Ontario minimum wage rises to $17.95 an hour starting October 1

Ontario's general minimum wage will increase from $17.60 to $17.95 per hour effective October 1, 2026 — a 35-cent raise tied to the province's Consumer Price Index at 1.9 per cent.

The increase will affect more than 700,000 workers across Ontario. A full-time worker earning the general minimum wage and working 40 hours weekly will see an annual pay increase of approximately $728, or $14 per week.

Student minimum wage, which applies to students under 18 working 28 hours a week or less during the school year or full-time during breaks, will rise from $16.60 to $16.90 per hour on the same date.

Approximately 25 per cent of minimum-wage workers are employed in retail trade, while roughly 24 per cent work in accommodation and food services — sectors that will feel the adjustment most directly.

Ontario's $17.95 minimum wage ranks among the highest provincial rates in Canada. British Columbia's minimum wage stands at $18.25 per hour, while Manitoba's is $16.40. Nova Scotia is set to increase its minimum wage to $17 in October, and Prince Edward Island's will rise to $17.30. The federal minimum wage, which took effect in April 2026, sits at $18.15 per hour — representing a 21 per cent increase since the federal minimum wage was introduced in 2021.

The Ontario Employment Standards Act requires the minimum wage to be adjusted every October based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index. The government announced the October 2026 increase in April 2026, giving employers six months to plan.