How much money does an Accountant make in Canada?
Average Yearly Salary
80,600 CAD
( 6,720 CAD monthly)
LOW
38,700
CADAVERAGE
80,600
CADHIGH
127,000
CAD
A person working as an Accountant in Canada typically earns around 80,600 CAD per year. Salaries range from 38,700 CAD (lowest) to 127,000 CAD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Accountant salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Accountant Salary Distribution in Canada
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
Salary Range
Accountant salaries in Canada range from 38,700 CAD per year (minimum salary) to 127,000 CAD per year (maximum salary).
Median Salary
The median salary is 83,900 CAD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Accountant(s) are earning less than 83,900 CAD while the other half are earning more than 83,900 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.
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Accountant(s) are earning less than 55,200 CAD while 75% of them are earning more than 55,200 CAD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Accountant(s) are earning less than 109,000 CAD while 25% are earning more than 109,000 CAD.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
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
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Accountant Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Accountant salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An Accountant with less than two years of experience makes approximately 45,300 CAD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 64,200 CAD per year, 42% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 84,400 CAD per year, 31% more than someone with two to five 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.
Additionally, Accountant(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 104,000 CAD per year, 23% 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 110,000 CAD per year, 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 121,000 CAD per year, 10% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Accountant average salary change by experience in Canada
| 0 - 2 Years | 45,300 CAD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +42% | 64,200 CAD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +31% | 84,400 CAD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +23% | 104,000 CAD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +6% | 110,000 CAD |
| 20+ Years | +10% | 121,000 CAD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
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Accountant Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Accountant(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.
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 Accountant salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is High School, the average salary of an Accountant is 56,300 CAD per year.
While someone with a Certificate or Diploma gets a salary of 65,100 CAD per year, 16% more than someone having a High School degree.
A Bachelor's Degree gets its holder an average salary of 95,000 CAD per year, 46% more than someone with a Certificate or Diploma.
Professionals who hold a Master's Degree are rewarded with an average salary of 117,000 CAD per year, 23% more than someone with Bachelor's Degree.
Accountant average salary difference by education level in Canada
| High School | 56,300 CAD | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +16% | 65,100 CAD |
| Bachelor's Degree | +46% | 95,000 CAD |
| Master's Degree | +23% | 117,000 CAD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
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 the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Accountant Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Accountant employees in Canada earn 4% more than their female counterparts on average.
| Male | 82,500 CAD | |
| Female | -4% | 79,000 CAD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Salary Comparison By Gender in Canada for all Careers
Accountant Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Canada
How much are annual salary increments in Canada for Accountant(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Accountant
Accountant(s) in Canada are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 12% every 14 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
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
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.
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%.”
Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2022
| 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 2022. 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.
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Accountant Bonus and Incentive Rates in Canada
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
An Accountant is considered to be a moderate bonus-based job 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.
41% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 59% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 3% to 6% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 59% | |
| No Bonus | 41% |
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 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.
