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Administrative Assistant Average Salary in Canada 2024

How much money does a person working as Administrative Assistant make in Canada?


Average Yearly Salary
65,800 CAD
( 5,480 CAD monthly)

LOW
30,900
CAD
AVERAGE
65,800
CAD
HIGH
104,000
CAD
All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

A person working as Administrative Assistant in Canada typically earns around 65,800 CAD. Salaries range from 30,900 CAD (lowest) to 104,000 CAD (highest).


Salary Variance

This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Administrative Assistant salaries in Canada vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.



Administrative Assistant Pay Scale and Salaries in Canada

Median and salary distribution Canada Administrative Assistant yearly
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Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison

5% of people earn
61,900 CAD or more
10% of people earn
54,400 to 61,900 CAD
20% of people earn
37,900 CAD or less
65% of people earn
37,900 to 54,400 CAD
Minimum Salary
30,900 CAD
Median
62,400 CAD
Maximum
104,000 CAD




Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range

All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.
  • Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary

    Salaries for the position Administrative Assistant in Canada range from 30,900 CAD (starting salary) to 104,000 CAD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.

  • Median Salary

    With a median salary of 62,400 CAD, half of the professionals who work as Administrative Assistant in Canada earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.

  • Percentiles and Salary Scale

    The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Administrative Assistant in Canada earn less than 50,500 CAD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 71,700 CAD while 25% earn more.

  • Pay Scale Structure

    To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Administrative Assistant in Canada compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 37,900 CAD to 54,400 CAD. About 20% of salaries are below the 37,900 CAD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 54,400 CAD to 61,900 CAD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 61,900 CAD.

Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Administrative Assistant / Canada

How do experience and age affect pay?

0 - 2 Years
35,700 CAD
2 - 5 Years+38%
49,200 CAD
5 - 10 Years+42%
70,000 CAD
10 - 15 Years+22%
85,300 CAD
15 - 20 Years+6%
90,000 CAD
20+ Years+9%
98,100 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by years of experience yearly Canada Administrative Assistant
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The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Administrative Assistant and this is what we found.


All salary figures displayed here are per year except when noted otherwise.

Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 35,700 CAD.

While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 49,200 CAD, 38% more than someone with less than two year's experience.

Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 70,000 CAD, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.

Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 85,300 CAD, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.

If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 90,000 CAD, 6% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.

Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 98,100 CAD, 9% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.

On average, a person's salary doubles their starting salary by the time they cross the 10 years* experience mark.
* Based on the average change in salary over time. Salary variations differ from person to person.

Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Experience Level
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Salary Comparison By Education / Administrative Assistant / Canada

How do education levels affect salaries?

Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Administrative Assistant.

High School
42,600 CAD
Certificate or Diploma+51%
64,500 CAD
Bachelor's Degree+50%
96,600 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary comparison by education level yearly Canada Administrative Assistant
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We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Administrative Assistant in order to make a comparison.


Level 1: High School

Employees at this education level have an average salary of 42,600 CAD.


Level 2: Certificate or Diploma

At this level, the average salary becomes 64,500 CAD, 51% more than the previous level.


Level 3: Bachelor's Degree

At this level, the average salary becomes 96,600 CAD, 50% more than the previous level.



Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers

Salary Comparison By Education Level
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Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Administrative Assistant / Canada

Salary comparison by gender Canada Administrative Assistant yearly
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Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Administrative Assistant in Canada, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.

Male
64,200 CAD
Female+5%
67,400 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Comparison By Gender in Canada for all Careers

Salary comparison by gender yearly Canada
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Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Administrative Assistant / Canada

How much are annual salary increments in Canada for individuals working as Administrative Assistant? How often do employees get salary raises?

Individuals working as Administrative Assistant in Canada are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.

Annual Salary Increment Rate Canada Administrative Assistant
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The figures provided here are averages of numbers. Those figures should be taken as general guidelines. Salary increments will vary from person to person and depend on many factors, but your performance and contribution to the success of the organization remain the most important factors in determining how much and how often you will be granted a raise.

Canada / All Professions

Annual Salary Increment Rate Canada
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The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.

How to calculate the salary increment percentage?

The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency

The average salary increase in one year (12 months) in Canada is 7%.

Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs

World Average Annual Salary Increment
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Salary Packages and Schemes

Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.



Bonus and Incentive Rates / Administrative Assistant / Canada

How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?Annual Salary Bonus Rate Canada Administrative Assistant
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66% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 34% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.

Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.

Received Bonus
34%
No Bonus
66%

Types of Bonuses Considered

Individual Performance-Based Bonuses

The most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.

Company Performance Bonuses

Occasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.

Goal-Based Bonuses

Granted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.

Holiday / End of Year Bonuses

These types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.

Bonuses Are Not Commissions!

People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.


What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?

The main two types of jobs

Revenue GeneratorsSupporting Cast

Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business.

Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations.

Example:
A graphics designer working for a graphics designing company.

Example:
A graphic designer in the marketing department of a hospital.


Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.

Try to work for companies where your skills can generate revenue. We can't all generate revenue and that's perfectly fine.

Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level

Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.

Average Hourly Wage / Administrative Assistant / Canada


32 CAD per hour

The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Administrative Assistant in Canada is 32 CAD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.


Hourly Wage = Annual Salary / ( 52 x 5 x 8 )

About The Hourly Pay Rate

The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.

What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?

The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Administrative Assistant in Canada is 15 CAD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.

