As of October 1, 2026, the general minimum wage in Ontario is $17.95 per hour — up from $17.60. This applies to most employees in the province regardless of industry, company size, or whether you work full-time or part-time.
This increase reflects Ontario’s Consumer Price Index rise of 1.9% and puts Ontario among the highest minimum wage provinces in Canada.
If you are currently earning less than $17.95 per hour, your employer is not meeting their legal obligations.
All Current Minimum Wage Rates
|
Category
|
Rate from Oct 1, 2026
|
|---|---|
|
General minimum wage
|
$17.95 per hour
|
|
Student minimum wage
|
$16.90 per hour
|
|
Homeworkers
|
$19.70 per hour
|
|
Hunting, fishing & wilderness guides
|
$89.75 (under 5 hrs) / $179.50 (5+ hrs) per day
|
Who Each Rate Applies To
General — $17.95/hr
Most Ontario employees. Applies to full-time, part-time, casual, and temporary workers across all industries.
Student — $16.90/hr
Students under 18 working 28 hours or less per week while school is in session, or during prescribed school breaks and summer holidays. The moment a student works more than 28 hours in a week, the general rate of $17.95 applies for that entire week.
Homeworkers — $19.70/hr
Employees who perform paid work from their own home for an employer. This higher rate exists because homeworkers absorb costs — utilities, workspace, equipment — that employers would otherwise cover. Students of any age employed as homeworkers must receive the homeworker rate, not the student rate.
Hunting, fishing and wilderness guides
Paid on a daily basis. $89.75 per day for shifts under five consecutive hours. $179.50 per day for shifts of five hours or more, whether or not the hours are consecutive.
How Rates Have Changed Over the Years
|
Period
|
General
|
Student
|
Homeworkers
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Oct 2026 – Sep 2027
|
$17.95
|
$16.90
|
$19.70
|
|
Oct 2025 – Sep 2026
|
$17.60
|
$16.60
|
$19.35
|
|
Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
|
$17.20
|
$16.20
|
$18.90
|
|
Oct 2023 – Sep 2024
|
$16.55
|
$15.60
|
$18.20
|
What Does Not Count Toward Minimum Wage
Your base hourly rate must meet the minimum on its own. The following do not count:
- Tips and gratuities
- Overtime pay
- Expenses or allowances
If your employer is pointing to tips or allowances to bring your effective rate up to minimum wage — that is not compliant with Ontario law. Your base pay must meet the threshold independently.
What to Do If You Are Being Underpaid
Document your hours and pay — keep records of every shift and what you were paid.
Raise it with your employer — sometimes it is a payroll error. Put it in writing and keep a copy.
File a complaint with the Ontario Ministry of Labour — free to file, and your employer cannot legally retaliate against you for doing so. Asserting your wage rights is protected under the ESA.
Get legal advice — if the underpayment has been ongoing, you may be owed back pay going back up to two years.
Ontario’s minimum wage is now $17.95 per hour for most workers — one of the highest rates in Canada. If your paycheque has not reflected this change, your employer is behind — and the law gives you clear options to address it.
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