The average salaries across Canada were revealed — Here's which spot earns the most in 2025
New data from Statistics Canada is shedding light on what the average Canadian salary looks like right now across the country — and just how much it varies based on which province or territory you're in.
With the rising cost of living still squeezing households from coast to coast, knowing how your salary stacks up — both within your province and compared to the rest of the country — can give you a better sense of where you sit financially.
According to the federal agency, average weekly earnings across Canada rose to $1,317.09 in September. That's a 3.1% increase compared to the same time last year, and a 0.7% bump from August.
Compared to inflation, that's generally keeping pace — the consumer price index rose 2.4% year over year in September. But when you break things down by province and territory, it's a different story.
In some regions, wage growth isn't enough to match the rising cost of living, effectively shrinking workers' purchasing power even as their paycheques grow on paper.
Fewer jobs, more openings
While the average paycheque is getting bigger, the actual number of jobs dipped a bit in September.
Payroll employment, which counts workers who receive pay and benefits from an employer, dropped by 58,000 across the country — mostly in sectors like education, manufacturing and tech.
At the same time, job vacancies actually went up for the first time since January 2024, climbing to 486,000. That's good news for job seekers, with sectors like construction and manufacturing seeing a notable rise in job openings.
According to Statistics Canada, the average number of hours worked also rose slightly in September — up to 33.4 hours per week — though that's still a bit lower than last year.
Average salaries on the rise
Now here's the part most people are looking for — how much folks are actually earning, on average, in every part of Canada.
These numbers represent average weekly earnings, before tax and deductions, and they include overtime. To get a rough idea of what that works out to annually, we also multiplied each one by 52 to get a rough yearly salary.
Let's break it down by region.
Territories
- Nunavut: $1,759.48/week (equivalent to $91,493/year) — up 0.5% year-over-year
- Northwest Territories: $1,743.46/week (equivalent to $90,660/year) — up 2.6%
- Yukon: $1,510.97/week (equivalent to $78,570/year) — up 3.9%
Once again, the North leads the country in average pay. That's partly due to higher living costs in remote areas, where everything from groceries to rent tends to cost more.
Employers in some sectors here also tend to offer higher salaries as a way to attract skilled workers to these remote areas, where staffing can be a challenge — especially in jobs that require specialized training or credentials.
Western Canada
- Alberta: $1,369.63/week (equivalent to $71,221/year) — up 1.6%
- British Columbia: $1,309.99/week (equivalent to $68,119/year) — up 1.8%
- Saskatchewan: $1,274.36/week (equivalent to $66,267/year) — up 3.8%
- Manitoba: $1,187.95/week (equivalent to $61,773/year) — up 3.2%
Alberta still holds the top spot among provinces, but growth there has slowed.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba saw stronger year-over-year boosts, while B.C. and Alberta weren't quite enough to keep up with inflation.
Central Canada
- Ontario: $1,354.05/week (equivalent to $70,411/year) — up 3.2%
- Quebec: $1,274.29/week (equivalent to $66,263/year) — up 3.7%
Ontario remains one of the top-paying provinces, while Quebec continues to close the gap with steady gains. Salaries in both provinces are above the national average.
Atlantic Canada
- Newfoundland and Labrador: $1,288.42/week (equivalent to $66,998/year) — up 2.9%
- New Brunswick: $1,205.60/week (equivalent to $62,691/year) — up 4.6%
- Nova Scotia: $1,185.76/week (equivalent to $61,660/year) — up 5.5%
- Prince Edward Island: $1,146.03/week (equivalent to $59,594/year) — up 4.8%
The Atlantic provinces are still on the lower end of the salary spectrum, but they're also seeing some of the strongest growth. Nova Scotia in particular led the entire country in year-over-year wage gains, with P.E.I. and New Brunswick close behind in second and third place, respectively.
Who's seeing the biggest raises?
When it comes to year-over-year growth, Nova Scotia takes the crown this time around with a 5.5% jump in average weekly earnings. P.E.I. is close behind at 4.8%, followed by New Brunswick and Yukon.
These numbers are especially notable because they're outpacing inflation — which means more real buying power for workers in those regions.
At the other end, only three regions saw gains too small to keep up with inflation. Nunavut saw the slowest growth at just 0.5%, despite having the highest average salary overall.
Alberta's growth was also below the national average, with a modest 1.6% bump over last year. And in B.C., average earnings rose by a modest 1.8% — also falling short of the 2.4% inflation rate.
What it means for your budget
Even if you're earning more than the national average, it doesn't always mean you're financially ahead. In areas with higher costs for rent, food and transportation, a bigger salary can get eaten up quickly.
On the flip side, a smaller paycheque might stretch further in regions where the cost of living is lower.
Still, tracking where your earnings fall compared to others in your province — and across the country — can help you make smarter decisions about your money, your career or even where you want to live next.
How does your salary compare?
READ NEXT: Canada's 2026 federal income tax brackets are out — Here's how much you'll pay next year
AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of Narcity's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