Salary comparison with similar jobs

Job TitleAverage Salary
Administration / Reception / Secretarial-100%
Accreditation Specialist131,000 CAD+99%
Admin Clerk40,200 CAD-39%
Admin Executive68,200 CAD+4%
Administrative Aide50,000 CAD-24%
Administrative Analyst88,200 CAD+34%
Administrative Assistant65,800 CAD+0%
Administrative Associate62,600 CAD-5%
Administrative Coordinator62,700 CAD-5%
Administrative Manager93,700 CAD+42%
Administrative Officer64,300 CAD-2%
Administrative Receptionist56,700 CAD-14%
Administrative Secretary55,200 CAD-16%
Administrative Specialist62,100 CAD-6%
Administrative Support55,700 CAD-15%
Administrative Technician49,200 CAD-25%
Board Secretary55,100 CAD-16%
Branch Office Administrator103,000 CAD+57%
Business Administrator95,700 CAD+46%
Business Office Manager149,000 CAD+130%
Central Office Operator59,800 CAD-9%
Clerical Assistant37,300 CAD-43%
Clerk42,200 CAD-36%
Commercial Administrator90,100 CAD+37%
Commissions Processor75,600 CAD+15%
Conveyancing Secretary55,200 CAD-16%
Corporate Receptionist58,500 CAD-11%
Creditors Clerk59,700 CAD-9%
Data Entry Clerk39,700 CAD-40%
Data Entry Specialist59,900 CAD-9%
Document Controller53,600 CAD-19%
Document Management Specialist79,300 CAD+21%
Executive Administrative Assistant70,000 CAD+6%
Executive Assistant69,100 CAD+5%
Executive Officer76,300 CAD+16%
Executive Personal Assistant77,200 CAD+17%
Executive Secretary65,100 CAD-1%
File Clerk39,700 CAD-40%
Front Desk Attendant60,000 CAD-9%
Front Desk Coordinator70,000 CAD+6%
Front Desk Manager93,900 CAD+43%
Front Desk Receptionist60,400 CAD-8%
Front Desk Shift Leader74,300 CAD+13%
Front Office Assistant55,300 CAD-16%
Front Office Executive74,100 CAD+13%
Group Services Manager165,000 CAD+150%
Head Receptionist68,000 CAD+3%
Inquiry and Admissions Clerk40,300 CAD-39%
Key Account Assistant67,400 CAD+2%
Keyboard and Data Entry Operator41,500 CAD-37%
Leasing Administrator72,400 CAD+10%
Legal Secretary65,700 CAD-0%
Librarian78,600 CAD+20%
Mail Processing Clerk36,000 CAD-45%
Mail Sorting Clerk37,200 CAD-43%
Mailroom Clerk37,400 CAD-43%
Mailroom Manager66,600 CAD+1%
Management Support Secretary60,000 CAD-9%
Master Programme Coordinator117,000 CAD+78%
Medical Receptionist66,200 CAD+1%
Meeting and Event Assistant70,000 CAD+6%
Meeting and Event Manager144,000 CAD+120%
Night Manager89,500 CAD+36%
Office Administrator90,700 CAD+38%
Office Assistant41,300 CAD-37%
Office Automation Clerk68,700 CAD+4%
Office Clerk49,700 CAD-24%
Office Coordinator60,000 CAD-9%
Office Manager108,000 CAD+64%
Office Services Coordinator82,000 CAD+25%
Office Supervisor73,500 CAD+12%
Operations Analyst122,000 CAD+85%
Operations Clerk70,500 CAD+7%
Operations Manager160,000 CAD+140%
Personal Assistant59,700 CAD-9%
Planning Assistant73,000 CAD+11%
Process Expert93,200 CAD+42%
Program Coordinator88,200 CAD+34%
Programme Assistant72,600 CAD+10%
Project Administrator105,000 CAD+60%
Project Coordinator139,000 CAD+110%
Query Administrator77,100 CAD+17%
Reception Team Lead79,600 CAD+21%
Receptionist54,800 CAD-17%
Records Officer48,400 CAD-26%
Registry Administrator63,500 CAD-3%
Registry and Filing Clerk40,200 CAD-39%
Rental Clerk41,800 CAD-36%
Schedule Officer39,700 CAD-40%
Scheduler46,600 CAD-29%
School Secretary58,300 CAD-11%
Secretary53,500 CAD-19%
Service Reception Head68,200 CAD+4%
Switchboard Operator51,300 CAD-22%
Technical Program Manager142,000 CAD+120%
Technical Project Manager153,000 CAD+130%
Typist45,900 CAD-30%
Unit Secretary52,200 CAD-21%
Wayleave Officer40,300 CAD-39%

Salary Comparison By City

CityAverage Salary
Montreal65,900 CAD
Toronto69,600 CAD

Salary Comparison By State

StateAverage Salary
Alberta67,500 CAD
British Columbia67,800 CAD
Manitoba63,300 CAD
New Brunswick58,300 CAD
Newfoundland-Labrador57,800 CAD
Northwest Territories64,900 CAD
Nova Scotia61,900 CAD
Nunavut69,200 CAD
Ontario75,300 CAD
Prince Edward Island53,300 CAD
Quebec68,800 CAD
Saskatchewan61,000 CAD
Yukon56,800 CAD

Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison

Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Canada is 4% on average across all career fields.

Private Sector
117,000 CAD
Public Sector+4%
122,000 CAD
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value

Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide

What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Administrative Assistant in Canada?

A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 62,400 CAD and 71,700 CAD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.

Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)

All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.

Base / Basic Salary

The base salary for a careers like Administrative Assistant in Canada ranges from 30,900 CAD to 50,500 CAD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.


What is the difference between the median and the average salary?

Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary


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