Curious about how much money Canadians are making? We are too! So the team here at CareerBeacon decided to look into the how much the average Canadian earns in 2022, and which careers are bringing in the big bucks. At the same time, we can also look into which jobs are paying Canadians the least.
Statistics Canada recently released its latest hourly earnings report on what the average Canadian is being paid by region and industry. According to the most recent data, the average wage for Canadian employees is currently $1,159.85 per week – or just about $60,312 a year. That amount could seem high or low depending on where in the Country you reside, but most of the country’s top-paying jobs can pay at least three times that much! By contrast, the lowest paying careers tend to pay less than half of the national average wage.
Here is a look at the top ten highest-paying jobs and which careers pay the least. Before looking, which career do you think are the highest earners?
The highest paying jobs in Canada can earn up to:
Specialist physician – $580,000
Family physician – $414,390
Judge – $376,000
Senior manager of goods production and transportation – $332,200
Lawyer – $272,550
Dentist – $261,517
Senior manager in finance and communications – $199,992
Engineering manager – $169,998
Airline pilot – $152,942
Actuary – $140,566
While specialist physicians top the list of highest-paid professionals every year, that is not a career path for everyone. The years of medical school required can be prohibitively expensive for many to consider. For anyone else like myself who gets a little queasy at the sight of blood, here are 25 high-paying career choices that aren’t in medicine or healthcare.
The highest paying positions also tend to be very competitive to land, but don’t worry! There are some exceptions. Here is a look at some high-paying jobs that have the least competition.
Many roles in the tech sector can pay well over six figures. If you are looking to add credentials to your resume for a future career move in IT, here are the highest-paying Information Technology certifications to pursue.
Of course, at the other end of the pay scale, most of the lowest paying jobs will pay the minimum wage for whatever region the job happens to be located. In New Brunswick, that is currently $12.75 an hour – or $26,520 a year for a full-time job at 40 hours a week. In Ontario, the minimum wage is $15 an hour or $31,000 a year. Most other provinces fall somewhere between the two, with Saskatchewan and Manitoba paying the least at just under $12 an hour.
How far your wages will go every month also depends on where you live. Have you ever wondered how far your current salary would last in another province? Well, you’re in luck because the team here at CareerBeacon has prepared this handy Cost of Living Calculator so you can determine how expensive it is to live in different regions across the country.
The lowest paying (hourly) jobs in Canada:
Bartender – $17
Hotel clerk – $16
Maid/cleaning services – $16.61
Cook – $15.50
Food and beverage server – $15
Dishwasher – $14
Food preparation worker – $14
Fast food preparer – $14
Cashier – $14
Service station attendant – $14
Most minimum wage jobs do not offer full-time hours or regular schedules, so workers in the lowest paying fields often have to juggle more than one position at a time to make ends meet. Therefore, the annual wages listed for some of these roles are likely overly optimistic as the rate is calculated assuming a full-time, 40-hour workweek.
On the flip side, workers in positions such as bartenders and food and beverage servers do not rely solely on their hourly wages, as a great deal of their actual income often comes from tips.
Other low-paying occupations are less regulated and do not have a statistical hour rate, such as:
Babysitters and nannies.
Dog walkers.
Casual labourers.
Artisans.
Uber drivers.
Canada is currently experiencing labour shortage conditions which are particularly prevalent in the services sector, where many of these lower-paying jobs are found. In a perfect world, this would cause employers to boost wages and offer more regular schedules as they are forced to compete for workers in a tight market.
Looking for a better job? Find your next opportunity on CareerBeacon today!