The current general minimum wage in Ontario is $17.60 per hour. This applies to most workers in the province — full-time, part-time, and casual — regardless of the industry you work in.
And the Ontario government has officially confirmed that the minimum wage will increase to $17.95 per hour on October 1, 2026. That is an increase of 35 cents per hour, tied to Ontario’s Consumer Price Index at 1.9 per cent.
For someone working 40 hours a week, that adds up to approximately $728 more per year.
What About Special Categories?
A few different rates apply depending on your situation:
- Students under 18 working 28 hours or less per week earn a lower student rate
- Homeworkers are entitled to 10 per cent above the general rate
- Liquor servers earn the full general minimum wage — the separate lower server rate was eliminated in 2022
What If Your Employer Is Paying You Less?
That is a violation of the Employment Standards Act. You have the right to file a complaint with the Ontario Ministry of Labour at no cost — and your employer cannot legally punish you for doing so.
If the underpayment has been going on for some time, contact us. You may be owed back pay going back up to two years.
