Early childhood educator wages going up in Manitoba

Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba’s education and early childhood learning minister, announces a new wage grid for early childhood educators in Manitoba on May 23, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

The Manitoba government is increasing wages for early childhood educators in the province.

On Friday, Manitoba’s education and early childhood learning minister Tracy Schmidt announced Friday a new wage grid will be applied retroactively to April 1. Workers can make up to $5 more per hour based on their certification level and the size of the childcare centre.

It is the largest wage increase for the sector in the province’s history, Schmidt said.

“This historic increase reflects the invaluable work that frontline early childhood educators do for our children and for our province and for our province’s economy,” she said at a Friday news conference.

The wage increase is part of a childcare agreement signed between Manitoba and the federal government in 2021. Under the agreement, Manitoba would receive roughly $1.2 billion in funding over five years to help expand daycare spaces and ensure licensed childcare spaces cost $10 per day.

Jodie Kehl, executive director of the Manitoba Childcare Association, said her organization has advocated for the wage increase for years.

“A competitively and fairly compensated early learning and childcare workforce will both stabilize and support our current sector and will position Manitoba to create further expansion of new spaces,” she said.