Minimum Wage in Ontario: Current Rate $17.60 & 2026 Increase

If you’re earning a paycheck in Ontario, the number on your stub likely changed last October. That’s because Ontario ties its minimum wage to inflation, and each year the rate adjusts.

General minimum wage: $17.60/hour ·
Student minimum wage: $16.60/hour ·
Effective date: October 1, 2025 ·
Next increase: October 1, 2026 ·
Future rate: $17.95/hour ·
Three-hour rule: Minimum 3 hours pay

Six rates, one pattern: Ontario’s minimum wage is adjusted annually to match the cost of living. Here’s how the current figures break down.

As of October 1, 2025, the general minimum wage is $17.60 per hour, with a scheduled increase to $17.95 on October 1, 2026, according to the Government of Ontario official labor standards guide. But not everyone gets the same rate — students under 18 and homeworkers have their own brackets.

The implication: Ontario’s wage ladder is tiered by age and job type, so “minimum wage” is rarely a single number.

What’s minimum wage in Ontario per hour?

The general minimum wage in Ontario is $17.60 per hour for most employees, including liquor servers, as confirmed by the Government of Ontario Employment Standards Act guide. This rate applies from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. The increase from $17.20 per hour (set on October 1, 2024) was based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index for 2025, per the same source.

How does $27 per hour compare to the Ontario minimum wage?

• $27 per hour is roughly 53% above the current general minimum wage of $17.60.
• For a typical 40-hour work week, $27/hour means a gross weekly pay of $1,080, compared to $704 at minimum wage — a difference of $376 per week.
• In Canada, $27/hour is considered an above-average wage for non-managerial roles, though it may be modest in high-cost cities like Toronto.

Why this matters: Whether $27/hour is “good” depends on location and industry, but relative to Ontario’s minimum wage, it’s a significant premium.

Minimum wage is adjusted annually based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index, a formula established under the Employment Standards Act. This means the rate automatically rises with inflation each October — no legislative vote required.

What is the minimum wage for a 15 year old in Ontario?

For employees under 18 who work 28 hours or fewer per week, Ontario’s student minimum wage is $16.60 per hour, as of October 1, 2025. This applies to 15-year-olds, 16-year-olds, and other students under 18, per the Government of Ontario official rate table.

What is the student minimum wage in Ontario?

• The student rate is $1.00 less than the general minimum wage.
• If a student works more than 28 hours in a week, they must be paid the general minimum wage ($17.60) for all hours worked that week.
• This rate also covers 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds who are not enrolled in school but are under 18.

What is the lowest a 16 year old can get paid in Ontario?

• The lowest legal pay for a 16-year-old is the student minimum wage of $16.60/hour, provided they work 28 hours or fewer per week.
• If they work more than 28 hours, they are entitled to the general minimum wage of $17.60/hour.
• Employers cannot pay below these statutory rates, regardless of the worker’s age or experience.

The catch: The student wage is a carve-out that employers rely on for part-time youth labor, but it disappears once the student crosses the 28-hour threshold.

Is the minimum wage going up in 2026 in Ontario?

Yes. The Ontario government has confirmed that the general minimum wage will increase from $17.60 to $17.95 per hour on October 1, 2026, according to the Government of Ontario official minimum wage page. This follows the annual indexing mechanism tied to the Ontario Consumer Price Index.

What is the minimum wage in Ontario in 2026?

• General: $17.95/hour (effective October 1, 2026)
• Student: $16.90/hour
• Homeworkers: $19.70/hour
• Hunting/fishing/guides (less than 5 hrs/day): $88.05/day (rate for 2025–2026; the 2026–2027 rate for this category is $179.50 for 5+ hours)

Will minimum wage increase in 2027?

• The exact 2027 rate has not been announced, but it will be determined by the same inflation-indexing formula applied each year.
• If Ontario’s CPI remains at or above 2%, a similar increase of roughly $0.35–$0.40 is expected, though this is speculative.

What is the 3 hour rule in Ontario?

Ontario’s “three-hour rule” requires employers to pay employees for at least three hours of work if they are called in but end up working less than three hours. This provision is part of the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and covers most workers, with exceptions for construction, emergency workers, and those with a regular schedule of three hours or fewer.

• If you work 1 hour, you must be paid for 3 hours at your regular rate or minimum wage, whichever is greater.
• Exemptions: employees in construction, those who are on call but not called in, and workers with a regular shift shorter than 3 hours.
• Employers cannot contract out of this rule — it’s a statutory minimum.

The pattern: The three-hour rule prevents “call-in” exploitation, but it also means employers sometimes send workers home early to avoid the extra pay.

How many hours can you legally work a day in Ontario?

Ontario’s ESA does not set a maximum number of hours per day. However, overtime pay kicks in after 44 hours per week, at 1.5 times the regular rate. Employees can work more than 8 hours per day if they agree in writing, but the overtime threshold remains weekly.

How many hours is a 9 to 5 shift?

• A standard 9 am to 5 pm shift equals 8 hours, typically with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break built in.
• Under the ESA, any work beyond 44 hours in a week must be paid at 1.5× the regular wage.
• Daily limits may be set by individual employment contracts or collective agreements, but the law imposes none.

Why this matters: Without a statutory daily cap, employees can be scheduled for 10, 12, or even 14 hours — earning overtime only after the 44th hour that week.

Timeline of Ontario Minimum Wage Increases

• 2018: $14.00/hour (major increase under the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act)
• 2020: $14.60/hour
• 2022 (Jan 1): $15.50/hour
• 2024 (Oct 1): $17.20/hour (Government of Ontario official labor standards guide)
• 2025 (Oct 1): $17.60/hour (Peninsula Canada HR consultancy)
• 2026 (Oct 1) scheduled: $17.95/hour (Government of Ontario official labor standards guide)

The trajectory: Since 2018, Ontario’s minimum wage has risen 28% — from $14.00 to $17.60 — driven largely by inflation-indexing legislation.

Confirmed facts vs. what’s unclear

Quotes from key voices

“The Ontario government is increasing the general minimum wage from $17.60 to $17.95 an hour on October 1, 2026, benefiting more than 900,000 workers.”

— Ontario Government press release (news.ontario.ca)

“For small business owners, the three-hour rule adds a fixed cost to every shift. It’s designed to protect workers, but it can discourage employers from calling in extra help for short bursts.”

— Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) policy comments on Ontario’s ESA

For workers in Ontario, the minimum wage is a moving target — one that’s indexed to inflation and adjusted every October. The pattern over the past decade is a steady climb, punctuated by occasional policy tweaks. For employers, the challenge is budgeting for certainty in a system that locks in increases annually. For workers, the bottom line is clear: if you’re not earning at least $17.60 as a general employee, or $16.60 as a student under 18, you are being underpaid. With the next jump to $17.95 in October 2026, the floor keeps rising.

Related reading: Ontario minimum wage history · Your guide to the Employment Standards Act – Minimum wage

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