On October 1, 2023, the minimum wage in Ontario will increase from $15.50 per hour to $16.55 per hour.
It is a 6.8 percent increase above the current wage of $15.50 per hour, which is linked to inflation.
According to the government, someone earning the minimum wage and working 40 hours per week will see their salary increase by approximately $2,200 per year.
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Special Minimum Wage will also increase
Beginning on October 1, the minimum wage for students will rise from $14.60 to $15.60 per hour for individuals under the age of 18 who work 28 hours or less per week when school is in session or during a school vacation or summer holiday.
Individuals who undertake paid work from home for companies must be paid at least $18.20 per hour, up from $17.05.
While working fewer than five consecutive hours in a day, the minimum salary for hunting, fishing, and wilderness guides will increase from $77.60 to $82.85, and from $155.25 to $165.75 when working five or more hours in a day.
New Minimum Wage in Ontario Not Meeting Living Wage
Ontario should implement a $20 minimum wage, according to labour organizations and opposition opponents.
According to the Ontario Living Wage Network, a living wage in many regions of the province is $19, while it is more than $23 in the Greater Toronto Area.
Below is the breakdown of Living Wages in Ontario as per Ontario Living Wage Network as updated in February 2023.
| Community | 2022 Rate | 2021 Rate | % Increase |
| Toronto | $23.15 | $22.08 | 4.8% |
| Durham | $23.15 | $17.80 | 30.1% |
| Halton | $23.15 | $20.75 | 11.6% |
| Peel Region | $23.15 | $19.80 | 16.9% |
| Grey & Bruce | $20.70 | $18.39 | 12.6% |
| Perth & Huron | $20.70 | $17.95 | 15.3% |
| Simcoe County | $20.70 | $19.05 | 8.7% |
| Guelph & Wellington | $19.95 | $18.10 | 10.2% |
| Waterloo Region | $19.95 | $17.20 | 16.0% |
| Haldimand–Norfolk | $19.80 | $17.35 | 14.1% |
| Niagara Region | $19.80 | $18.90 | 4.8% |
| Sault Ste. Marie | $19.70 | $16.20 | 21.6% |
| Sudbury | $19.70 | $16.98 | 16.0% |
| Thunder Bay | $19.70 | $16.30 | 20.9% |
| Ottawa | $19.60 | $18.60 | 5.4% |
| Hamilton | $19.05 | $17.20 | 10.8% |
| Hastings & Prince Edward | $19.05 | $17.95 | 6.1% |
| Kingston | $19.05 | $17.75 | 7.3% |
| Leeds, Grenville, & Lanark | $19.05 | $18.25 | 4.4% |
| Muskoka | $19.05 | $18.55 | 2.7% |
| Norththumberland | $19.05 | $18.80 | 1.3% |
| Peterborough | $19.05 | $18.35 | 3.8% |
| Renfrew County | $19.05 | $17.40 | 9.5% |
| United Counties of Prescott & Russell | $19.05 | $17.15 | 11.1% |
| Chatham–Kent | $18.15 | $16.33 | 11.1% |
| Windsor Essex | $18.15 | $16.60 | 9.3% |
| London & Middlesex | $18.05 | $16.55 | 9.1% |
| St. Thomas & Elgin | $18.05 | $16.57 | 8.9% |
Minimum Wage in Canada and All The Canadian Provinces
| Geography | Minimum Wage Per Hour | Next Raise Date | Minimum Wage after Next Raise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada (Federally regulated private sectors) | $16.65 | April 1, 2024 | $17.75 (estimated) |
| Ontario | $15.50 | October 1, 2023 | $16.55 |
| Manitoba | $14.15 | October 1, 2023 | $15.30 |
| New Brunswick | $14.75 | April 1, 2024 (Expected) | $15.50 (estimated) |
| Nova Scotia | $14.50 | October 1, 2023 | $15 |
| Saskatchewan | $13.00 | October 1, 2023 | $15 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $14.50 | October 1, 2023 | $15 |
| Alberta | $15.00 | To Be Decided (TBD) | TBD |
| British Columbia | $15.65 | To Be Decided (TBD) | TBD |
| Quebec | $14.25 | May 1, 2023 | $15.25 |
| Nunavut | $16.00 | To Be Decided (TBD) | TBD |
| Prince Edward Island | $14.50 | October 1, 2023 | $15 |
| Northwest Territories | $15.20 | September 1, 2023 | $16 (estimated) |
| Yukon | $16.77 | April 1, 2024 | $17.50(estimated) |
Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said Ontario is also developing a portable benefits plan that will give health and dental benefits tied to a worker rather than a business.
That program is meant to cover employees without benefits in the gig economy, retail, and hospitality, as well as those who may change occupations during their lifetimes. A task team set to produce a design for it in the summer.
“I’m proud of my record around minimum wage, to increase it to $16.55 an hour, the highest of any province in the country. But I also want to be clear that minimum wage jobs should be a starting point and not an end point. That’s why we’re investing hundreds of millions of dollars to retrain and upskill workers for bigger paycheques.”
Labour Minister Monte McNaughton
How much is Ontario student minimum wage?
Minimum wage for students will rise from $14.60 to $15.60 per hour for individuals under the age of 18 who work 28 hours or less per week when school is in session or during a school vacation or summer holiday.
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