Alberta Living Wage Network Releases 2025 Living Wage Rates in partnership with 21 Communities
The Alberta Living Wage Network (ALWN or “The Network”) has released updated living wages for 21 municipalities across the province. Living wages in 15 of those 21 communities increased this year which resulted, in large part, from changes in child care, shelter, and transportation costs.
Living wage calculations are an important indicator of affordability and, overall, the rise in living wages demonstrates that life is becoming more unaffordable for Albertans.
The Alberta Living Wage Network is a network of municipalities and community organizations that is working to raise awareness about the cost of living in towns and cities across Alberta. The Network recalculates the living wage each year to reflect current costs and public policy changes affecting affordability. ALWN also runs an employer certification program to recognize employers that are paying their employees a living wage.
A living wage is the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and participate in their community. It reflects the real cost of living in each community and the belief that everyone deserves to live with dignity.
The 2025 Living Wages are as follows:
Airdrie: $29.00/hr Up 19.3% from last year
Barrhead: $21.55/hr Down 12.0% from last year
Bonnyville: $22.15/hr Down 6.1% from last year
Brooks: $22.00/hr Up 18.9% from last year
Calgary: $26.50/hr Up 8.4% from last year
Cold Lake: $19.10/hr Down 2.3% from last year
Drayton Valley: $20.35/hr Up 2.5% from last year
Edmonton: $22.30/hr Up 7.0% from last year
Fort McMurray: $23.00/hr Down 2.1% from last year
Grand Prairie: $21.80/hr Up 15.6% from last year
High River: $23.40/hr Up 8.8% from last year
Jasper: $31.80/hr Up 1.3% from last year
Lethbridge: $22.30/hr Up 11.5% from last year
Lloydminster, AB/SK: $21.65/hr Up 15.5% from last year
Medicine Hat: $18.15/hr Up 3.4% from last year
Red Deer: $20.65/hr Up 9.3% from last year
Rocky Mountain House: $21.85/hr Down 8.0% from last year
Special Areas: $21.25/hr Down 6.0% from last year
Spruce Grove: $23.70/hr Up 14.8% from last year
St. Albert: $25.60/hr Up 17.7% from last year
Stony Plain: $24.30/hr Up 14.1% from last year
With these numbers, Alberta’s minimum wage of $15.00/hour only covers 50-80% of what’s required to live in communities across the province. As businesses, especially small businesses, face additional pressures due to tariffs and other rising costs, this shows the structural problems hurting both businesses and working families.
2023 figures show that almost 6 in 10 minimum wage earners are female, and more than 1 in 3 is an immigrant. More than 16,000 minimum wage earners were supporting a child under 18, and 3 out of every 10 minimum wage earners are the head of their household.
2025 has been a year that has seen Albertans face several economic challenges that have impacted the cost of living, key among those for most communities has been continued rising housing costs and rising costs in transportation.
The province's revamped childcare affordability program had mixed results. Most of the communities (15 of 21) were better off last year with the child care affordability grant and an additional child care subsidy for those with a family income below $120,000. The remaining six communities saw lower toddler child care expenses with the flat parent fee this year.
Businesses are struggling too both with rising costs and economic uncertainty. The gap between the minimum wage and a living wage reflects structural problems in the economy and is hurting everyone - workers by reducing what they can spend, businesses through lower productivity and higher turnover, and government and community organizations through rising demand for social services that they cannot keep up with.
The purpose of this calculation is to highlight the true cost of living in Alberta; to provide municipalities with local data to support their decision making; to encourage action on policies and programs that positively impact the affordability of our province; and to celebrate employers who commit to paying a living wage, like our Certified Living Wage Employers. For Albertan employers, paying a living wage remains a tangible way to invest in their people, strengthen recruitment and retention, and contribute to healthier, more resilient local economies.
Quotes
Each year, we work with communities across Alberta to update their living wage calculations and gain insight into what it costs to live in this province. As the cost of living rises in many communities, we’re so grateful for the employers who commit to paying a living wage. A living wage means healthier workers and sustainable local economies, which contribute to vibrant communities where people can thrive.
- Ryan Lacanilao, Economist, Alberta Living Wage Network
The annual living wage calculation of the hourly income reminds all Albertans of the income required to meet basic needs in their community. For employers it provides a benchmark from which to assess their total compensation practices. As Albertans let us use the living wage calculation to deepen our understanding of the working poor in our community and to patronize living wage employers.
- Franco Savoia, Chairperson, Alberta Living Wage Network Council
About the Alberta Living Wage Network
The Alberta Living Wage Network is a network of community organizations and municipalities with the goal of advancing a coordinated living wage movement in Alberta. The Network assists communities in their annual living wage calculation and provides certification to qualifying living wage employers. For more information visit https://livingwagealberta.ca/ and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.
Resources
The Alberta Living Wage Network publishes common questions and answers about living wages.
For more information, please contact:
Ryan Lacanilao
Alberta Living Wage Network
Economist
coordinator@livingwagealberta.ca
OR
faizel janmohamed
Alberta Living Wage Network
admin@livingwagealberta.ca