A person working in Engineering in Canada typically earns around 101,000 CAD per year. Salaries range from 32,000 CAD (lowest average) to 213,000 CAD (highest average, actual maximum salary is higher).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Salaries vary drastically between different Engineering careers. If you are interested in the salary of a particular job, see below for salaries for specific job titles.
Job Title | Average Salary |
Acoustics Engineer | 101,000 CAD |
Assembly Engineering Technician | 79,000 CAD |
Assistant Chief Engineer | 119,000 CAD |
Associate Engineer | 94,300 CAD |
Autocad Operator | 64,200 CAD |
Automation Engineer | 110,000 CAD |
Avionic System Support Engineer | 96,600 CAD |
Biochemical Engineer | 102,000 CAD |
BMS Engineer | 102,000 CAD |
Bridge and Lock Tender | 56,100 CAD |
Broadcast Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
CAD Design Engineer | 113,000 CAD |
CAD Designer | 64,500 CAD |
CAE Engineer | 106,000 CAD |
Ceramics Engineer | 101,000 CAD |
Civil Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Commissioning Engineer | 102,000 CAD |
Communications Engineer | 111,000 CAD |
Condition Monitoring Engineer | 92,000 CAD |
Contract Associate Engineer | 104,000 CAD |
Control Systems Engineer | 109,000 CAD |
Controls Engineer | 109,000 CAD |
Controls Software Engineer | 92,100 CAD |
Corrosion Engineer | 93,700 CAD |
Design Engineer | 111,000 CAD |
Drafter | 67,300 CAD |
Drafting Manager | 128,000 CAD |
Drilling Engineer | 98,700 CAD |
Electrical Draughtsman | 52,400 CAD |
Electrical Engineer | 116,000 CAD |
Electrical Engineering Manager | 158,000 CAD |
Electromechanical Engineering Technologist | 118,000 CAD |
Electromechanical Equipment Assembler | 54,000 CAD |
Energy Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Engine Assembler | 45,900 CAD |
Engineer | 109,000 CAD |
Engineering Account Manager | 125,000 CAD |
Engineering Chief Designer | 118,000 CAD |
Engineering Consultant | 149,000 CAD |
Engineering Key Account Manager | 159,000 CAD |
Engineering Lab Technician | 103,000 CAD |
Engineering Planning Manager | 151,000 CAD |
Engineering Production Manager | 184,000 CAD |
Engineering Project Analyst | 129,000 CAD |
Engineering Project Coordinator | 122,000 CAD |
Engineering Project Director | 224,000 CAD |
Engineering Project Manager | 154,000 CAD |
Engineering Research and Development Manager | 165,000 CAD |
Engineering Safety Coordinator | 80,600 CAD |
Engineering Sales Manager | 146,000 CAD |
Engineering Technician | 85,600 CAD |
Engineering Technologist | 83,300 CAD |
Environmental Engineer | 105,000 CAD |
Equipment Engineer | 101,000 CAD |
Equipment Engineering Manager | 138,000 CAD |
Estimator | 89,000 CAD |
Fabrication Specialist | 72,300 CAD |
Fabricator | 48,300 CAD |
Facade Engineer | 102,000 CAD |
Fiber Analyst | 61,900 CAD |
Field Engineer | 113,000 CAD |
Field Engineering Manager | 172,000 CAD |
Fire Engineer | 109,000 CAD |
Fitter and Turner | 32,800 CAD |
Forestry Strategic Planner | 129,000 CAD |
Generation Engineer | 108,000 CAD |
Genetic Engineer | 113,000 CAD |
Geological Engineer | 112,000 CAD |
Geotechnical Engineer | 113,000 CAD |
Heavy Equipment Mechanic | 55,100 CAD |
Highway Engineer | 110,000 CAD |
HSE Professional | 97,400 CAD |
HVAC Engineer | 110,000 CAD |
HVAC Supervisor | 93,700 CAD |
Industrial Engineer | 104,000 CAD |
