- In the three months to August 2026, the lowest metro-area unemployment rates were in Saguenay, Sherbrooke and Quebec City; Ottawa’s rate was 7.4% and Moncton’s 7.5%, against 6.5% nationally
- Calgary and Edmonton leave some of the most money after rent among large cities, thanks to lower rents and no provincial sales tax (Alberta’s income tax is not the lowest in Canada: at $100,000 it is slightly below Ontario’s but above BC’s)
- Toronto has the largest number of jobs in absolute terms but high living costs erode salary gains
- Waterloo Region is one of Canada’s most tech-dense regions (tech jobs are over 10% of employment, as in Ottawa and Toronto), with high wages relative to housing costs
- Alberta pays above the national median in several trades, especially in the Fort McMurray and oil sands region, though not in every trade
- Remote work has partially decoupled job location from residence, expanding career options significantly
Choosing where to live based on career opportunity is one of the most impactful financial decisions you can make. The right city can mean higher wages, faster promotions, lower competition for specialized roles, and more financial breathing room after accounting for the cost of living.
Here is a detailed breakdown of Canada’s major job markets in 2026.
National overview: unemployment rates by city
| City | Unemployment Rate (three months to August 2026) | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Quebec City | 4.3% | Government, manufacturing |
| Thunder Bay | 4.7% | Healthcare, transportation |
| Victoria | 5.3% | Public sector, healthcare |
| Winnipeg | 5.4% | Manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare |
| Halifax | 5.5% | Government, ocean tech, defence |
| Gatineau | 6.2% | Federal public service |
| Montreal | 6.3% | AI/tech, aerospace, finance |
| Vancouver | 6.4% | Tech, film, finance |
| Canada (all areas) | 6.5% | n/a |
| Hamilton | 6.5% | Healthcare, manufacturing |
| Calgary | 6.7% | Energy, finance, tech |
| Toronto | 6.8% | Finance, tech, professional services |
| Edmonton | 6.9% | Energy, construction, healthcare |
| Ottawa | 7.4% | Federal public service, tech |
| Moncton | 7.5% | Distribution, healthcare, bilingual services |
| Windsor | 7.5% | Automotive (tariff-impacted) |
| Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | 8.2% | Tech, manufacturing |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0459-01 (August 2026 data, released September 4, 2026). Every rate, including the Canada row, is a seasonally adjusted three-month moving average (June to August 2026), so it can differ from the single-month rates in The Daily. Ottawa and Gatineau are the Ontario and Quebec parts of the Ottawa-Gatineau CMA.
City-by-city job market profiles
The wage tables below show Job Bank’s median hourly wage for each occupation in the city’s economic region (2025 wage release, mostly based on 2023 to 2024 survey data), with a full-time annual equivalent at 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks (1,950 hours a year). Economic regions don’t match city limits exactly: the Kitchener-Waterloo figures cover the Kitchener-Waterloo-Barrie region and the Vancouver figures cover the Lower Mainland. “Largest industries” are each metro’s biggest industries by number of jobs in Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey (Table 14-10-0468-01, 2025 annual average).
Ottawa-Gatineau: stable, white-collar, bilingual
What drives the economy: The federal government. The federal public service employed 146,149 people in the National Capital Region as of March 31, 2026 (Treasury Board Secretariat), and public administration accounted for 22.1% of all jobs in Ottawa-Gatineau in 2025. Ottawa also has a large tech sector: CBRE’s 2026 Scoring Tech Talent report puts tech at more than 10% of total employment. In the three months to August 2026, Ottawa’s unemployment rate was 7.4%, against 6.5% nationally.
Largest industries (share of jobs, 2025): Public administration (22.1%), health care and social assistance (13.1%), wholesale and retail trade (12.2%), professional, scientific and technical services (10.3%), educational services (7.5%)
Pay (selected roles):
| Role | Pay |
|---|---|
| Federal public servant (EC-06 economist) | $113,278–$131,375 (pay scale from June 2025) |
| Software developer | $50.26/hour median ($98,007 a year full-time) |
| IT project manager | $49.33/hour median ($96,194 a year full-time) |
| Registered nurse | $45.00/hour median ($87,750 a year full-time) |
| Call centre agent | $23.33/hour median ($45,494 a year full-time) |
Pros: Federal public servants are covered by the public service pension plan, a defined benefit plan; average asking rent for a 1-bedroom is lower than in Toronto or Vancouver (see the rent table below) Cons: Federal hiring has slowed: the federal public service in the National Capital Region shrank from 155,505 employees in March 2024 to 146,149 as of March 31, 2026; bilingualism is often required, with 41.7% of core public administration employees in bilingual positions (2023–24)
Best for: Early and mid-career professionals, public sector workers, bilingual candidates, families seeking stability
Toronto: the volume leader
What drives the economy: Canada’s largest city and financial capital. In 2025, the Toronto CMA had 3,736,700 jobs, the most of any Canadian metro area, along with competition for those jobs and high living costs.
