Ontario Government Increasing Minimum Wage October 1

The Ontario government announced on April 1, 2025, that effective October 1, 2025, the general minimum wage across the province will increase from $17.20 to $17.60 an hour.

The annualized wage increase is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (OCPI) of 2.4 percent. Similar to the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the OCPI is a measure of inflation that represents changes in prices experienced by Ontario consumers.

Once the increase takes effect, Ontario’s minimum wage will be the third-highest in Canada (behind Nunavut at $19.00 per hour and British Columbia at $17.85 per hour). As a result of the increase, a worker making the general minimum wage and working 40 hours per week will see an annual pay increase of up to $835.

Employers in Ontario are reminded that if the change to the minimum wage rate comes into effect partway through an employee’s pay period, then it must be treated as if it were two separate periods, and the employee is entitled to the minimum wage that applies in each period ($17.20/hour until September 30, 2025, and $17.60/hour starting October 1).

Details regarding changes to other minimum wage categories in Ontario — specifically, those pertaining to students; hunting, fishing and wilderness guides; and homeworkers — have not yet been announced by the government. These are all scheduled to increase on October 1, 2025.