Ben Nguyen 
Understanding average salary levels across occupations is key for professionals navigating Quebec’s thriving employment landscape. While the average salary in Canada provides a helpful national benchmark, this comprehensive guide focuses specifically on the average salary in Quebec.
We will analyze the latest statistics on Quebec’s average weekly wages and earnings by industry and occupation. Discover which professions are most in demand alongside typical salary ranges. Examine how the minimum wage, unemployment rates, and other factors shape average salaries in Quebec. Whether you are a job seeker considering opportunities in the province or a current resident looking to benchmark your earnings, this detailed overview explores average salaries in Quebec.
What Is The Average Salary in Quebec?
To start, let’s examine some key wage and salary figures for Quebec employees. According to Statistics Canada, the average weekly wage for all employees in Quebec aged 15 and over was $1,151.56 CAD in 2023. On an annual basis, this equates to average annual earnings of approximately $59,881 CAD, based on a 52-week year.
When comparing average versus median salary statistics, Quebec’s median weekly wage amounted to $1,038.38 CAD for all employees in 2023. The median weekly salary translates to median annual earnings of around $54,000 CAD. As expected, the median is lower than the average since it represents the mid-point salary across all workers rather than the mathematical average.
These figures provide helpful benchmarking for professionals and job seekers when evaluating typical income levels in Quebec. We will delve deeper into wages by occupation and industry in the sections below.
What are the Employee Wages by Occupation in Quebec?
Statistics Canada provides helpful data on employee wages across major occupational categories in Quebec.
Employees by Occupation in Quebec
Looking at the total employees, we can see the distribution of Quebec’s workforce across high-level occupations:
Total employees, all occupations: 4,004,300 (Persons) :
- Management occupations: 286,400 (Persons)
- Business, finance and administration occupations: 692,500
- Natural and applied sciences occupations: 377,300
- Health occupations: 287,300
- Occupations in education, law, social and community services: 493,400
- Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport: 108,000
- Sales and service occupations: 902,000
- Trades, transport and equipment operators occupations: 593,300
- Natural resources and agriculture occupations: 46,800
- Manufacturing and utilities occupations: 217,200
This provides insight into the predominant industries and sectors that employ workers in Quebec. Service-providing roles account for a substantial portion of the workforce.
Average Wages by Occupational Classification in Quebec
Looking at the average weekly wage rate , we can compare typical salaries across major occupational categories:
Total employees, all occupations: $1,151.56/week (average salary in Quebec),
- Management occupations: $2,098.03
- Business, finance and administration occupations: $1,135.71
- Natural and applied sciences occupations: $1,582.19
- Health occupations: $1,123.89
- Occupations in education, law, social and community services: $1,233.57
- Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport: $975.05
- Sales and service occupations: $682.74
- Trades, transport and equipment operators occupations: $1,192.28
- Natural resources and agriculture occupations: $1,027.15
- Manufacturing and utilities occupations: $1,006.55
The data indicates above-average weekly wages for management, natural sciences, and trades occupations, whereas service-providing roles have lower average earnings. Comparing occupation categories provides helpful salary benchmarking.
Common Occupations and Salaries in Quebec
Looking at some of the largest occupational categories provides insight into common professions and earning potential in Quebec:
| Occupational Categories | Number of Positions (persons) | Average Weekly Wage (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Sales and service support occupations | 388,900 | $479.96 |
| Administrative and transportation logistics occupations | 206,900 | $994.26 |
| Technical occupations related to natural and applied sciences | 151,800 | $1,270.43 |
| Assisting occupations in support of health services | 94,200 | $786.13 |
| Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services | 114,000 | $829.43 |
| Professional occupations in education services | 196,500 | $1,365.14 |
| Technical trades and transportation officers and controllers | 283,200 | $1,370.17 |
| Machine operators, assemblers and inspectors in processing, manufacturing and printing | 128,600 | $959.14 |
This breakdown highlights both lower-paying roles like sales support and higher-earning occupations like technical trades that employ many Quebec residents.
What Are The Most In-Demand Occupations and Salaries in Quebec?
Quebec’s job market has been resilient, with unemployment hovering around record lows in many regions. This creates ample job opportunities for new entrants and those seeking career changes. However, labor shortages in some sectors make hiring challenging. Understanding average salary levels and in-demand roles can help job seekers make informed decisions.
