What is the average salary in Canada in 2026? The short answer: the average employee earns about $1,344 a week — roughly $69,900 a year. That is the latest official figure, from Statistics Canada’s Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours, which measured pay in June 2026 and was released in August 2026. It is up 3.4% on the same month last year.
But the headline number only tells part of the story. Your actual earnings depend on your province, your industry — and, crucially, what is left after tax. This guide breaks down the average salary in Canada by province in 2026, the new minimum wage rates, and what those numbers mean for your pay packet.
See what the average salary is worth after tax
The national average is roughly $69,900 gross — but what lands in your bank account each month? Enter any salary into our free Canada paycheck calculator to see your exact take-home pay, federal and provincial tax, CPP and EI in seconds.
Average vs median: why “average salary” can be misleading
When people quote an “average salary”, they usually mean one of two very different numbers:
- Average (mean) weekly earnings: $1,344. Total payroll divided by the number of employees, from StatCan’s monthly payroll survey. It includes part-time workers and overtime, so it understates what a typical full-time worker earns.
- Median after-tax income: $75,500. The midpoint for Canadian families and unattached individuals, from the Canadian Income Survey for 2024 (the latest published). Half of households have less, half have more — after tax and government transfers.
The two figures measure different things, which is why salary headlines can seem to contradict each other. For comparing pay packets, the payroll-survey average is the more useful number; for living standards, the median after-tax income tells the truer story.
Average salary in Canada by province in 2026
Province is the single biggest lever on Canadian pay. Here are average weekly earnings by province from January 2026 — the latest month with a full provincial breakdown — annualised for comparison:
| Province | Avg weekly earnings (Jan 2026) | ≈ Annual salary |
|---|---|---|
| Alberta | $1,369.76 | ~$71,200 |
| Ontario | $1,355.96 | ~$70,500 |
| British Columbia | $1,332.84 | ~$69,300 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $1,314.24 | ~$68,300 |
| Saskatchewan | $1,301.73 | ~$67,700 |
| Quebec | $1,267.08 | ~$65,900 |
| New Brunswick | $1,229.96 | ~$64,000 |
| Nova Scotia | $1,198.75 | ~$62,300 |
| Manitoba | $1,199.35 | ~$62,400 |
| Prince Edward Island | $1,156.68 | ~$60,100 |
These are estimates annualised from weekly payroll data (seasonally adjusted, all employees including overtime and part-time — source: Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0223-01 via the StatCan Daily release). Nationally, pay has since edged up: June 2026 average weekly earnings reached $1,344, up 3.4% year on year.
Alberta leads the provinces thanks to oil, gas and utilities — it also has the highest median after-tax income in the country at $85,300. Ontario is close behind, powered by Toronto’s finance and tech sectors. At the other end, Prince Edward Island has the lowest average weekly earnings, though it also has the highest minimum wage in Atlantic Canada.
Working extra hours on top of your salary? Your effective hourly rate may be lower than you think — our overtime pay calculator shows what those additional hours are really worth.
Minimum wage in Canada in 2026 by province
The legal floor under all these figures moved several times in 2026, and five more provinces rise on 1 October 2026. Here are the rates applying from October 2026, with the annual gross for a full-time (40-hour) worker:
| Province / territory | Minimum wage | Full-time annual gross |
|---|---|---|
| Nunavut | $20.17 | ~$41,950 |
| British Columbia | $18.25 | ~$37,960 |
| Federal (federally regulated workers) | $18.15 | ~$37,750 |
| Ontario | $17.95 | ~$37,340 |
| Prince Edward Island | $17.30 | ~$35,980 |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | ~$35,360 |
| Quebec | $16.60 | ~$34,530 |
| Manitoba | $16.40 | ~$34,110 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $16.35 | ~$34,010 |
| New Brunswick | $15.90 | ~$33,070 |
| Saskatchewan | $15.70 | ~$32,660 |
| Alberta | $15.00 | ~$31,200 |
The standout is Alberta: its $15.00 minimum wage has been frozen since 2019, making it the lowest provincial rate in the country — $2.95 an hour below Ontario’s new floor. A full-time minimum-wage worker in Alberta grosses about $31,200 a year, versus $37,960 in British Columbia. Convert any hourly rate into an annual salary with our hourly-to-salary converter.
What does the average salary mean after tax?
Gross pay is only the beginning of the story. On a $69,900 salary in Ontario in 2026, you would take home roughly $52,500 a year — about $4,375 a month — after federal and provincial income tax, CPP and EI. The exact figure varies by province: Alberta’s flat 10% provincial tax rate leaves more in your pocket than the higher brackets in Quebec or Nova Scotia.
If you have recently had a salary bump, run it through the Canada paycheck calculator to see how much of the rise you actually keep — then check what the increase is worth as a percentage with our pay raise calculator.
Is your salary a good salary in Canada in 2026?
Some rough benchmarks (estimates):
- $50,000 — below the national average; comfortable in smaller Atlantic cities, tight in Toronto or Vancouver.
- $70,000 — right around the national average of roughly $69,900; a solid single income in most provinces.
- $90,000 — comfortably above average; a strong professional salary in most of the country.
- $120,000+ — a strong professional salary anywhere in Canada, though in Vancouver and Toronto housing costs still bite hard.
Context always wins over raw numbers — $70,000 in Moncton and $70,000 in downtown Toronto are not the same salary in any way that counts.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary in Canada in 2026?
The average employee earns about $1,344 a week — roughly $69,900 a year — according to Statistics Canada’s Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours for June 2026, up 3.4% year on year. Full details are in the StatCan Daily release.
Which Canadian province has the highest average salary?
Alberta, at about $1,370 a week (roughly $71,200 a year annualised), ahead of Ontario. Alberta also has the highest median after-tax income at $85,300, per the Canadian Income Survey 2024.
What is the minimum wage in Canada in 2026?
From October 2026, provincial minimum wages range from $15.00 an hour in Alberta (frozen since 2019) to $18.25 in British Columbia; Nunavut’s $20.17 is the highest in the country. The federal rate for federally regulated workers is $18.15. See the full province-by-province table for details.
How much is $70,000 after tax in Canada?
In Ontario in 2026, roughly $52,500 a year — about $4,375 a month — after federal and provincial tax, CPP and EI. The exact figure varies by province. Check your own with our Canada paycheck calculator.
What is a good salary in Canada in 2026?
Earning around or above the $69,900 national average puts you in a strong position in most provinces. $90,000+ is a strong professional salary nationwide, though housing costs in Toronto and Vancouver mean the same salary buys very different lifestyles.