Ontario Minimum Wage to Rise to $17.60 in October
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Key Facts:
- Ontario’s minimum wage increasing from $17.20 to $17.60 per hour on Oct. 1, 2025
- Annual boost of about $835 for full-time workers (40 hours per week)
- Raise tied to 2.4% Ontario Consumer Price Index adjustment
- Province now holds second-highest minimum wage rate in Canada
- Federal minimum wage for federally regulated workers is $17.75 (since April 2025)
Ontario’s lowest-paid workers are about to see a pay bump. Beginning October 1, 2025, the province’s minimum wage will rise from $17.20 to $17.60 an hour, a change announced earlier this year and tied to inflation through the Ontario Consumer Price Index.
For someone working full-time at 40 hours per week, the new rate adds roughly $835 annually to their income. Officials say this increase keeps Ontario near the top nationally, with the second-highest provincial minimum wage across Canada, just shy of the $17.75 federal minimum wage introduced in April.
The raise continues a steady climb for Ontario’s wage floor — up from $14 per hour in 2018 to its new level of $17.60 in 2025. The adjustment comes at a time of ongoing debates over affordability and living costs in the province, as workers and employers alike prepare for the October change.