Top 10 In-Demand Jobs in Quebec:
- Registered Nurses – With a median salary of $38.50 hourly, or $74,000 annually, registered nurses are urgently required across Quebec to fill gaps within the healthcare system.
- Welders and related machine operators – There is a major shortage of welders in Quebec’s construction and manufacturing sectors. Welders earn approximately $26.00 per hour, or around $50,000 per year .
- Electricians – Driven by infrastructure demands, electricians are consistently sought-after, making a median salary of $39.00 per hour or $75,000 per year.
- Cooks – Quebec’s food services industry continues to recruit cooks, who earn around $17.00 per hour or $32,700 per year.
- Food and Beverage Servers – Servers in Quebec’s hospitality sector have a median annual salary of $32,700.
- Business Managers – Sales and Advertising – These sales and marketing professionals earn approximately $101,700 CAD per year (around $52.89 per hour)
- Software Developers – With median salary of $84,500 CAD annually, software developers are in high demand within Quebec’s tech sector.
- Accountants – Accountants fulfil essential financial functions across industries, earning around $75,800 CAD per year.
- Administrative Assistants – These vital office support roles offer a median annual salary of $46,200 CAD in Quebec.
- Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers – Quebec’s factories and plants seek these professionals, who earn approximately $78,300 CAD per year (or $40.72 per hour).
What Are The Highest and Lowest Paying Jobs in Quebec?
There is a wide range of earning potential across occupations in Quebec’s job market. Exploring some of the highest and lowest paying roles provides a helpful perspective on salary levels in the province. However, many factors beyond occupation impact individual earnings.
Highest Paying Jobs in Quebec
Some of the occupations with the highest average salaries in Quebec include:
- Judges ~ $310,000 per year
- Lawyers and Quebec notaries ~ $104,000 per year
- Senior government managers and officials ~ $91,000 per year
- Senior managers in financial, communications, and business services ~ $157,000 per year
- Physicists and astronomers ~ $84,000 per year
- Professional engineers ~ $86,000 per year
- Meteorologists and climatologists ~ $104,000 per year
- Software developers and programmers ~ $85,000
- Mining engineers ~ $102,000
- Dentists ~ $106,000
- Optometrists ~ $97,000
- Pharmacists ~ $115,000
The data shows the highest salaries are earned in specialized professional occupations in law, government, management, and applied sciences. The average annual pay for Quebec’s top-tier roles exceeds $150,000 in some cases.
Lowest Paying Jobs in Quebec
Some of the lowest paying occupations are:
- Light duty cleaners – $37,000 per year
- Food counter attendants and kitchen helpers – $30,000 per year
- Cashiers – $30,000 per year
- Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers – $30,000 per year
- Food and beverage servers – $33,000 per year
- Other sales related occupations – $31,000 per year
- Labourers in fish and seafood processing – $33,000 per year
- Industrial sewing machine operators – $30,000 per year
- Harvesting labourers – $33,000 per year
(source: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/explore_career/wage-outlook/wage_location_report.xhtml)
Many entry-level service jobs in retail, food service, and hospitality tend to offer lower average salaries in Quebec. However, tipped positions like servers may earn more with gratuities.
This overview of top-tier and bottom-tier salaries provides helpful context on the earning potential across Quebec’s job market. However, individual factors like experience and education also impact pay.
What are the Salary Growth Trends in Quebec?
Analyzing how average weekly wages have evolved in Quebec over the past two decades provides helpful context on the province’s economic development and rising standard of living.
According to Statistics Canada’s CANSIM Table 14-10-0064-01, we can examine the trend in average weekly wages for all employees in Quebec aged 15 and over from 2002 to 2023:
As the data shows, average weekly wages have increased steadily over the past 20+ years, rising from $606.12 CAD in 2002 to $1,151.56 CAD in 2023. This represents wage growth of approximately 90% over this period.
Four interesting trends emerge when analyzing this timeframe:
- Growth was fastest between the mid-2000s and 2008, aligned with a strong economic expansion period.
- Wage growth slowed during recessionary periods like 2008-2009 and 2020-2021. However, salaries still increased modestly.
- The average weekly wage exceeded $1,000 CAD for the first time in 2020, indicative of Quebec’s rising standards of living.
- Salary growth from 2021 to 2023 rebounded strongly in the post-pandemic environment.
