In the National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021), data scientists are their own unit group, NOC 21211. Statistics Canada’s description of the group gives data scientist, machine learning engineer, machine learning specialist and quantitative analyst as example titles, so the wage figures below include machine learning engineers. This page shows what the occupation earns from Job Bank and the 2021 Census, how it compares with nearby data and systems roles, and what the NOC description says about education. It is part of the salaries by profession hub; the software engineers page covers developers, and the IT managers page covers the management track.
Job Bank wages for data scientists
Job Bank’s national median for data scientists is $46.15 an hour, with $30.00 at the 10th percentile and $69.74 at the 90th. Over 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks, the median comes to about $89,993 a year; that is a conversion of the hourly figure, not a quoted salary.
By province (a province missing from the table has no published Job Bank wage for this occupation):
| Region | Low (per hour) | Median (per hour) | High (per hour) | Period and data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $30.00 | $46.15 | $69.74 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00 | $41.76 | $66.67 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Nova Scotia | $24.09 | $44.06 | $65.75 | 2023-2024, Employment Insurance Survey Data |
| New Brunswick | $20.80 | $39.32 | $82.42 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Quebec | $31.73 | $46.00 | $64.84 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Ontario | $31.25 | $47.69 | $71.79 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Manitoba | $29.09 | $45.00 | $60.10 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Saskatchewan | $32.69 | $42.05 | $57.69 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| Alberta | $28.00 | $43.27 | $57.69 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
| British Columbia | $32.45 | $48.08 | $88.94 | 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey |
Source: Job Bank wages (Employment and Social Development Canada), NOC 21211. Low is the 10th percentile and high the 90th percentile of wages.
How data science compares with nearby roles
Data work is spread across several NOC groups. Statistics Canada’s example titles for database analysts and data administrators (NOC 21223) include data warehouse analyst and database administrator, and those for business systems specialists (NOC 21221) include business systems analyst and information technology (IT) business analyst. National Job Bank wages side by side:
| Occupation (NOC) | Low (per hour) | Median (per hour) | High (per hour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data scientists (21211) | $30.00 | $46.15 | $69.74 |
| Database analysts and data administrators (21223) | $25.00 | $40.87 | $61.03 |
| Business systems specialists (21221) | $30.67 | $45.13 | $62.50 |
| Software engineers and designers (21231) | $35.00 | $56.49 | $91.35 |
Source: Job Bank wages (Employment and Social Development Canada), 2023-2024, Labour Force Survey. Low is the 10th percentile and high the 90th percentile of wages.
A job advertised as “data analyst” or “data engineer” can fall in any of these groups, depending on its duties.
Data scientists in the 2021 Census
The Census gives a second view: employment income in 2020 for people who worked the full year full time, at the median and average. It is older than the Job Bank figures above. The CPI-adjusted columns convert those 2020 incomes into today’s dollars and don’t reflect any pay change since.
| Province | Median, 2020 | Median in August 2026 dollars | Average in August 2026 dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $95,000 | $117,800 | $134,100 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not published* | Not published* | Not published* |
| Prince Edward Island | Not published* | Not published* | Not published* |
| Nova Scotia | $70,500 | $87,400 | $106,600 |
| New Brunswick | $79,000 | $97,900 | $121,500 |
| Quebec | $90,000 | $111,600 | $128,100 |
| Ontario | $98,000 | $121,500 | $137,000 |
| Manitoba | $83,000 | $102,900 | $89,300 |
| Saskatchewan | $98,000 | $121,500 | $121,500 |
| Alberta | $90,000 | $111,600 | $128,700 |
| British Columbia | $96,000 | $119,000 | $143,300 |
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Table 98-10-0586-01: employment income in 2020 of people who worked full year, full time. Columns in August 2026 dollars multiply the 2020 figure by the change in the Consumer Price Index from its 2020 average to August 2026 and round to the nearest $100; they are not newer survey results. *Not published: Statistics Canada does not release Census income figures for groups with too few people, to protect confidentiality.
Education and how pay is built
Statistics Canada’s NOC description lists as usually required a bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, computer systems engineering or a related discipline, or completion of a college program in computer science; a master's or doctoral degree in machine learning, data science, or a related quantitative field; experience in programming; and experience in statistical modelling and machine learning.
Neither source separates base salary from bonus and equity. At employers that grant shares (restricted share units or stock options), what a data scientist is paid in a year can differ from the salary in the offer; the software engineers page describes those pay components. Self-reported compensation sites aren’t used as a source on this page.
Related salary guides
- How much software engineers make in Canada
- How much IT managers make in Canada
- How much engineers make in Canada
- Average salary in Canada
- Income percentile calculator, to see where a salary sits among all Canadian earners
Sources
The figures and rules on this page come from these sources, last checked against them between September 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026. How we check facts.
- Government of Canada: Wages - Open Government Portal
- Statistics Canada: NOC 2021 Version 1.0 - 21211 - Data scientists - Unit Group
- Statistics Canada: Statistics Canada
- Statistics Canada: Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted
- Statistics Canada: Consumer Price Index, monthly, not seasonally adjusted