Largest industries (share of jobs, 2025): Professional, scientific and technical services (14.4%), wholesale and retail trade (13.6%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (12.2%), health care and social assistance (10.8%), manufacturing (9.3%)
Median wages (selected roles):
| Role | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Financial and investment analyst | $41.60/hour ($81,120 a year full-time) |
| Software engineer | $56.49/hour ($110,156 a year full-time) |
| Lawyer | $69.74/hour ($135,993 a year full-time) |
| Registered nurse | $40.59/hour ($79,151 a year full-time) |
| Administrative assistant | $26.50/hour ($51,675 a year full-time) |
Pros: Most job listings; diverse industries; networking density; largest professional services market in Canada Cons: Rent second only to Vancouver among major cities; provincial income tax erodes high salaries; competitive market; long commutes; housing affordability is near impossible on most single incomes
Cost-of-living adjustment: At a $120,000 salary, 2026 take-home pay is $87,343 in Toronto and $88,258 in Calgary, but the average asking rent for a 1-bedroom apartment was $6,480 a year higher in Toronto in the second quarter of 2026, before counting Ontario’s 8% provincial share of the HST.
Best for: Finance professionals, lawyers, senior tech roles, anyone targeting the top 10% of their industry and willing to absorb high living costs to access those opportunities
Calgary: high wages, no provincial sales tax
What drives the economy: Calgary is best known for oil and gas, but its job base has shifted: forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas (the Labour Force Survey group that includes the energy industry) fell from 7.0% of Calgary jobs in 2015 to 4.7% in 2025, while professional, scientific and technical services grew from 10.8% to 14.3%. Alberta has no PST, and its basic personal amount is the highest of any province.
Largest industries (share of jobs, 2025): Professional, scientific and technical services (14.3%), wholesale and retail trade (13.3%), health care and social assistance (12.6%), construction (9.2%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (6.9%)
Median wages (selected roles):
| Role | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Petroleum engineer | $64.18/hour ($125,151 a year full-time) |
| Financial analyst | $45.70/hour ($89,115 a year full-time) |
| Software developer | $48.08/hour ($93,756 a year full-time) |
| Construction manager | $55.56/hour ($108,342 a year full-time) |
| Registered nurse | $48.01/hour ($93,620 a year full-time) |
| Electrician | $40.00/hour ($78,000 a year full-time) |
Alberta tax picture: With 2026 rates and basic personal amounts included, an individual earning $120,000 in Alberta pays $915 less in income tax per year than the same person in Ontario (including Ontario’s surtax and health premium), but $809 more than in BC. Alberta’s larger, more consistent advantage is having no provincial sales tax.
Pros: High wages, no PST, large provincial basic personal amount, an average home price of $638,440 (CREB, August 2026), strong private sector culture, growing startup ecosystem Cons: Economy tied to oil prices; boom-bust cycles create periodic layoffs; winters are cold; public transit is car-dependent
Best for: Energy sector workers, engineers, financial professionals, entrepreneurs, trades workers
Kitchener-Waterloo: one of Canada’s densest tech hubs
What drives the economy: The University of Waterloo’s co-op pipeline feeds one of Canada’s most concentrated tech ecosystems: CBRE’s 2026 Scoring Tech Talent report puts tech at more than 10% of total employment in Waterloo Region, a level matched in Canada only by Ottawa and Toronto. Companies headquartered or with major offices here include OpenText, Faire, Vidyard, and dozens of scale-ups.
Largest industries (share of jobs, 2025): Manufacturing (17.8%), wholesale and retail trade (13.3%), professional, scientific and technical services (12.7%), health care and social assistance (10.6%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (8.1%)
Median wages (selected roles):
| Role | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Software engineer | $56.77/hour ($110,702 a year full-time) |
| Data scientist | $44.62/hour ($87,009 a year full-time) |
| Industrial and manufacturing engineer | $43.09/hour ($84,026 a year full-time) |
| University of Waterloo co-op student (math and computer science, 2025, work terms anywhere in Canada) | $22.76/hour average in a first work term, rising to $34.15 by the sixth |
Housing advantage: In August 2026 the MLS Home Price Index benchmark price (the price of a typical home, all types) was $628,300 in Kitchener-Waterloo (Waterloo Region market), compared with $925,900 across the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto market), a gap of $297,600, so tech salaries stretch significantly further.