While Quebec’s average wages have not increased linearly year-over-year, the long-term trajectory is clearly upward. This wage growth reflects the province’s robust economic fundamentals and skilled workforce. Understanding this historical progression helps contextualize current average salary levels across industries and occupations.
What Factors Influencing Salaries in Quebec?
Quebec’s salary landscape is shaped by six key factors:
- Minimum wage – Quebec has a minimum wage of $15.25 CAD per hour as of May 2023, among the highest provincial minimums in Canada (8). This exerts upward pressure on salaries.
- Unemployment rate – Quebec’s unemployment rate stood at just 3.9% as of January 2023, indicating a tight labour market with strong demand for workers across most occupations (9). This empowers employees to command higher compensation.
- Industry mix – The prevalence of high-paying sectors like financial services and technology in big cities contributes to urban-rural wage disparities across Quebec (10).
- Cost of living – While less expensive than Toronto or Vancouver, Quebec’s major cities have moderately high costs of living that require salaries to be proportionally greater (11).
- Experience and education – Workers can boost earnings by pursuing degrees, diplomas, certifications, and specialized training relevant to their field. Years of experience similarly translate to higher pay.
- Labour supply and demand – Imbalances like Quebec’s nursing shortage enable in-demand roles to negotiate higher pay due to lack of qualified talent.
Considering these dynamics provides helpful context when evaluating typical earnings for professions in Quebec.
For a wider perspective, see our guide to average salary across Canada:
- Average Salary in British Columbia
- Average Salary in Alberta
- Average Salary in Newfoundland and Labrador
- 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 Ontario
Key Takeaways for Quebec Salaries
Quebec offers a robust employment landscape across diverse industries, with salaries driven by factors like education, seniority, geographic region, and supply-demand imbalances.
As the data indicates, average weekly wages for all employees amounted to $1,151.56 CAD in Quebec during 2023, with higher averages among specialized occupations like management and engineering versus entry-level roles.
Navigating the province’s salary ranges by sector, city, and experience level allows job seekers and professionals to make informed decisions. For workers considering Quebec, gaining insight into typical earnings in your field helps set realistic expectations.
At the same time, remember that individual salaries depend on specific job responsibilities and workplace variables. While helpful for benchmarking, average wage data only provides part of the compensation picture.
FAQs and answers related to average salary in Quebec:
Q: How is average salary calculated in Quebec?
A: Average salary in Quebec is calculated by Statistics Canada using reported wage data from the Labour Force Survey. The mean average weekly or hourly wage is computed based on salaries across all employees in the province.
Q: Where are the highest paying jobs in Quebec located?
A: The highest salaries in Quebec tend to be concentrated in metropolitan areas like Montreal, where many corporate headquarters and specialized industries are clustered. However, high pay is ultimately more tied to occupation than geography.
Q: Why do different jobs pay differently in Quebec?
A: Salary differentiation by occupation in Quebec stems from factors like education requirements, demand/supply imbalances, unionization rates, and the perceived value of services provided. Jobs requiring higher skills and training generally offer higher pay.
Q: When do salaries increase in Quebec?
A: Salaries in Quebec typically increase year-over-year at a minimum with inflation. Larger pay increases usually occur with promotions, gaining certifications, or changing to a higher-paying employer.
Q: Do government employees make more than the private sector in Quebec?
A: On average, government employees in Quebec earn around 12% higher salaries than comparable private sector workers, according to Institut de la Statistique Quebec. Stable salaries and benefits attract workers to public sector jobs.
Q: Can foreigners immigrating to Quebec expect similar salaries?
A: Immigrants to Quebec may need local Canadian experience to achieve salary parity with native-born residents. However, strong education, qualifications and language skills can help secure competitive pay.
Q: Is salary income taxed at the same rates across Canada?
A: No, Quebec sets its own income tax brackets and rates separately from other provinces. However, federal tax rates are uniform nationwide. Quebec's rates are somewhat higher than most provinces.
Q: Do Quebec salaries increase each year?
A: Salaries in Quebec have trended upward over the past decades, but do not increase uniformly year-over-year. Periods of economic recession or low inflation may see slower wage growth.
Q: How can I find accurate salary data for Quebec?
A: Statistics Canada provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date data on average salaries across occupations in Quebec, broken down by industry and demographic factors.
Q: What impacts salaries more – education or experience?
A: Both higher education and extensive experience contribute significantly to higher pay in Quebec. However, the experience eventually plateaus while education opens more advancement opportunities.