Industrial Engineering Technologist | 101,000 CAD |
Instrument Engineer | 100,000 CAD |
Instrumentation and Control Engineer | 105,000 CAD |
Instrumentation Engineer | 105,000 CAD |
Instrumentation Manager | 103,000 CAD |
Irrigation Engineer | 108,000 CAD |
Licensed Aircraft Engineer | 113,000 CAD |
Locomotive Engineer | 98,500 CAD |
Maintenance Engineer | 98,500 CAD |
Maintenance Fitter | 36,700 CAD |
Maintenance Manager | 108,000 CAD |
Manufacturing Engineer | 105,000 CAD |
Marine Engineer | 103,000 CAD |
Materials Engineer | 104,000 CAD |
Materials Researcher | 99,600 CAD |
Materials Technician | 78,900 CAD |
Mechanical and Electrical Engineer | 115,000 CAD |
Mechanical Design Engineer | 111,000 CAD |
Mechanical Designer | 93,500 CAD |
Mechanical Engineer | 118,000 CAD |
Mechanical Engineering Manager | 146,000 CAD |
Mechanical Inspector | 107,000 CAD |
Mechatronics Engineer | 111,000 CAD |
Mining Engineer | 106,000 CAD |
Oil and Petrochemical Engineer | 111,000 CAD |
Optical Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Optical Instrument Assembler | 52,500 CAD |
PCB Assembler | 40,200 CAD |
Photonics Engineer | 112,000 CAD |
Photonics Technician | 94,800 CAD |
Pipeline Engineer | 102,000 CAD |
Piping Designer | 56,800 CAD |
Piping Engineer | 99,500 CAD |
Planning Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Pressure Vessel Inspector | 48,600 CAD |
Principal Cost Engineer | 108,000 CAD |
Principal Engineer | 103,000 CAD |
Principal Support Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Process Engineer | 104,000 CAD |
Process Operator | 63,600 CAD |
Product Development Engineer | 114,000 CAD |
Product Development Technician | 77,100 CAD |
Product Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Product Safety Engineer | 97,600 CAD |
Production Engineer | 106,000 CAD |
Project Engineer | 113,000 CAD |
Proposal Manager | 132,000 CAD |
Purchasing Engineer | 95,200 CAD |
Quality Assurance Engineer | 110,000 CAD |
Rail Engineer | 105,000 CAD |
Robotics Engineer | 123,000 CAD |
Robotics Technician | 83,300 CAD |
Safety Engineer | 108,000 CAD |
Safety Inspector | 81,500 CAD |
Safety Manager | 124,000 CAD |
Safety Officer | 53,000 CAD |
Sales Engineer | 116,000 CAD |
Scheduling Engineer | 97,000 CAD |
Service Engineer | 111,000 CAD |
Solar Engineer | 109,000 CAD |
Staff Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Static Equipment Engineer | 98,700 CAD |
Stationary Engineer | 96,700 CAD |
Stress Engineer | 94,200 CAD |
Structural Analysis Engineer | 103,000 CAD |
Structural Designer | 93,800 CAD |
Structural Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Structural Technician | 66,100 CAD |
Supply Chain Specialist | 108,000 CAD |
Surveyor | 76,700 CAD |
Technical Affairs Officer | 54,400 CAD |
Technical Assistant | 55,200 CAD |
Technical Engineer | 95,800 CAD |
Technical Support Engineer | 92,000 CAD |
Tender Engineer | 98,600 CAD |
Test Development Engineer | 106,000 CAD |
Transportation Engineer | 96,400 CAD |
Validation Engineer | 93,700 CAD |
Verification Engineer | 96,600 CAD |
Wastewater Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Wind Energy Engineer | 107,000 CAD |
Wind Energy Operations Manager | 145,000 CAD |
Work Planner | 71,100 CAD |
Engineering salaries in Canada range from 32,000 CAD per year (minimum average salary) to 213,000 CAD per year (maximum average salary, actual maximum is higher).