Pros: Software engineer median of $56.77/hour, against $56.49 in Toronto; about 100 km west of Toronto; home to the University of Waterloo and Wilfrid Laurier University Cons: A much smaller job market: about 389,100 people were employed in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo in 2025, compared with about 3,736,700 in Toronto
Best for: Software developers, data professionals, product managers, engineering students, anyone seeking Toronto-adjacent tech wages with better housing affordability
Vancouver: tech, film, and gateway to Asia-Pacific
What drives the economy: Services. Professional, scientific and technical services, which include tech and computer systems design, grew from 10.2% of Vancouver jobs in 2015 to 13.2% in 2025, and information, culture and recreation, the industry group that includes film and TV production, accounted for 4.9%. The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest.
Largest industries (share of jobs, 2025): Wholesale and retail trade (14.8%), professional, scientific and technical services (13.2%), health care and social assistance (12.9%), construction (8.0%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (7.9%)
Median wages (selected roles):
| Role | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Software engineer | $62.50/hour ($121,875 a year full-time) |
| Financial analyst | $43.59/hour ($85,001 a year full-time) |
| Registered nurse | $47.54/hour ($92,703 a year full-time) |
| Hotel manager (accommodation service manager) | $41.48/hour ($80,886 a year full-time) |
Cons: Canada’s highest housing costs (both home prices and rent); BC’s top combined income tax rate (53.5%, above $265,545) is among Canada’s highest; cost of living erodes salary gains significantly
Best for: US tech company Canadian offices, film/TV/gaming professionals, senior finance roles, international business
Montreal: AI, aerospace, and lower costs
What drives the economy: Aerospace (Bombardier, Pratt & Whitney, CAE), artificial intelligence research (Mila), financial services, gaming (Ubisoft, EA’s Motive Studio), and a growing biotech sector.
Top industries: AI/deep learning research, aerospace engineering, gaming/interactive media, finance, pharma
Median wages (selected roles):
| Role | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Aerospace engineer | $47.60/hour ($92,820 a year full-time) |
| Pharmacist | $61.00/hour ($118,950 a year full-time) |
| Financial analyst | $42.56/hour ($82,992 a year full-time) |
Montreal considerations: Quality of life, the restaurant and culture scene and French-language services are draws, and housing costs are compared on the Montreal income page. On taxes, at an $80,000 salary in 2026, combined federal and provincial income tax is $17,053 in Quebec, against $14,128 in Ontario.
Best for: AI/ML researchers and engineers, aerospace professionals, game developers, bilingual candidates
Edmonton: trades, energy, and healthcare
What drives the economy: Edmonton is Alberta’s capital, and public administration accounted for 7.3% of its jobs in 2025, compared with 3.8% in Calgary. Health care and social assistance (14.3%) and construction (11.5%) also make up larger shares of employment than in Calgary (12.6% and 9.2%).
Largest industries (share of jobs, 2025): Wholesale and retail trade (14.6%), health care and social assistance (14.3%), construction (11.5%), professional, scientific and technical services (8.2%), public administration (7.3%)
Median wages (selected roles):
| Role | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Registered nurse | $46.00/hour ($89,700 a year full-time) |
| Welder | $39.90/hour ($77,805 a year full-time) |
| Civil engineer | $51.69/hour ($100,796 a year full-time) |
| Secondary school teacher | $47.60/hour ($92,820 a year full-time) |
Best for: Healthcare workers, trades professionals, public administration careers, anyone wanting Alberta wages without Calgary’s cost of living
Halifax: growing tech and defence hub
What drives the economy: Health care, government and education. Halifax is home to HMC Dockyard, the hub of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Atlantic Fleet, and to Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s universities.
Largest industries (share of jobs, 2025): Health care and social assistance (14.8%), wholesale and retail trade (13.8%), professional, scientific and technical services (9.8%), public administration (8.4%), construction (7.9%)
Median wages (selected roles):
| Role | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Software developer | $40.67/hour ($79,307 a year full-time) |
| Registered nurse | $42.00/hour ($81,900 a year full-time) |
| Post-secondary administrator | $52.88/hour ($103,116 a year full-time) |
Best for: Defence/security professionals, ocean tech, academics, remote workers relocating from expensive cities for lower housing costs
The remote work factor in 2026
Remote work has materially changed the calculus for Canadian workers. If your employer is fully remote, you can:
- Earn Toronto or Vancouver tech wages
- Live in Halifax, Moncton, Fredericton, or Thunder Bay
- Compare housing markets: in August 2026 the MLS Home Price Index benchmark price was $342,400 across New Brunswick (Moncton market) and $435,000 across Nova Scotia (Halifax market), compared with $925,900 in the Greater Toronto Area and $1,081,900 in Metro Vancouver (Vancouver market)
- Dramatically improve your financial position
The key questions for remote workers:
- Is your employer likely to mandate a return to office?
