Average Salary in Canada – Average Canadian Salary

Canadian Salaries – Wages in Canada – Average Pay in Canada

Average Salary in Canada

If you moved to Canada from another western economy a few years ago, you would most likely have found Canadian wages a bit lower than you expected.

This is generally not the case now.

The average salary in Canadian dollars has risen by 15 to 17 percent since 2007.

This rise, in combination with the strengthening Canadian dollar, has pushed the average salary in Canada higher than in the UK, the USA and most of Europe.

Between January 2007 and December 2012, the Canadian dollar rose 17 percent against the US dollar, 15 percent against the euro and 40 percent against the British pound.

The average Canadian income rose accordingly.

Canadian Average Hourly Earnings 2012

Earnings
Classification
Average
Hourly
Earnings 2012
Average
Hourly
Earnings 2010
Average
Hourly
Earnings 2008
Males $25.42 $24.33 $23.18
Females $21.85 $20.74 $19.41
Full Time Employees $25.20 $24.04 $22.71
Part Time Employees $16.59 $15.96 $14.91




At Work


Looking for a Job

Looking at weekly wages in the table below we see that the highest paid sector by a considerable margin is mining and oil/gas drilling, followed by work in the utilities: water, electricity and telecommunications.

The accommodation and food services sector followed by the arts, entertainment and recreation sector provide their employees with the lowest average weekly salaries.


Average Weekly Wages in Canada in 2012

Profession Average
Weekly Wage
Aug 2012
Average
Weekly Wage
Aug 2010
Forestry, logging and support $982 $971
Mining and quarrying, and oil and gas extraction $1,952 $1,801
Utilities $1,615 $1,516
Construction $1,150 $1,071
Manufacturing $1015 $977
Wholesale trade $1,056 $1,024
Retail trade $530 $501
Transportation and warehousing $969 $900
Information and cultural industries $1,149 $1,100
Finance and insurance $1,076 $1,050
Real estate and rental and leasing $868 $784
Professional, scientific and technical services $1,285 $1,170
Management of companies and enterprises $1,198 $1,105
Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services $723 $727
Educational services $1,002 $946
Health care and social assistance $810 $792
Arts, entertainment and recreation $575 $562
Accommodation and food services $375 $361
Other services (excluding public administration) $723 $670
Public administration $1,109 $1,158

Looking at jobs throughout Canada, typical wages are as follows:

Average Hourly Wages in Canada in 2012

Profession Average
Hourly Wage
Retail Sales / Sales Clerk $14
Data Entry Clerk $16
Bookkeeper $18
Accounting Clerk $19
Truck Driver $21
Carpenter $22
Executive Assistant $23
Plumber $25
Electrician $25
Social Worker $29
Architect $30
Registered Nurse $34
Physiotherapist $34
Computer Engineer (not software) $35
Lawyer $40
Computer and Info Systems Manager $40
Engineering Manager $43
Dentist $70

In practice, wages vary from city to city and province to province – sometimes quite widely. Here are pay scales for jobs in Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg:

Wages for Management Jobs
Wages for Business, Finance and Administration Jobs
Wages for Science / Technology Jobs
Wages for Health Jobs
Wages for Social and Education Jobs
Wages for Arts, Writing and Recreation Jobs
Wages for Sales and Service Jobs
Wages for Trades Jobs

And here are more detailed salaries for jobs in Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Fredericton, Halifax, Windsor-Essex County, Kitchener, Ottawa, Guelph, Prince Edward Island, Saskatoon, Montreal and Winnipeg:

References and Further Information
Academic Salaries (pdf document)
Wages by Job Type and Canadian Location
Canadian Statistics

Average Salary in Canada by Career and Location: Updated 2012

Jobs in Canada
Get a New Job in Canada

Health And Medical Average Salaries
Health and Medical Salaries – Main Page
Ambulance Attendants Paramedics
Audiologists/Speech Language Pathologists
Cardiology Technologists
Dental Assistants
Dental Hygienists/Therapists
Dental Technologists
Dentists
Dietitians and Nutritionists
General Practitioners and Family Physicians
Head Nurses and Supervisors
Licensed Practical Nurses
Medical Laboratory Technicians
Medical Laboratory Technologists
Medical Radiation Technologists
Medical Sonographers
Midwives/Natural Healing
Nurse Aides/Orderlies
Nurse Practitioners
Occupational Therapists
Opticians
Optometrists
Pharmacists
Physiotherapists
Registered Nurses
Veterinarians
Veterinary Technicians

