New Minimum Wage In Ontario Effective October 1

Last Updated On 16 June 2024, 11:32 AM EDT (Toronto Time)

The general minimum wage in Ontario will increase from $16.55 per hour to $17.20 per hour on October 1, 2024.

This will be the second highest provincial minimum hourly wage in Canada after British Columbia, which increased the minimum to $17.40 on June 1.

It represents a 3.9% annualized wage increase based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), reflecting inflation in the province.

A person who works 40 hours per week and earns the minimum hourly wage will experience an annual salary increase of approximately $1,355, as per the government.

Wage rate type	Effective October 1, 2024	minimum hourly wage Effective October 1, 2023	Rates Effective October 1, 2022	Rates Effective January 1, 2022
General minimum hourly wage	$16.20 per hour	$15.60 per hour	$14.60 per hour	$14.10 per hour

Ontario minimum hourly wage rates

Ontario Will Also Increase Special minimum hourly wage

Ontario’s general minimum hourly wage is applicable to the majority of provincial employees, but there is a special minimum hourly wage applicable to various categories of employees.

Students’ minimum hourly wage: Students under the age of 18 will be entitled to a minimum hourly wage of $16.20 per hour effective October 1, as compared to the currently set wage of $15.60.

Wage rate type	Effective October 1, 2024	minimum hourly wage Effective October 1, 2023	Rates Effective October 1, 2022	Rates Effective January 1, 2022
Student minimum hourly wage	$17.20 per hour	$16.55 per hour	$15.50 per hour	$15.00 per hour

Ontario minimum hourly wage raise schedule

This is applicable to students who work 28 hours per week or fewer when school is in session or work during a school break or summer holidays.

Liquor Servers: The minimum hourly wage for liquor servers is $16.55 per hour, which is exactly the same as the general minimum wage and will increase to $17.20 on October 1.

Ontario used to set a different minimum hourly wage for liquor servers; in January 2022, the province matched it with the general minimum hourly wage.

minimum hourly wage for homeworkers: Workers working from home will see their minimum hourly wage rise from $18.20 per hour to $18.90 per hour.

Wage rate type	Effective October 1, 2024	minimum hourly wage Effective October 1, 2023	Rates Effective October 1, 2022	Rates Effective January 1, 2022
Homeworkers’ minimum hourly wage	$18.90 per hour	$18.20 per hour	$17.05 per hour	$16.50 per hour

Ontario minimum hourly wage raise schedule

Hunting, Fishing, and Wilderness Guides: The minimum wage for these employees working less than 5 consecutive hours will increase from $82.85 to $86.00.

Furthermore, wages will increase from $165.75 to $172.05 if they work five or more hours in a day, regardless of whether those hours are consecutive.

The new minimum wage in Ontario is still far from meeting the living wage

The living wage is the amount that individuals must obtain in order to cover the actual expenses of living in their community.

According to the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN), a living wage in many regions of the province is nearly $19, whereas it exceeds $25 in the Greater Toronto Area.

The OLWN updates living wage rates annually in the month of November and below is the most recent breakdown of living wages in Ontario:

Region	Minimum Living Wage
Greater Toronto Area	$25.05
Grey Bruce Perth Huron Simcoe	$22.75
Dufferin Waterloo Guelph-Wellington	$20.90
Brant Niagara Haldimand, and Norfolk	$20.35
North	$19.80
Ottawa	$21.95
East	$20.60
Hamilton	$20.80
Southwest	$18.65
London Elgin, and Oxford	$18.85

Living-wage rates in Ontario

How is the living wage calculated?

The needs of a family of four, with each parent working full-time throughout the year, determine the living wage.

It includes costs for food, clothing, shelter, childcare, transportation, medical expenses, recreation, and modest vacations.

However, it does not include retirement savings, debt repayment, home ownership, savings for children’s education, or anything other than the smallest cushion for emergencies or hard times.

What is the minimum wage in Ontario in 2024?

In Ontario, the minimum hourly wage is $16.55 per hour and is scheduled to increase to $17.20 per hour on October 1, 2024.

How much will the minimum hourly wage increase in Ontario in 2024?

The minimum hourly wage increase in Ontario in 2024 is only 3.9% year-on-year, which is much less when compared to last year’s increase of 6.8%.

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Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC

Kamal Deep Singh, RCIC (Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant) licensed by CICC (formerly known as ICCRC) with member number R708618. He brings extensive knowledge of immigration law and new changes to rapidly evolving IRCC.