- Is your role defensible, or are there signs it could be outsourced offshore?
- Does remote work limit your career advancement? (Some role types require visibility to move up.)
If you are in a fully remote role with a national employer, location choice is now a financial optimization problem. Compare rents in cities like Moncton, Windsor (currently depressed by auto tariffs) and Thunder Bay: in the second quarter of 2026, the average asking rent for a 1-bedroom apartment was $1,290 in Moncton, $1,520 in Windsor and $1,470 in Thunder Bay, compared with $2,090 in Toronto and $2,280 in Vancouver (Statistics Canada Table 46-10-0092-01).
Real wages: after-tax, after-rent comparison
Nominal salary comparisons are misleading. Here’s a comparison of $100,000 gross income across cities, factoring in federal and provincial taxes and average 1-bedroom apartment rent:
| City | Take-home on $100,000 | Avg 1BR asking rent (monthly) | Monthly leftover after rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calgary | $74,459 | $1,550 | $4,655 |
| Ottawa | $74,206 | $1,900 | $4,284 |
| Kitchener-Waterloo | $74,206 | $1,740 | $4,444 |
| Edmonton | $74,459 | $1,260 | $4,945 |
| Halifax | $68,867 | $1,880 | $3,859 |
| Winnipeg | $71,445 | $1,320 | $4,634 |
| Montreal | $69,585 | $1,480 | $4,319 |
| Toronto | $74,206 | $2,090 | $4,094 |
| Vancouver | $75,373 | $2,280 | $4,001 |
Rents are Statistics Canada average asking rents for 1-bedroom apartments, second quarter of 2026 (Table 46-10-0092-01; Ottawa is the Ontario part of the CMA). Take-home is a $100,000 salary minus 2026 federal and provincial income tax (with basic personal amounts, Ontario’s surtax and health premium), CPP or QPP, EI and, in Quebec, QPIP, for a single employee with employment income only. Monthly leftover is take-home divided by 12, minus the monthly rent.
The table shows what a $100,000 salary leaves after tax and rent in each city, before accounting for home-buying costs; compare the take-home and rent columns to see how much of each city’s difference comes from each.
Related guides
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 5, 2026 and September 24, 2026. How we check facts.
- Canada Revenue Agency: T4127 jul payroll deductions formulas
- Canada Revenue Agency: Line 30000 basic personal amount
- Canada Revenue Agency: Current year
- cbre.com: Scoring tech talent 2026
- cornerstone.inc: Home | Cornerstone Association of REALTORS®
- CREA: Wrar
- CREA: Nbreb
- CREA: Nsar
- creb.com: CREB® | Real Estate Resources For Calgary
- creb.com: CREB® | Housing Statistics
- creb.com: 08 2026 Calgary Monthly Stats Package
- destinationontario.com: Waterloo | Destination Ontario
23 more sources
- fedpay.ca: EC Salary & Rates of Pay Jun 2025: $63K–$159K
- fedsalaries.ca: EC-06 Annual Salary Ranges (2021-2025)
- Government of Canada: Population federal public service national capital region
- Government of Canada: Official languages 2023 2024
- Government of Canada: Wages - Open Government Portal
- gvrealtors.ca: www.gvrealtors.ca
- members.gvrealtors.ca: GVR Stats Package August 2026
- movingwithmacpherson.com: Moncton Market Update July 2026: All 13 Sub-Areas Rated
- nbrealtors.ca: nbrealtors.ca
- nsrealtors.ca: Nova Scotia Association of REALTORS® | NSAR
- rentals.ca: National rent report
- Revenu Québec: Income tax rates
- roblough.c21.ca: Halifax-Dartmouth Real Estate Market Stats August 2026
- Statistics Canada: Data table
- Statistics Canada: Employment characteristics by census metropolitan area, annual
- Statistics Canada: Data table
- Statistics Canada: Asking rent and paid rent prices, by rental unit type and number of bedrooms,…
- TRREB: TRREB
- TRREB: Market Watch – TRREB
- TRREB: PDF document
- uwaterloo.ca: Co-op earnings | Co-operative Education | University of Waterloo
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