Student Minimum Wage in Ontario: Who Gets It
You get the job offer, you are thrilled, and then someone says, "It's student minimum wage." Does that mean you are paid less than everyone else? Sometimes, yes. Student minimum wage in Ontario is a lower hourly rate that employers may pay to students under 18, but only in specific situations. Many working students, including everyone 18 and over, are not covered by it at all.
Below is how to tell which rate applies to you, how to check your first pay cheque, and the myths that trip up teenagers and parents alike.
What is the student minimum wage in Ontario?
Ontario sets two minimum hourly rates that matter here: the general minimum wage and a slightly lower student minimum wage. The rates are reviewed every year and usually change on October 1, so any number written in an article can be out of date. Look up the current amounts on the Ontario government's minimum wage page before you do any maths.
Who can be paid the student rate?
Think of it as two questions: how old are you, and when are you working?
The lower rate is for students under 18, and only for certain hours. In general it applies when a student works:
- 28 hours a week or fewer while school is in session, or
- during a school break or summer holiday (in which case the 28-hour limit does not apply).
If you are 18 or older, you are owed the general minimum wage, even if you are still in high school. If you are under 18 but work more than 28 hours in a school week, the general rate applies to your hours. The exact wording is in the Employment Standards Act and the government's guide, so read it there if your situation is unusual.
Student minimum wage myths and facts
Myth: "Any student can be paid the student rate."
Fact: it is about age and hours, not just being enrolled somewhere. A college student who is 19 is not covered.
Myth: "It means no overtime, no breaks and no vacation pay."
Fact: the student rate changes only the hourly minimum. Your other rights at work still apply, such as being paid for all the hours you work, and vacation pay. Check how pay and deductions work in Ontario for the rest of the picture.
Myth: "A small business can pay whatever it wants to teenagers."
Fact: employers must pay at least the minimum that applies to you. Paying above it is allowed, and plenty of employers do.
Myth: "Tips are part of my wage."
Fact: tips belong to you and are separate from the hourly rate your employer has to pay. Ask how your workplace shares them out, and keep your own record.
A worked example: one week of shifts
Imagine Jordan, 16, who works at a grocery store after school. Jordan works 14 hours in a school week at an example rate of $16.00 an hour.
- 14 hours × $16.00 = $224.00 gross (before anything is taken off)
- Vacation pay of 4% (the usual rate in the first years with an employer): $224.00 × 0.04 = $8.96, either added to each cheque or saved by the employer for when you take time off
Over a month of four such weeks, that is 56 hours and $896.00 gross at the example rate, which is a useful number to compare with what actually arrives in your account.
The question is whether $16.00 is at or above the rate that applies to Jordan. At 14 hours a week, Jordan is under the 28-hour limit, so the student rate is the one to check against. If Jordan turns 18 next spring, the general minimum wage becomes the benchmark, and it is worth looking at the pay stub that week.
How to check your first pay stub
- Find your hourly rate and compare it with the current minimum that fits your age and hours.
- Count your hours. Do they match your own record, including short shifts and any training?
- Look at the deductions. Employment Insurance (EI) premiums can come off at any age. Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions start at 18, so a 16-year-old should not usually see them. Income tax may come off too, even if you will get it back later.
- Check the pay date against what you were told.
A longer version is in the first pay stub checklist. If a number looks wrong, ask your manager or payroll person politely first. Most mistakes are honest ones. If it is not fixed, the Ministry of Labour's employment standards office is the official place to ask questions.
Questions people ask
Can I be paid less than minimum wage if I am a trainee?
Not just because you are new. There are a few narrow exemptions in Ontario law, so check the government's guide rather than relying on what a workplace says.
Is 28 hours a limit on how much I can work?
No, it only decides which minimum wage applies. Your shifts still have to fit around school, so see how to balance a job and school for a way to plan it.
I am 17 and work 30 hours in a school week. Which rate?
Above the 28-hour limit, the general minimum wage applies to those hours. Ask your employer to explain which rate they are using and why.
Do these rules apply outside Ontario?
No. Each province sets its own minimum wages and rules for young workers. Search for your province's employment standards.
Keeping your own record of hours and pay
The easiest way to catch a mistake is to have your own numbers. CampusWage, a free shift and wage tracker for students, lets you put your shifts in, see what each one should pay after unpaid breaks, and compare each pay period to what lands in your account. It will not tell you which minimum wage applies, but it makes a gap between your record and your pay stub easy to see. A notebook works too, if you write down every shift.
This is general information, not tax, legal or employment advice. Minimum wage rates and rules change, so check ontario.ca or the Canada Revenue Agency for the current details that apply to you.