Choosing where to live and work is one of the most important financial decisions anyone can make. For many professionals, Ontario stands out as an appealing destination, offering dynamic job markets, thriving industries, and lucrative salaries. While understanding the average salary in Canada provides a useful benchmark, this article will specifically delve deeper into Ontario, spotlighting the province’s highest-paying roles, cities, and in-demand occupations. With insightful data and analysis, we aim to help readers navigate Ontario’s job landscape and maximize their earning potential.
What is the Average Salary in Ontario?
According to the latest data from Statistics Canada, Ontario provides above-average salaries compared to other Canadian provinces. In November 2024, the average weekly wage rate in Ontario is $1,365.63 CAD. This equates to approximately:
- $5,917.73 CAD per month
- $71,012.76 CAD per year
By comparison, the average weekly wage rate across Canada is $1,301.36 CAD in November 2024. This means Ontario’s average weekly wage exceeds the national average by around 3.7%.
The median weekly wage rate tells a similar story. In Ontario, the median weekly wage is $1,180.00 CAD in November 2024. Nationwide, the median Canadian weekly wage is $1,153.80. Again, Ontario edges out the country’s median wage by approximately 2.27%.
Here are the full details on average and median weekly wage rates in Ontario from January to November 2024:
Month | Average Weekly Wage Rate | Converted to Average Monthly Wage | Median Weekly Wage Rate | Converted to Median Monthly Wage |
---|---|---|---|---|
January 2024 | $1,323.92 | $5,736.99 | $1,154.00 | $5,000.67 |
February 2024 | $1,318.99 | $5,715.62 | $1,154.00 | $5,000.67 |
March 2024 | $1,312.45 | $5,687.28 | $1,154.00 | $5,000.67 |
April 2024 | $1,316.32 | $5,704.05 | $1,153.88 | $5,000.15 |
May 2024 | $1,312.03 | $5,685.46 | $1,144.13 | $4,957.90 |
June 2024 | $1,318.31 | $5,712.68 | $1,137.70 | $4,930.03 |
July 2024 | $1,343.38 | $5,821.31 | $1,153.80 | $4,999.80 |
August 2024 | $1,354.93 | $5,871.36 | $1,154.00 | $5,000.67 |
September 2024 | $1,363.09 | $5,906.72 | $1,166.00 | $5,052.67 |
October 2024 | $1,371.25 | $5,942.08 | $1,173.20 | $5,083.87 |
November 2024 | $1,365.63 | $5,917.73 | $1,180.00 | $5,113.33 |
Looking more broadly at 2024 as a whole, Ontario’s average weekly wage rate ranged from $1,312.45 in March to $1,371.25 in October. The median weekly wage rate in the province stayed steady at $1,154 for most of the year before rising to $1,166 in September and hitting $1,180 in November.
This updated data demonstrates that salaries in Ontario continue to be moderately higher than Canadian averages as of November 2024. The province’s diverse economy, abundance of high-paying occupations, and major urban job markets help elevate wage rates overall.
While salaries vary significantly based on specific occupations, experience levels, and locations within Ontario, professionals and workers in the province do benefit from a moderately elevated pay scale compared to other parts of Canada.
What are the Highest Paying Jobs in Ontario?
In addition to the highest earning medical specialists and executives already outlined, data from Job Bank shows several other occupations in Ontario also provide very lucrative salaries.
Here are eleven of the highest-paying jobs in Ontario based on median annual salaries:
Judges
- Median Annual Salary: $396,700
- Judges oversee legal proceedings in courts and tribunals, conducting trials and rendering decisions and sentences. The highly specialized nature of this role and extensive experience required contribute to exceptionally high compensation.
Specialists in Clinical and Laboratory Medicine
- Median Annual Salary: $292,341
- This occupation encompasses clinical pathologists, neuropathologists, forensic pathologists, and other highly-trained medical specialists, who diagnose and study diseases through laboratory techniques. Their advanced expertise commands premium wages.
Utilities Managers
- Median Salary: $116,001
- Utilities managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the operations of utility companies that provide services like electricity and telecommunications. The complex nature of managing vital infrastructure and services results in significant compensation.
Specialists in Surgery
- Median Salary: $394,912
- Surgeons specialize in performing invasive, minimally-invasive and non-invasive operations, applying their advanced expertise to treat injuries, diseases and deformities. Their crucial life-saving skills warrant substantial salaries.
Architecture and Science Managers
- Median Salary: $124,446.
- Architecture and science managers plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate the operations of architectural, engineering and science consulting firms/departments and research and development laboratories. Their specialized expertise in these fields commands high compensation.
Power System Electricians
- Median Salary: $101,920
- Power system electricians install, maintain, test and repair electrical power generation, transmission and distribution system equipment and apparatus. Their specialized technical skills working with high-voltage systems results in generous median pay.
