Minimum Wage Ontario 2023: The general minimum wage in Ontario went up from $15.50 to $16.55 on October 1, 2023, which is just 20 cents lower than the minimum wage in British Columbia.
The minimum wage is the lowest wage a company can pay an employee. Most employees, whether full-time, part-time, or casual, are entitled to a minimum wage, regardless of whether they are paid an hourly rate, commission, piece rate, flat rate, or salary.
Apart from the general minimum wage in Ontario, the province also sets different minimum wages for students, people who work from home, and hunting, fishing, and wilderness guides.
In this article, we delve into the guidelines for the general and specialized minimum wage in Ontario.
General Minimum Wage Ontario
The general minimum wage in Ontario is set at $16.55, which is applicable to most of the workers in the province.
| Minimum Wage Type | Effective October 1, 2023 | Effective October 1, 2022 | Effective January 1, 2022 | Effective October 1, 2021 | Effective October 1, 2020 |
| General minimum wage | $16.55 per hour | $15.50 per hour | $15.00 per hour | $14.35 per hour | $14.25 per hour |
Ontario minimum wage raises since 2020
In 2022, the minimum wage was revised twice, with a cumulative increase of $1.15 as compared to in 2021.
Previously, Ontario used to set a different minimum wage for liquor servers, but it was matched with the general minimum wage effective January 1, 2022.
Student Minimum Wage in Ontario
The student minimum wage in Ontario is set at $15.60 per hour, effective October 1, 2023. This has increased by $2.60 since 2022.
This rate applies to students under the age of 18 who work 28 hours per week or less during the school year or during a school break or summer vacation.
| Minimum Wage Type | Effective October 1, 2023 | Effective October 1, 2022 | Effective January 1, 2022 | Effective October 1, 2021 | Effective October 1, 2020 |
| Student minimum wage | $15.60 per hour | $14.60 per hour | $14.10 per hour | $13.50 per hour | $13.40 per hour |
Student Minimum Wage in Ontario
It is important to note that this has nothing to do with international students currently studying in the province.
Any student, including international students, who is under the age of 18 falls under the student minimum wage in Ontario.
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Important: Students of any age (including students under the age of 18) who work as homeworkers must be paid the homeworker’s minimum pay.
Minimum Wage for Work Home Workers
Employees who work from home are known as homeworkers and are entitled to a minimum wage of $18.20 per hour, effective October 1, 2023.
Examples of homeworkers: They could sew clothes for a clothing manufacturer, answer phone calls for a call centre, or design software for a high-tech company.
| Minimum Wage Type | Effective October 1, 2023 | Effective October 1, 2022 | Effective January 1, 2022 | Effective October 1, 2021 | Effective October 1, 2020 |
| Homeworkers wage | $18.20 per hour | $17.05 per hour | $16.50 per hour | $15.80 per hour | $15.70 per hour |
Homeworkers Minimum Wage in Ontario
Hunting and fishing guides, wilderness guides minimum wage
The minimum wage in Ontario for hunting and fishing guides, as well as wilderness guides, is calculated in blocks of time rather than by the hour.
They are entitled to a minimum wage for working fewer than five consecutive hours in a day and a higher wage for working five or more hours in a day, whether or not the hours are consecutive.
| Minimum Wage Type | Effective October 1, 2023 | Effective October 1, 2022 | Effective January 1, 2022 | Effective October 1, 2021 | Effective October 1, 2020 |
| Hunting, fishing and wilderness guides minimum wage | $82.85 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day $165.75 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive | $77.60 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day $155.25 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive | $75.00 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day $150.05 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive | $71.75 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day $143.55 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive | $71.30 Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day $142.60 Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive |
Hunting and fishing guides, wilderness guides minimum wage
A wilderness guide is someone who is hired to guide, instruct, or assist a person or individuals while they are involved in activities in a wilderness setting, such as the following:
Skiing and snowshoeing in the backcountry, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, dogsledding, hiking, horseback riding, rock climbing, operating all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles, survival training, or wildlife viewing.
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If an employee’s remuneration is entirely or partially based on commission, it must be at least the minimum wage for each hour worked.
A typical example: John is paid weekly and works on commission. She was paid $300.00 in commission for working 25 hours in one week.
John is entitled to a minimum pay of $16.55 per hour. $413.75 is the result of dividing the minimum wage ($16.55) by the total number of hours worked (25).
So John is now entitled to the difference between his commission compensation ($300) and the federally mandated minimum wage ($413.75). John’s boss owes her $113.75.
When is the minimum wage in Ontario going up?
The Ontario government will make the changes to minimum wage (if any) public on or before April 1, 2024, and it will go into effect on October 1, 2024.
Usually, minimum wage rates are indexed annually based on the rate of inflation and are revised if this rate of inflation changes.
When did the minimum wage go up in Ontario?
The minimum wage in Ontario increased on October 1, 2023, to $16.55 per hour from $15.50.
What is the severe minimum wage in Ontario?
The minimum wage for servers in Ontario is now the same as the general minimum wage effective January 1, 2022.
The general minimum wage in Ontario is $16.55 per hour.
What is the student minimum wage in Ontario?
The current minimum wage for students in Ontario is $15.60 per hour, effective October 1, 2023.
What is the minimum wage in Ontario?
The minimum wage in Ontario is $16.55 per hour, effective October 1, 2023.
Source: https://immigrationnewscanada.ca/minimum-wage-ontario-2023/
