It’s official, Ontario: Minimum wage is going up again in 2025, giving full-time workers across the province a little extra help with rising costs.
If you’ve been wondering what minimum wage in Ontario is right now or how it stacks up with the rest of the country, we’ve got the scoop.
Whether you’re working in retail, food service or any other minimum-wage job, this change could mean a few more bucks in your bank account every week. And when you add it up over the course of a year, it makes a noticeable difference — and every penny makes a difference as the cost of living in Ontario continues to climb.
Ontario’s minimum wage is reviewed once a year, although there isn’t a guarantee it will increase or by how much. Under the province’s Employment Standards Act, any increase is tied to the consumer price index for Ontario. Assuming CPI has increased for the year, the updated rate gets announced by April 1 and officially kicks in on October 1.
The Ontario government officially confirmed on Tuesday the province’s general minimum wage will increase from $17.20 to $17.60 per hour — a 2.3% bump — starting October 1, 2025. The province says this yearly adjustment helps wages keep pace with inflation — and keeps Ontario’s minimum wage in its place as the second highest among all Canadian provinces.
Once the change kicks in, this minimum wage increase will mean an annual raise of about $835 for a full-time minimum-wage earner working 40 hours per week in Ontario.
Right now, about 36% of minimum-wage workers in Ontario are in retail, while 24% work in accommodation and food services, according to the Ontario government. Servers and bartenders who earn tips are subject to the same general minimum wage.
Students in Ontario have a slightly lower rate — although theirs is getting an increase too. As of October 1, Ontario’s student minimum wage will increase from $16.20 to $16.60 per hour — a slightly higher increase of nearly 2.5%. Meanwhile, the homeworkers minimum wage will see an increase from $18.90 to $19.35 per hour on that same date.
Here’s how Ontario’s minimum wage compares to the rest of the country as of April 1, 2025, plus any future increases for this year that have been confirmed:
- Nunavut: $19.00
- Yukon: $17.94
- Federally regulated sectors: $17.75
- British Columbia: $17.40 (increasing to $17.85 on June 1)
- Ontario: $17.20 (increasing to $17.60 on October 1)
- Northwest Territories: $16.70
- Prince Edward Island: $16.00
- Newfoundland and Labrador: $16.00
- Manitoba: $15.80 (increasing to $16.00 on October 1)
- Quebec: $15.75 (increasing to $16.10 on May 1)
- Nova Scotia: $15.70 (increasing to $16.50 on October 1)
- New Brunswick: $15.65
- Saskatchewan: $15.00
- Alberta: $15.00
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