General Practitioners and Family Physicians
- Median Salary: $242,795
- As frontline primary care providers, family doctors offer essential healthcare services to the general population. Their vital role warrants a high median salary.
Nurse Practitioners
- Median Salary: $119,995
- Nurse practitioners are registered nurses with additional education and training who provide healthcare services similar to those of a doctor. Their advanced expertise and responsibilities earn them generous compensation.
Dentists
- Median Salary: $104,000
- From general dentistry to specialties like orthodontics and oral surgery, dentists prevent, diagnose, and treat disorders, diseases, and injuries involving the mouth, teeth, and jaw. Their advanced skills generate substantial median incomes.
Optometrists
- Median Salary: $78,000
- Optometrists examine eyes and vision disorders, prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses, and provide vision therapy. As key providers of vision care, they earn well above average salaries.
Veterinarians
- Median Salary: $127,400
- Veterinarians help prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and dysfunctions in animals. Although the lowest Salary in this high-earning group, they still earn almost double median incomes, reflecting their importance and specialized skills.
In summary, high levels of education, technical skills, experience, and specialization allow these occupations to earn well above-average salaries in the province.
What are the Highest Paying Cities in Ontario?
While Ontario offers above-average salaries overall, compensation levels can vary significantly between different cities and regions across the province. According to salary data aggregated by Salaryexpert, here are five of the highest paying cities and communities in Ontario:
Toronto
With an average salary of around $75,000–$80,000 CAD, Toronto tops the list thanks to its sheer size, density of jobs, and abundance of high-paying occupations. As Canada’s financial capital, Toronto is home to major banks, investment firms, law offices, tech companies, hospitals, and universities that boast well-compensated roles. However, Toronto also has the highest cost of living in Ontario, which can limit real purchasing power.
Ottawa
As the nation’s capital and fourth-largest city, Ottawa provides some of the highest salaries in Ontario, with averages ranging between $75,000–$78,000 CAD. The city’s economy is driven by its concentration of government departments and agencies, which provide stable, well-paid public sector jobs. In addition, Ottawa’s growing tech sector contributes to higher earnings potential.
Waterloo
Known as a tech and innovation hub, Waterloo boasts an average annual salary of approximately $72,000–$75,000 CAD. Home to companies like Google, OpenText, and Descartes Systems, as well as the University of Waterloo, the city offers lucrative opportunities in fields like software engineering, computer science, and academia.
Markham
This Toronto suburb ranks as one of Ontario’s highest-paying cities, with average incomes of $72,000–$76,000 CAD. Markham is a hub for industries such as high-tech, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. Many of its residents also commute to Toronto for high-paying jobs in its robust economy.
Richmond Hill
Rounding out the top five highest-paying cities is Richmond Hill, which borders Toronto and enjoys an average salary of $72,000–$75,000 CAD. The city offers well-compensated roles in sectors like manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and professional services, benefiting from its proximity to Toronto’s economic core.
Major urban centers with knowledge-based sectors, such as Toronto, Ottawa, and Waterloo, offer the highest salaries in Ontario. These cities provide opportunities for experienced professionals to maximize earning potential in fields like finance, tech, government, and healthcare. However, higher costs of living, especially in Toronto, can offset much of these salary gains. For those seeking a balance between income and affordability, suburbs like Markham and Richmond Hill—or smaller cities like Guelph or London—may offer a better mix of earning potential and lower living expenses.
What are the Most Common Occupations and Salaries in Ontario?
While high-paying jobs grab attention, it’s also important to understand salaries for Ontario’s most prevalent roles that employ large segments of the population. According to employment data aggregated by Zippia, here are details on ten most common occupations in Ontario:
Sales Associates
- Average Salary: $37,371
- Sales associates sell goods and provide customer service in retail stores. It offers entry-level opportunities but limited salary growth.
Cashiers
- Average Salary: $35,776
- Cashiers process payments and provide frontline customer service in supermarkets, department stores, and other retail settings. It is a common part-time job for students.
Customer Service Representatives
- Average Salary: $44,824
- Customer service reps answer questions, handle complaints, and provide information to customers across various industries.
Warehouse Workers
- Average Salary: $30,619
- Warehouse workers receive, store, and ship materials in distribution, fulfillment and logistics facilities. It is labor-intensive with moderate pay.
Forklift Operators
- Average Salary: $30,709
- Forklift operators maneuver forklifts to transport, lift, stack and retrieve loads in warehouses and similar facilities. Certification is required.
Warehouse Associates
- Average Salary: $31,297
- Warehouse associates work in storage facilities performing various functions like unloading trucks, organizing inventory, and fulfilling orders.
