Alberta Living Wage Network has published the hourly wages required for residents of various Alberta cities to earn to maintain a modest standard of living in 2023.
A living wage is not the same as the minimum wage, which is the legal minimum all employers must pay to their employees. Alberta’s minimum wage is $15 per hour.
The living wage is “the hourly rate of pay needed for a household to maintain a modest standard of living, once government transfers have been added to the family’s income, and taxes have been subtracted.”
Alberta Living Wage Network says they have used the Ontario Living Wage Network methodology which calculates a living wage that would allow each adult to work full-time hours and includes more than the basics of food, clothing and shelter and is based on the income needs of three household types: a two-parent family with two young children, a lone-parent family with one child and a single individual living alone.
The weighing of the family types is as follows:
• Family of four: 32.6%
• Lone parent: 7.7%
• Single individual: 59.6%
The available rate is calculated based on the average of all available 2023 months at the time of calculation (January to September 2023).
A living wage varies across communities as costs of living in a specific community including unexpected costs, and small investments in education and childcare are taken into account while calculating the amount.
Alberta Living Wage in 2023
In 2023, living wages in Canadian municipalities have generally increased due to the rising cost of living. Shelter costs, including rent and utilities, have been a significant driver of these increases across Alberta, exacerbating the province’s ongoing housing crisis.
Alberta Living Wage Network says unlike other provinces, Alberta’s child care grants and subsidies have not put downward pressure on living wages, as they have remained unchanged. However, temporary government benefits, such as the Federal Grocery Rebate and Alberta Affordability Payments, have helped keep living wages lower than expected this year but are not a long-term solution. Wages have failed to keep pace with the soaring costs of food and shelter, with food prices rising by 41% since September 2013 while hourly wages have only increased by 24%. Additionally, single individuals face greater financial challenges as they receive minimal government benefits compared to families.
In 2023, the living wage in Calgary is $23.70 per hour, while you need to make $22.25 per hour to live modestly in Edmonton, compared to 2022 living wages of $22.40 and $21.40, respectively.
In 2021, it was $18.60 and $18.10 respectively.
The highest wage requirement for a modest standard of living is in Canmore – an astonishing $38.80.
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Brooks: $19.05
- Calgary: $23.70 (a family of four: $22.17; a single parent with one child: $31.07; a single individual, $24.15)
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Canmore: $38.80
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Drayton Valley: $19.55
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Edmonton: $22.25
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Fort McMurray: $24.50
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Grande Prairie: $18.90
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High River: $21.70
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Jasper: $24.90
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Lac La Biche County: $21.60
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Lethbridge: $20.60
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Medicine Hat: $17.35
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Red Deer: $18.75
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Spruce Grove: $21.00
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St. Albert: $23.80
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Stony Plain: $21.10
Detailed information on the methodology and calculation by Alberta Living Wage Network is given here.