Minimum wage is the lowest wage rate an employer can pay an employee. To help bookkeepers and business owners, we list the Ontario minimum wage rates in the following table:
Minimum Wage Rates in Ontario:
| Effective date | General(1) | Student(2) | Liquor servers(3) | Hunting fishing guides | Home workers(4) |
| March 31, 2010 | $10.25/hour | $9.6/hour | $8.9/hour | $51.25/day(5)$102.5/day(6) | $11.28/hour |
| March 31, 2009 | $9.5/hour | $8.9/hour | $8.25/hour | $47.5/day(5) $95/day(6) |
$10.45/hour |
| March 31, 2008 | $8.75/hour | $8.2/hour | $7.6/hour | $43.75/day(5) $87.50/day(6) | $9.63/hour |
| February 1, 2007 | $8/hour | $7.5/hour | $6.95/hour | $40/day(5) $80/day(6) | $8.8/hour |
| February 1, 2006 | $7.75/hour | $7.25/hour | $6.75/hour | $38.75/day(5) $77.5/day(6) | $8.53/hour |
| February 1, 2005 | $7.45/hour | $6.95/hour | $6.5/hour | $37.25/day(5) $74.5/day(6) | $8.2/hour |
| February 1, 2004 | $7.15/hour | $6.7/hour | $6.2/hour | $35.75/day(5) $71.5/day(6) | $7.87/hour |
| January, 1995 | $6.85/hour | $6.4/hour | $5.95/hour | $34.25/day(5) $68.5/day(6) | $7.54/hour |
(1) General minimum wage rate applies to most employees.
(2) Student wage rate applies to students under the age of 18 who work 28 hours a week or less when school is in session or work during a school break or summer holidays.
(3) Liquor servers are defined as employees who serve liquor directly to customers or guests in licensed premises as a regular part of their work.
(4) Homeworkers are defined as people doing paid work in their home for an employer. Students of any age (including students under the age of 18 years) who are employed as homeworkers must be paid the homeworker's minimum wage.
(5) Rate for working less than five consecutive hours in a day.
(6) Rate for working five or more hours in a day whether or not the hours are consecutive.
