Ontario minimum wage rises to $17.95 an hour effective today

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The increase was announced on April 1, 2026, six months in advance as required by the annual indexation provision in Ontario's Employment Standards Act, 2000. The 35-cent rise is based on a 1.9% increase in the Ontario Consumer Price Index. All special rates change on the same date: the student minimum wage (students under 18) rises from $16.60 to $16.90 an hour, and the homeworker rate — which applies to employees doing paid work from their own homes — rises from $19.35 to $19.70 an hour, sitting above the general rate rather than below it.

Daily rates for hunting, fishing and wilderness guides are also adjusted: $88.05 to $89.75 per day for shifts under five consecutive hours, and $176.15 to $179.50 per day for shifts of five hours or more. At the new general rate, overtime pay — 1.5 times the regular rate for hours beyond 44 in a week — works out to $26.93 an hour. Ontario's liquor-server rate was abolished in 2022, so anyone serving alcohol is entitled to the full general rate.

Unlike most jurisdictions, Ontario changes its minimum wage on October 1 rather than January 1, which can catch employers who budget annually off guard. Workers whose pay periods or overnight shifts cross September 30 and October 1 may see two different wage rates reflected in the same pay cycle. Sources: thecanadianwire.com, immigrationnewscanada.ca, Achkar Law.