Your Guide to Minimum Wage in Canada (2025)

Minimum wage is the lowest hourly pay most employers are allowed to offer. Canada doesn’t use one national number — each province and territory sets its own rate. There’s also a federal rate for federally regulated jobs (banks, airlines, interprovincial transport). If both could apply, the higher one wins.

Ontario first (the most-asked questions)

• General minimum wage (Ontario): $17.20/hour today. It rises to $17.60/hour on 1 October 2025.
• Student minimum wage (Ontario): $16.20/hour today, $16.60/hour on 1 October 2025. Applies if you’re under 18 and work 28 hours or less per week while school is in, or you’re working during school breaks.
• Homeworkers (Ontario): $18.90/hour today, $19.35/hour on 1 October 2025. Homeworkers are employees paid to work from home (students can be homeworkers too).
• Minimum wage Toronto: Toronto follows the Ontario rate. There isn’t a separate city wage.
• Ontario minimum wage hike cadence: Reviewed annually with changes on 1 October.

Canada-wide minimum wage (general rates)

Current as of 13 Aug 2025; announced changes noted.

Who sets your minimum wage?

Most jobs follow provincial/territorial rules. If you work for a bank, airline, telecom, or interprovincial transport, you’re likely federally regulated. When both could apply, you must be paid the higher rate. If you switch employers, reassess — coverage can change with the job.

What must be paid at minimum wage

If you did the work, it should appear on your payslip at least at minimum wage:

• Training and orientation (including online modules assigned by the employer)
• Mandatory meetings and opening/closing duties
• Trial shifts or “working interviews”
• Travel between job sites during your shift (not your commute)
• Waiting/on-call at work when you can’t use the time freely
• Reporting for work and being sent home early (many jurisdictions require a minimum paid amount)

Uniforms, deposits, broken equipment, or cash shortages generally can’t bring your pay below minimum wage.

Special categories

Most places use one general rate, but a few have extras:

• Students/young workers: Ontario (student under 18, hour limits); Alberta (young worker rate)
• Tipped workers: Québec has a separate tipped minimum
• Homeworkers: Ontario has a higher homeworker rate
• Seasonal/agricultural, live-in caregivers, guides: some jurisdictions have special rules — check if you’re in one of these fields

If you don’t clearly fit a special category, assume the general rate applies.

Overtime and scheduling basics (not the same everywhere)

Overtime is usually paid at 1.5x after a daily or weekly threshold, but thresholds differ:

• Ontario: overtime after 44 hours in a week
• British Columbia: daily 8 hours (time-and-a-half) and 12 hours (double time), plus weekly 40 hours
• Québec: overtime after 40 hours in a week

If you work two jobs, overtime is calculated per employer, not across both. Split shifts, call-in pay, and rest-break rules also vary — check your province/territory so your scheduling stays fair and legal.

Why rates move (indexed increases)

Most provinces and territories now link the minimum wage to inflation (CPI) and/or average wages. They change it on a set date, usually April 1, June 1, or October 1. That keeps things from going up and down a lot, which makes it easier to plan for rent, transit passes, and other fixed costs. Some announce multi-year paths (PEI, for example) to add predictability.

Paycheque planner (quick conversions)

Use these to estimate before deductions.
Formula: hourly × hours/week × 52 ÷ 12.

Ontario now ($17.20):

Ontario from 1 Oct 2025 ($17.60):

Your actual take-home will be lower after income tax, CPP/QPP, and EI. Tips are taxable. In Québec, there’s a specific tipped minimum; elsewhere, base pay generally must meet the general rate.

Students and young workers: what to watch

• Which rate applies. Ontario and Alberta have student/young worker categories. Most other places use one general rate (with a few job-specific exceptions).
• Hours during school. Ontario’s student rate covers up to 28 hours/week while school is in. More than that, the general rate applies.
• Breaks and holidays. Each province/territory sets rules for rest breaks and statutory holidays. Know them so your payslip after a stat looks right.

Minimum wage vs living wage

Minimum wage is the legal floor. A living wage is what a household in a specific community would need for rent, food, transport, childcare, and a small buffer. It’s higher than minimum wage and varies by city. It isn’t law, but many employers use it for pay planning.

Common myths

• “Training isn’t paid.” It is, if your employer requires it.
• “Probation means lower than minimum.” No — minimum wage applies from day one.
• “Tips replace wages.” Tips are extra. Base pay must still meet the legal minimum (except where a specific tipped minimum exists, such as in Québec).
• “If business is slow, we go home unpaid.” Many places require a minimum paid amount if you’re scheduled and sent home early.

Reading your payslip: five checks to catch mistakes

1. Rate & hours match what you worked (include training/meetings/site-to-site travel).
2. Overtime appears at the correct multiplier.
3. Deductions look right (tax, CPP/QPP, EI; agreed benefits/dues).
4. Public holiday pay shows up when it should.
5. Tips are handled according to local rules (pooling/ownership).

If something’s off, raise it quickly — most issues are simple to correct when flagged early.

If you think you’re below the minimum

• Write down dates, hours, and the rate you were paid.
• Ask your employer first — many issues are honest errors and get fixed on the next pay.
• If it isn’t resolved, contact your province/territory’s employment standards office for next steps. You don’t need a lawyer to ask a question.

Moving provinces or changing sectors? Re-check your rate

When you move or switch into a federally regulated job, don’t assume your old rate follows you. Confirm your new province/territory’s number (and any student/tipped/homeworker categories) and compare it to the federal rate. You should be paid the higher one if both are relevant.

One-page Ontario recap

• General: $17.20 → $17.60 on 1 Oct 2025
• Students (under 18; ≤28 hrs/week during school or any hours during breaks): $16.20 → $16.60 on 1 Oct 2025
• Homeworkers: $18.90 → $19.35 on 1 Oct 2025
• Toronto: uses Ontario’s rate
• Overtime: after 44 hrs/week
• Monthly estimate (before deductions): hourly × hours/week × 52 ÷ 12

Final tip

Minimum wage tends to change on set dates. Add a reminder for your province’s usual month so you can check your next pay right away.

As always, you can count on Magical Credit, your top line payday loan provider in Canada.

Disclaimer: Sources used for rates and dates include official provincial/territorial pages and government news releases (Ontario, BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, PEI, Québec, Newfoundland & Labrador, Yukon, NWT, Nunavut) and the Government of Canada’s federal minimum wage update. All figures current as of August, 2025; upcoming increases are shown where announced.