Business and Finance Average Salaries
Business Finance Administration – Main Salary Page
Accounting Related Clerks
Administrative Clerks
Administrative Officers
Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Clerks
Bookkeepers
Conference and Event Planners
Couriers, Messengers and Door-to-Door Distributors
Customer Service Information and Related Clerks
Customer Service Representatives – Financial Services
Customs, Ship and Other Brokers
Data Entry Clerks
Desktop Publishing Operators and Related Occupations
Executive Assistants
Financial Auditors and Accountants
Financial and Investment Analysts
General Office Clerks
Specialists in Human Resources
Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners
Insurance Underwriters
Legal Secretaries
Mail, Postal and Related Clerks
Medical Secretaries
Payroll Clerks
Personnel Clerks
Personnel and Recruitment Officers
Property Administrators
Purchasing Agents and Officers
Purchasing and Inventory Clerks
Receptionists and Switchboard Operators
Secretaries
Securities Agents, Investment Dealers and Brokers
Shippers and Receivers
Storekeepers and Parts Clerks
Supervisors, Finance and Insurance Clerks
Supervisors, General Office and Administrative Support Clerks
Supervisors Library Correspondence and Related Information Clerks

Sales and Service Average Salaries
Sales and Service Salaries – Main Page
Bakers
Bartenders
Butchers and Meat Cutters
Cashiers
Casino Occupations
Chefs
Cooks
Correctional Service Officers
Dry Cleaning and Laundry Occupations
Firefighters
Food Service Supervisors
Funeral Directors and Embalmers
Hairstylists and Barbers
Hotel Front Desk Clerks
Insurance Agents and Brokers
Janitors and Caretakers
Police Officers (Except Commissioned)
Real Estate Agents and Salespersons
Retail Trade Supervisors
School Teacher Assistants
Security Guards
Tour and Travel Guides

Scientific and Engineering Average Salaries
Scientific, Engineering and Technical Salaries – Main Page
Aerospace Engineers
Air Pilots, Flight Engineers and Flying Instructors
Architects
Biologists and Related Scientists
Chemical Engineers
Chemists
Civil Engineers
Computer Engineers (Except Software Engineers)
Computer Programmers and Interactive Media Developers
Construction Estimators
Drafting Technologists and Technicians
Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Forestry Professionals
Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
Industrial Designers
Land Surveyors
Mathematicians, Statisticians and Actuaries
Mechanical Engineers
Mining Engineers
Petroleum Engineers
Physicists and Astronomers
Software Engineers
Web Designers and Developers

Social and Education Average Salaries
Social and Education Salaries – Main Page
College and Other Vocational Instructors
Community and Social Service Worker Salaries
Early Childhood Educator Salaries
Economist Salaries
Education Policy Researcher Salaries
Elementary School and Kindergarten Teacher Salaries
Employment Counsellor Salaries
Family Marriage and other related Counsellor Salaries
Health Policy Researcher Salaries
Lawyers and Quebec Notary Salaries
Natural and Applied Science Policy Researcher Salaries
Paralegal and Related Occupation Salaries
Psychologist Salaries
Recreation/Sports Salaries
Secondary School Teacher Salaries
Social Policy Researcher Salaries
Social Worker Salaries
University Professor Salaries

Trades and Transport Average Salaries
Trades, Transport and Equipment Operators Salaries – Main Page
Automotive Service Technicians, Truck Mechanics and Mechanical Repairers
Boilermakers
Bricklayers
Bus Drivers Subway Transit Operators
Cabinetmakers
Carpenters
Concrete Finishers
Crane Operators
Drillers and Blasters
Electricians
Gas Fitters
Glaziers
Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
Industrial Electricians
Insulators
Ironworkers
Material Handlers
Motor Vehicle Body Repairers
Motor Vehicle Technicians and Truck Mechanics
Painters and Decorators
Plasterers, Drywall Installers and Finishers and Lathers
Plumbers
Printing Press Operators
Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Mechanics
Roofers and Shinglers
Sheet Metal Workers
Tilesetters
Tool and Die Makers
Truck Drivers
Upholsterers
Welders and Related Machine Operators

Arts Average Salaries
Arts Salaries – Main Page
Interior Designer Salaries
Museums and Art Gallery Salaries
Graphic Arts Technicians Salaries
Journalist Salaries
Public Relations Salaries
Graphic Designers and Illustrator Salaries
Librarian Salaries
Library and Archive Technicians
Translator and Interpreter Salaries
Recreation and Sport Instructor Salaries