Highest Paying Industries in Canada (2025 Data)
In the latest Statistics Canada wage data, the three highest-paying industries are utilities; forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas; and professional, scientific and technical services. The three lowest-paying are accommodation and food services; agriculture; and wholesale and retail trade. The highest averaged $55.90/hour and the lowest $20.98/hour.
This page is part of our guide to average and median income in Canada. Overall pay by province, age and education is on the average salary in Canada page, and the gap between women’s and men’s pay in each industry is on the gender pay gap in Canada page.
| Industry | Avg. Hourly Wage | Avg. Annual Equivalent | Y/Y Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities | $55.90 | $110,624 | +5.8% |
| Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas | $51.34 | $119,555 | +2.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | $48.60 | $96,683 | +2.3% |
| Public administration | $46.39 | $89,324 | +4.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing | $44.24 | $86,063 | +3.4% |
| Educational services | $42.30 | $72,357 | +5.2% |
| Construction | $37.86 | $79,146 | +3.3% |
| Manufacturing | $35.21 | $71,776 | +2.6% |
| Health care and social assistance | $34.81 | $62,696 | +4.1% |
| Transportation and warehousing | $34.22 | $68,763 | +2.4% |
| Information, culture and recreation | $34.20 | $60,516 | +5.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | $31.56 | $58,753 | +3.9% |
| Business, building and other support services | $28.65 | $54,686 | +6.4% |
| Wholesale and retail trade | $27.59 | $49,986 | +1.8% |
| Agriculture | $25.79 | $52,722 | +3.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | $20.98 | $32,063 | +1.9% |
Source: Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0064, 2025 annual average. "Annual equivalent" is the average weekly wage × 52, a simplified full-year estimate, not an official StatCan figure.
The national average across all industries and employee types was $36.40/hour in 2025, a year-over-year change of 3.4%.
Professional services and public administration
Professional, scientific and technical services, the industry group that includes engineering, legal and consulting firms, averaged $48.60/hour, and public administration $46.39/hour, against $36.40/hour across all industries.
Fastest-growing wages by industry
Year-over-year wage growth varied by industry in 2025. The fastest wage growth was in business, building and other support services (6.4%), information, culture and recreation (5.9%) and utilities (5.8%), against 3.4% for all industries, and the slowest in wholesale and retail trade (1.8%).
A percentage change starts from a different base in each industry, so the table’s dollar levels are worth reading alongside the growth rates.
Industry pay compared to overall average
Compare each industry with the $36.40/hour national average in the table: the highest-paying industry, utilities, averaged $55.90/hour, and the lowest-paying, accommodation and food services, $20.98/hour.
These are averages. The median wage, the middle value, is on the average salary in Canada page.
Pay within an industry
Industry averages blend very different jobs, experience levels and provinces. What specific jobs pay is covered in our salaries in Canada by profession guides, pay for the same roles in different cities is compared in best cities in Canada for jobs, and the income percentile calculator shows where a given salary ranks in a province.
Data source: Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0064, “Employee wages by industry, annual,” both full- and part-time employees, age 15 and over, most recent year available.
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them on September 24, 2026. How we check facts.
- Statistics Canada: Employee wages by industry, annual