The median salary is 107,000 CAD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working in Engineering are earning less than 107,000 CAD while the other half are earning more than 107,000 CAD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 62,500 CAD while 75% of them are earning more than 62,500 CAD. Also from the diagram, 75% of people working in Engineering are earning less than 170,000 CAD while 25% are earning more than 170,000 CAD.
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning 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
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher the wage.
Generally speaking, employees having experience from two to five years earn on average 32% more than freshers and juniors across all industries and disciplines.
Professionals with experience of more than five years tend to earn on average 36% more than those with five years or less of work experience.
As you hit the ten years mark, the salary increases by 21% and an additional 14% for those who have crossed the 15 years mark.
Those figures are presented as guidelines only. The numbers become more significant if you consider one job title at a time.
It is well known that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We compared the salaries of professionals at the same level but with different college degrees levels across many jobs, below are our findings.
Workers with a certificate or diploma earn on average 17% more than their peers who only reached the high school level.
Employees who earned a Bachelor's Degree earn 24% more than those who only managed to attain a cerificate or diploma.
Professionals who attained a Master's Degree are awarded salaries that are 29% more than those with a Bachelor's Degree.
Finally, PhD holders earn 23% more than Master's Degree holders on average while doing the same job.
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Canada costs anywhere from 49,800 Canadian Dollar(s) to 149,000 Canadian Dollar(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support this tactic. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
The decision really depends on your situation and experience among many other factors. Putting all variables aside, if you can afford the costs of higher education then the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male employees in Canada who work in Engineering earn 5% more than their female counterparts on average.
Male | 103,000 CAD | |
Female | -5% | 98,500 CAD |
Engineering professionals in Canada are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 14 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely 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.
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
Banking | 2% | |
Energy | 4% | |
Information Technology | 6% | |
Healthcare | 8% | |
Travel | 1% | |
Construction | 3% | |
Education | 5% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Canada for the year 2021. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Engineering is considered to be a moderate bonus-based field due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
42% of surveyed staff in Engineering reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 58% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 2% to 7% of their annual salary.
Received Bonus | 58% | |
No Bonus | 42% |
The most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, 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 BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
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.
The main two types of jobs | |
Revenue Generators | Supporting 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: | Example: |
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.
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.
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 fix 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.
The average salary for Engineering is 16% less than that of All Jobs.
City | Average Salary |
Brampton | 103,000 CAD |
Calgary | 106,000 CAD |
Edmonton | 106,000 CAD |
Gatineau | 97,100 CAD |
Halifax | 98,600 CAD |
Hamilton | 104,000 CAD |
Kitchener | 102,000 CAD |
Markham | 100,000 CAD |
Mississauga | 107,000 CAD |
Montreal | 114,000 CAD |
Ottawa | 108,000 CAD |
Quebec | 106,000 CAD |
Regina | 95,800 CAD |
Richmond | 90,700 CAD |
Saskatoon | 96,700 CAD |
Surrey | 99,600 CAD |
Toronto | 113,000 CAD |
Vancouver | 108,000 CAD |
Vaughan | 98,400 CAD |
Windsor | 97,500 CAD |
Winnipeg | 105,000 CAD |
State | Average Salary |
Alberta | 108,000 CAD |
British Columbia | 110,000 CAD |
Manitoba | 104,000 CAD |
New Brunswick | 92,900 CAD |
Newfoundland-Labrador | 91,000 CAD |
Northwest Territories | 101,000 CAD |
Nova Scotia | 95,200 CAD |
Nunavut | 105,000 CAD |
Ontario | 113,000 CAD |
Prince Edward Island | 87,500 CAD |
Quebec | 111,000 CAD |
Saskatchewan | 97,700 CAD |
Yukon | 89,800 CAD |
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Canada earn 4% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
Private Sector | 117,000 CAD | |
Public Sector | +4% | 122,000 CAD |