for factories and kitchens, 16 for construction, and 18 for underground mines. Alberta lists jobs open at 13 and 14 and opens everything else at 15. Manitoba lets 13 to 15 year olds work after a course but bans specific hazards.
No minimum age, just limits
The four Atlantic provinces and the three territories state no general minimum. Instead they cap hours on school days, forbid night work and bar young workers from dangerous industries.
Why the readiness courses matter in Manitoba and Saskatchewan
Both prairie provinces require young teens to finish the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course, a short online course on employment standards and workplace safety, before their first shift, and a parent signs the completion certificate. Finish it before you apply so you can list it on the resume you build with the YouthBoard Resume Builder.
What to do once you know your age qualifies
Check your province in the table, get your Social Insurance Number, and look at what is open near your school on the Campus Atlas, which maps schools across Canada to live youth jobs with the wage on every listing. Then read the guide to getting a first job with no experience for the application steps, then your province's own guide, such as the Ontario student jobs guide or the Alberta guide.
Browse live youth jobs on YouthBoard (free, wages shown on every listing).
Frequently asked questions
How old do you have to be to work in Canada?
It depends on the province. Alberta and Manitoba allow work at 13 with conditions, Quebec and Ontario start most jobs at 14, Saskatchewan and British Columbia set 16 as the general age with exceptions at 14 and 15, and the Atlantic provinces and territories set no fixed minimum but limit hours and job types.
Can a 14 year old work in Canada?
Yes, in most provinces. At 14 you can work in stores, offices and restaurant serving areas in Ontario, in most jobs in Quebec, in light work with parental consent in British Columbia, with a readiness certificate in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and in listed jobs with consent in Alberta. Hazardous work is off limits everywhere.
Which province has the lowest working age in Canada?
Alberta and Manitoba allow employment at 13. In Alberta, 13 and 14 year olds can work with parental consent in retail, delivery, food service, tutoring, coaching, janitorial and clerk jobs, limited to 2 hours on a school day. In Manitoba, 13 to 15 year olds work after completing the Young Worker Readiness Certificate Course.
What is the legal working age in Ontario?
Ontario sets the minimum age by workplace: 14 for stores, offices, arenas and restaurant serving areas, 15 for factories, warehouses, repair shops and restaurant kitchens, 16 for construction and logging, and 18 for underground mines, window cleaning and offshore rigs. The rules come from Occupational Health and Safety regulations.
Sources
- Minimum age for work, Government of Ontario
- Youth employment laws, Government of Alberta
- Young workers, CNESST Quebec
Disclaimer
This article is general information for young job seekers, not legal, financial or employment advice. Minimum wages, minimum working ages, hours limits and program rules change, often on April 1 or October 1, and they differ by province and territory. Always confirm the current rules with your provincial or territorial government, the employment standards office, or the relevant federal department before relying on them. YouthBoard makes every effort to keep articles accurate, but they may contain errors or be out of date, and we accept no liability for any loss or decision made based on this content. If you spot something wrong, tell us and we will fix it.
