Overtime pay in Nova Scotia
In Nova Scotia, overtime starts after 48 hours in a week and is paid at 1.5 times your regular wage. There is no daily overtime.
Gross pay this week
$950.00
Your gross pay for this week is $950.00 before tax in Nova Scotia: 47.5 regular hours.
| Pay | Hours | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 47.5 h | $20.00 | $950.00 |
| Total | 47.5 h | $950.00 |
Before tax and deductions. Uses Nova Scotia employment standards. Your contract or union agreement may pay more.
Overtime rules in Nova Scotia
- 1.5 times your regular wage for every hour over 48 in a week.
- Some groups, such as managers, IT professionals, and oil and gas workers, only get 1.5 times the minimum wage after 48 hours.
- Construction and property maintenance count overtime after 110 hours in 2 weeks. Transport counts it after 96 hours in 2 weeks.
- A fixed cycle averaging agreement can count overtime over several weeks, such as after 192 hours in 4 weeks.
Official examples
Overtime rate
An employee earning $20 an hour gets $30 for each hour over 48 in a week. Source
Call-in pay
An employee earning $25 an hour who is called in for one hour gets at least 3 hours at minimum wage, $51. Source
Holiday pay with varying hours
An employee who worked 170 hours over 20 of the 30 days before the holiday averages 8.5 hours, so holiday pay is 8.5 hours at their regular rate. Source
Stat holiday pay in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has 6 paid holidays under the Labour Standards Code. If you qualify, you get a regular day's pay for each one.
If you work a paid holiday in Nova Scotia, you get 1.5 times your regular wage for the hours worked, plus a regular day's pay if you qualify.
Minimum wage and minimum shift pay
- Minimum wage: $17.00 an hour since October 1, 2026. From April 1, 2027 it changes each April 1 by inflation plus 1%.
- Minimum shift pay: In Nova Scotia, if you are called back to work outside your scheduled hours, you get at least 3 hours at minimum wage, even if you work less.
How the calculator works
- Each shift's paid hours are its end time minus its start time, minus your unpaid break. A shift that ends after midnight counts on the day it started, so a night shift that runs into a stat holiday is not paid the holiday rate here. Enter the holiday hours as their own shift if you want them counted.
- Daily overtime is counted first, where your province has it. Weekly overtime then counts only the hours that were not already daily overtime, so no hour is paid twice.
- Hours worked on a stat holiday are paid at the holiday rate. Holiday pay is added using your province's formula, estimated from your usual week.
- We check your wage against the minimum wage and flag short shifts that may earn minimum shift pay.
The result is gross pay before tax and deductions. It is an estimate based on employment standards law, not legal advice.
When these rules may not apply
This app uses each province's or territory's employment standards law, which sets the minimum your employer must pay. Your pay can differ if:
- Your job is federally regulated, such as banks, airlines, trucking across provinces, railways, telecom and federal Crown corporations. Choose Federal instead.
- You have a union collective agreement or a contract that pays more.
- You have an averaging agreement, a compressed work week or a flexible schedule approved under the law.
- Your job is exempt or has special rules, such as many managers, farm workers, some professionals, truck drivers, and oil and gas workers.
Common questions
When does overtime start in Nova Scotia?
After 48 hours in a week, at 1.5 times your regular wage. There is no daily overtime.
How many paid holidays are there in Nova Scotia?
Six under the Labour Standards Code: New Year's Day, Heritage Day, Good Friday, Canada Day, Labour Day and Christmas Day. Remembrance Day has its own rules.
How is holiday pay calculated in Nova Scotia?
A regular day's pay. If your hours vary, your average day's pay over the 30 days before the holiday.
What do I get for working a holiday in Nova Scotia?
1.5 times your regular wage for the hours worked, plus a regular day's pay if you qualify.
Do I get paid for Remembrance Day in Nova Scotia?
Only if you work it. Then you get another day off with regular pay. There is no premium and no pay for not working it.
Sources
Official government pages and laws, checked . Rules change, so confirm details on the source before you act.
Other provinces and territories
- Overtime pay in Ontario
- Overtime pay in Quebec
- Overtime pay in British Columbia
- Overtime pay in Alberta
- Overtime pay in Saskatchewan
- Overtime pay in Manitoba
- Overtime pay in New Brunswick
- Overtime pay in Prince Edward Island
- Overtime pay in Newfoundland and Labrador
- Overtime pay in Yukon
- Overtime pay in Northwest Territories
- Overtime pay in Nunavut
- Overtime pay in Federal