Administrative Assistants
- Average Salary: $53,331
- Admin assistants provide organizational and clerical support to office operations across various industries. Experience can drive salaries up.
Security Officers
- Average Salary: $32,406
- Security officers patrol, monitor premises and respond to alarms and emergencies to provide safety and security.
Security Guards
- Average Salary: $39,520
- Security guards control access to establishments, maintain order, and enforce regulations. Requires limited formal education.
Receptionists
- Average Salary: $41,600
- Receptionists manage front desk operations, answering calls and directing visitors. It is a common entry-level administrative role.
In summary, many of Ontario’s most prevalent jobs are in clerical, retail, service, and labour roles that employ large numbers of people but offer more limited earnings potential compared to specialized, knowledge-based occupations.
What are the Occupations In-Demand in Ontario?
Currently, which occupations are seeing the hottest demand across Ontario? Based on recent hiring trends, here are four most in-demand roles right now:
Healthcare Workers
With nursing shortages projected over the next decade, registered nurses and physicians top Ontario’s most sought-after occupations according to CCIRC Inc. These critical frontline roles offer median salaries of around $80,000 for RNs, $112,00 for Nurse practitioners, and $250,000 for family physicians.
Skilled Trades
To meet infrastructure demands, Ontario employers urgently need certified welders, electricians, and carpenters. Welder salaries range from $50,407 to $60,200 depending on experience. Likewise, electricians earn approximately $66,300 while carpenters make $58,500 per year on average.
Technology Experts
Highly skilled software developers earn a median income of $85,722 to keep Ontario’s tech sector humming. Their programming and coding expertise remains in high demand.
Business Services
With businesses recovering from the pandemic, managers in sales, advertising, and marketing are sought after once again. These professionals earn a competitive $105,007 per year on average. Their leadership and strategy skills drive growth.
Other growing fields include accountants, administrative assistants, machinists, and heavy equipment operators, as JobBank has outlined. Targeting these promising occupations can springboard careers.
What are the Salary Growth Trends in Ontario?
Analyzing how average salaries have progressed and grown over the years can provide useful insights into Ontario’s economic development and prosperity.
According to data from Statistics Canada, the table below outlines the average weekly wage rate for all employees across all industries in Ontario from 2002 to 2023, adjusted for inflation into current Canadian dollars:
The data reveals steady growth in average weekly earnings over the past two decades, indicating Ontario’s economy has expanded and generated increasing prosperity.
Four key trends stand out:
- From 2002 to 2008, wage growth averaged approximately 2.5% yearly before slowing during the 2009 recession.
- The pace picked up again from 2010 to 2022, with average weekly earnings rising over 40% during that 12-year stretch.
- The largest single-year bump came in 2020 at the height of COVID-19 impacts when average weekly wages grew 7.4% over 2019. This reflects frontline workers earning pandemic pay premiums.
- In 2023, average weekly earnings hit a new high of $1,278.16, nearly double the inflation-adjusted level from 2002.
This data provides optimistic evidence that rising education levels, productivity gains, and a shift towards knowledge-based industries has driven real wage growth in Ontario over the past two decades. This upward trajectory is likely to continue if economic expansion persists.
Why Does Ontario Enjoy Above-Average Salaries?
There are five key reasons why Ontario stands out with higher average wages than other provinces:
Major Financial Hubs
As Canada’s economic center, major cities like Toronto and Ottawa are home to high-paying financial and technology jobs. Large concentrations of investment banks, hedge funds, insurance firms, and tech companies pull salaries upwards with high-paying roles like actuaries, data scientists, portfolio managers, and senior developers. These well-compensated financial hubs are a primary driver of Ontario’s above-average wages.
Diverse Industry Mix
Ontario houses a sophisticated mix of lucrative industries ranging from finance and professional services to manufacturing, healthcare, and information technology. This diverse blend of high-knowledge sectors includes many occupations like doctors, engineers, and executives that command well-above median salaries, lifting the overall average.
Highly Educated Workforce
Over 65% of Ontario’s labour force has completed post-secondary education through college, university, or apprenticeships. These higher education levels directly correlate to increased earning potential. Concentrations of workers with bachelor’s, master’s and professional degrees contribute to higher provincial wage averages.
Major Urban Economies
Large urban centers like Toronto and Ottawa concentrate high-paying white collar jobs and corporate headquarters. Their sheer economic size and density of high-salaried occupations creates upward pressure on wages. Smaller rural communities generally have lower salary levels.
High Cost of Living
Especially in Toronto, Ontario’s higher cost of living also leads to elevated salaries in order to attract talent. Employers must pay sufficient wages to match higher urban housing, food, and transportation costs. This dynamic leads to higher average salaries.
