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In making the decision to immigrate to Canada, one of the most necessary considerations is identifying career and employment prospects and the type of lifestyle they can afford you and your family.
A recent report published by Statistics Canada on Tuesday shows a remarkable improvement in the median wages for immigrants in Canada. The report states that median entry wages for immigrants who landed in 2015 was $24,000. The highest since 1981 according to the report.
Fortunately, the salaries for occupations in Canada are quite high, with average salaries higher in Canada than in the United Kingdom, the United States, and most of Europe. Why? Thanks to an ever-strengthening dollar, the average salary in Canadian dollars has risen by 10-15% since 2007 and as of 2014, the average Canadian working full time, or 30 or more hours per week, makes an average of $44,366 (2,324,044 INR).
This data comes from the Longitudinal Immigration Database (IMDB), an administrative database that enables the analysis of immigrant cohorts through time and across different admission categories, such as the Canadian Experience Class, Family Class or Refugees.
Average Hourly Wages in Canada in 2015
Interested to know the income possibility of your profession in Canada? Looking at jobs throughout the country below is a small sample of average hourly wages made by various professions. Keep in mind wages and salaries differ between provinces and cities – sometimes quite significantly.
Average Hourly Wages in Canada 2015
| Profession | Average Hourly Wage |
|---|---|
| Retail Sales/ Sales Clerk | $12 (628.60 INR) |
| Data Entry Clerk | $15 (785.75 INR) |
| Bookkeeper | $17 (890.52 INR) |
| Accounting Clerk | $18 (942.90 INR) |
| Truck Driver | $20 (1047.67 INR) |
| Carpenter | $22 (1152.44 INR) |
| Executive Assistant | $23 (1204.82 INR) |
| Plumber | $25 (1309.59 INR) |
| Electrician | $25 (1309.59 INR) |
| Social Worker | $28 (1466.74 INR) |
| Architect | $29 (1519.12 INR) |
| Registered Nurse | $34 (1781.04 INR) |
| Physiotherapist | $34 (1781.04 INR) |
| Computer Engineer (not software) | $35 (1833.42 INR) |
| Lawyer | $40 (2095.34 INR) |
| Computer and Information Systems Manager | $40 (2095.34 INR) |
| Engineering Manager | $42 (2200.10 INR) |
| Dentist | $70 (3666.84 INR) |
The Canadian Experience Class Category Principle Applicants earn the highest wages
Principle applicants in the Experience Class Category show a trend that they are the highest-paid by a fairly large margin. In 2015, immigrant tax filers who landed in 2014 as principal applicants under the Canadian Experience Class admission category had the highest median wages of all groups who landed that year, at $53,000. By comparison, provincial and territorial nominees and skilled workers had median wages of $37,000 and $26,000, respectively.
On the other hand, Other high-paying Canadian industries include work in the utilities: water, electricity, and telecommunications. Lower paid Canadian industries include the arts, entertainment, and recreation sector.
Wages also increase depending on the number of years since moving to Canada
Although wages increase with the number of years in the country, there are differences in the economic outcomes of immigrants of the same category. The wages of immigrants vary by a number of characteristics, such as age, sex, and region of birth.
These differences by region of birth were less pronounced for immigrant women, but their wages were generally lower than their male immigrant counterparts.
For example, the median wages for female immigrants born in Europe who landed in 2005 were $34,000 in 2015, compared with $30,000 for those born in the United States and $24,000 for those born in East Asia. These differences are likely related to several factors, including an ability to speak at least one of the official languages, educational background, and whether foreign credentials are recognized in the labor market.
All in all, in 2015, 86% of immigrant tax filers who landed in 2010 filed tax returns in their province of landing. Proportions were highest in Alberta (90%) and Ontario (91%).
Immigrants admitted under the family class are more likely to reside in their destination province five years after landing. For instance, 93% of immigrants whose province of destination was Quebec and who were admitted under a family class category were residing in Quebec five years after landing, compared with 78% for refugees and 82% for economic immigrants.
Minimum Wage
By law in Canada, employers must pay workers at least the minimum hourly wage. In Canada, the term minimum wage refers to the lowest hourly compensation that employers may legally pay their workers. Equally, it is by law the lowest wage at which you may sell your labor as a worker.
Under the Constitution of Canada, the responsibility for enforcing labor laws rests with each one of the ten provinces and three territories and so minimum wages in Canada are defined differently by each province — minimum wages in Yukon Territory stand at $9.27/hour while those in Nunavut currently stand at the highest rate ($11/hour). You should never accept employment that pays below the minimum wage as such employers are not only taking advantage of your labor but also breaking Canadian labor laws. Wages below the minimum wage are only acceptable to be paid in the cases of liquor servers or other tip earners, inexperienced employees and those under a certain age.
Newcomers to Canada may find that their first “survival” jobs may only pay minimum wage – this is normal as almost everyone in Canada has begun their careers working for minimum wage, whether Canadian-born citizens or immigrants. It is important to know what minimum wage is, it’s importance in Canada and its monetary definition by each one of the provinces, especially your province of residence.