In summary, Ontario’s diverse mix of lucrative industries, educated workforce, major urban economies, and higher living costs all contribute to the province enjoying the highest average salaries in the country.
Salary Outlook for Ontario
As Ontario continues growing as Canada’s economic engine, salaries should rise across most industries. However, inflation and potential recession impacts could curb rapid wage growth looking ahead to 2025-2026.
Overall, professionals with in-demand expertise like healthcare, skilled trades, and technology should see salaries keep pace with living costs, while administrative and entry-level roles may lag behind inflation.
No matter the career path, honing your skills and specializing in high-value fields will maximize earning potential in Ontario’s diverse job market. With targeted planning, hard work, and flexibility, finding a lucrative and fulfilling career is possible.
Want to explore salary across Canada? After reading about salary in Ontario, check out our national overview of average earnings across the country. You can also find helpful data on average salary tailored specifically to other provinces using the links articles below. Comparing provincial wage variations provides helpful insights for professionals planning their careers anywhere in the nation.
- Average Salary in British Columbia
- Average Salary in Alberta
- Average Salary in Quebec
- Average Salary in Saskatchewan
- Average Salary in Manitoba
- Average Salary in New Brunswick
- Average Salary in Nova Scotia
- Average Salary in Prince Edward Island
- Average Salary in Newfoundland and Labrador
Summary
From specialized medical professionals earning over $250,000 to licensed tradespeople making $60,000, Ontario offers a wide range of lucrative career opportunities. Major cities like Toronto and Ottawa lead salary levels, but smaller communities also present above-average pay.
Keeping up to date on the most in-demand and fastest-growing occupations can help professionals unlock Ontario’s full earning potential. By following the data and trends in this article, job seekers and career changers can make informed decisions and strategically position themselves for salary success.
FAQs related to Average Salary in Ontario
Q: How much do engineers make in Ontario?
A: The median salary for engineers in Ontario is around $85,000 per year, with top earners making over $100,000. Chemical, electrical, and software engineers tend to be the highest paid.s
Q: What is the average salary for a teacher in Ontario?
A: The average teacher salary in Ontario is approximately $90,000 per year, with new teachers starting around $60,000 and experienced teachers earning up to $100,000.
Q: Where are the highest paying accounting jobs in Ontario?
A: Toronto, Ottawa, Waterloo, and London tend to offer the highest salaries for accountants in Ontario, averaging between $75,000-$90,000 per year.
Q: Why are salaries higher in Toronto?
A: As Canada's largest city and financial capital, Toronto has a high density of lucrative industries like finance, technology, law, and healthcare that boast higher-than-average salaries. The high cost of living also drives wages up.
Q: When do salaries usually peak in most careers?
A: For many professional occupations, peak earning potential is often reached in your 40s or 50s once you have amassed extensive experience and built seniority in your field. However, some careers plateau earlier.
Q: Do government employees make more in Ontario?
A: On average, government employees in Ontario earn approximately 12% more compared to private sector workers in similar roles. Many public sector jobs offer very competitive salaries and benefits.
Q: Can you comfortably live on $50,000 a year in Ontario?
A: While Ontario's average salary is around $55,000, living comfortably on $50,000 annually may be challenging, especially in major cities like Toronto, where the cost of living is high.
Q: Is overtime pay required in Ontario?
A: Yes, overtime pay is mandated in Ontario at a rate of 1.5 times your regular hourly wage for any hours worked over 44 hours in a work week. There are limited exemptions.
Q: What types of bonuses are common in Ontario?
A: Performance bonuses, holiday bonuses, retention bonuses, and profit-sharing bonuses are some of the most common types of bonuses and incentive pay offered by Ontario employers.
Q: How much do plumbers make per hour in Ontario?
A: The average hourly wage for plumbers in Ontario is around $30 - $40 per hour. Apprentice and journeyman plumbers earn different rates based on experience.
Q: How much does a software developer with 5 years of experience make in Toronto?
A: The average salary for a software developer with 5 years experience in Toronto is approximately $90,000 - $110,000 per year. Those with specialized skills earn more.
Q: Which city has the lowest cost of living in Ontario?
A: Some of the most affordable cities to live in Ontario include Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Windsor, St. Catharines, and Kingston - which all have lower costs of living than Toronto or Ottawa.
Q: Do nurses in Ontario make more than the national average?
A: Yes, registered nurses in Ontario earn approximately $5,000 more than the national average RN salary in Canada. Nurses in Ontario make around $89,700/year.
Q: Can foreign-trained professionals get licensed in Ontario?
A: Yes, Ontario does provide pathways to professional licensing for immigrants trained abroad through programs like the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act.
Q: Is there a mandatory retirement age limit in Ontario?
A: Ontario banned mandatory retirement ages in 2006 through the Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act. Employers can no longer force retirement based on age.