“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.
Accountant Average Hourly Wage in Canada
39 CAD per hour
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Canada is 39 CAD. This means that the average Accountant in Canada earns approximately 39 CAD for every worked hour.
Hourly Wage = Annual Salary ÷ ( 52 x 5 x 8 )
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.
Accountant VS Other Jobs
The average salary for Accountant is 34% less than that of Accounting and Finance. Also, Accounting and Finance salaries are 3% more than those of All Jobs.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Account Examiner | 60,900 CAD |  -24% |
| Account Executive | 108,000 CAD |  +34% |
| Accountant | 80,600 CAD | -0% |
| Accounting Assistant | 65,600 CAD | -19% |
| Accounting Associate | 63,500 CAD | -21% |
| Accounting Clerk | 51,300 CAD | -36% |
| Accounting Coordinator | 73,000 CAD | -9% |
| Accounting Manager | 178,000 CAD | +120% |
| Accounting Supervisor | 119,000 CAD | +48% |
| Accounting Technician | 59,300 CAD | -26% |
| Accounts Executive | 111,000 CAD | +38% |
| Accounts Payable and Receivable Specialist | 87,300 CAD | +8% |
| Accounts Payable Clerk | 64,600 CAD | -20% |
| Accounts Payable Manager | 161,000 CAD | +100% |
| Accounts Receivable Clerk | 63,100 CAD | -22% |
| Accounts Receivable Manager | 171,000 CAD | +110% |
| Assistant Accounting Manager | 166,000 CAD | +110% |
| Assistant Auditor | 80,700 CAD | +0% |
| Audit Supervisor | 159,000 CAD | +97% |
| Auditing Clerk | 68,600 CAD | -15% |
| Auditing Manager | 173,000 CAD | +110% |
| Billing Coordinator | 76,600 CAD | -5% |
| Billing Specialist | 86,000 CAD | +7% |
| Billing Supervisor | 129,000 CAD | +60% |
| Bookkeeper | 57,700 CAD | -28% |
| Bookkeeping Specialist | 80,800 CAD | +0% |
| Budget Analyst | 142,000 CAD | +76% |
| Budget Manager | 176,000 CAD | +120% |
| Business Support Analyst | 91,000 CAD | +13% |
| Capital Markets Associate | 129,000 CAD | +60% |
| Cash Flow Analyst | 134,000 CAD | +66% |
| Cash Management Officer | 99,500 CAD | +23% |
| Cashbook Clerk | 58,600 CAD | -27% |
| Chartered Accountant | 104,000 CAD | +29% |
| Collections Clerk | 54,600 CAD | -32% |
| Collections Specialist | 82,300 CAD | +2% |
| Corporate Treasurer | 154,000 CAD | +91% |
| Cost Accountant | 82,900 CAD | +3% |
| Cost Accounting Manager | 167,000 CAD | +110% |
| Cost Analyst | 139,000 CAD | +72% |
| Credit and Collection Manager | 171,000 CAD | +110% |
| Credit and Collection Staff | 64,900 CAD | -20% |
| Credit and Loans Officer | 59,100 CAD | -27% |
| Credit Controller | 122,000 CAD | +51% |
| Debt Adviser | 137,000 CAD | +70% |
| Debt Collector | 69,500 CAD | -14% |
| Debtors Clerk | 58,000 CAD | -28% |
| Deputy CFO | 229,000 CAD | +180% |
| Derivative Trader | 148,000 CAD | +84% |
| Escrow Assistant | 78,800 CAD | -2% |
| External Auditor | 121,000 CAD | +50% |
| Finance Associate | 75,000 CAD | -7% |
| Finance Executive | 184,000 CAD | +130% |
| Finance Licensing Clerk | 64,000 CAD | -21% |
| Finance Licensing Manager | 159,000 CAD | +97% |
| Finance Licensing Specialist | 93,800 CAD | +16% |
| Finance Officer | 79,700 CAD | -1% |
| Finance President | 256,000 CAD | +220% |
| Finance Relationship Manager | 202,000 CAD | +150% |
| Finance Release Analyst | 101,000 CAD | +25% |
| Finance Team Leader | 183,000 CAD | +130% |
| Financial Actuary | 127,000 CAD | +57% |
| Financial Administrator | 147,000 CAD | +82% |
| Financial Analyst | 160,000 CAD | +98% |
| Financial Applications Specialist | 105,000 CAD | +30% |
| Financial Assistant | 70,500 CAD | -13% |
| Financial Associate | 70,900 CAD | -12% |
| Financial Claims Analyst | 114,000 CAD | +41% |
| Financial Claims Manager | 157,000 CAD | +95% |
| Financial Commercial Analyst | 119,000 CAD | +48% |
| Financial Compliance Analyst | 141,000 CAD | +75% |
| Financial Consultant | 109,000 CAD | +35% |
| Financial Controller | 131,000 CAD | +62% |
| Financial Coordinator | 76,800 CAD | -5% |
| Financial Customer Service Manager | 161,000 CAD | +100% |
| Financial Dealer and Broker | 92,400 CAD | +15% |
| Financial Encoder | 68,700 CAD | -15% |
| Financial Manager | 241,000 CAD | +200% |
| Financial Operations Manager | 223,000 CAD | +180% |
| Financial Policy Analyst | 133,000 CAD | +65% |
| Financial Project Manager | 173,000 CAD | +110% |
| Financial Quantitative Analyst | 142,000 CAD | +76% |
| Financial Reporting Consultant | 124,000 CAD | +54% |
| Financial Reporting Manager | 164,000 CAD | +100% |
| Financial Services Sales Agent | 88,900 CAD | +10% |
| Fixed Assets Administrator | 91,200 CAD | +13% |
| Forensic Accountant | 102,000 CAD | +26% |
| Fraud Detection Supervisor | 102,000 CAD | +26% |
| Fraud Prevention Manager | 176,000 CAD | +120% |
| Fund Accountant | 77,400 CAD | -4% |
| Grants Coordinator | 65,400 CAD | -19% |
| Internal Auditor | 109,000 CAD | +35% |
| Internal Control Adviser | 131,000 CAD | +62% |
| Internal Control Officer | 75,100 CAD | -7% |
| Inventory Accountant | 86,800 CAD | +8% |
| Investment Analyst | 173,000 CAD | +110% |
| Investment Fund Manager | 193,000 CAD | +140% |
| Investment Underwriter | 69,000 CAD | -14% |
| Investor | 111,000 CAD | +38% |
| Investor Relations Manager | 162,000 CAD | +100% |
| KYC Team Leader | 166,000 CAD | +110% |
| Management Economist | 188,000 CAD | +130% |
| Paymaster | 66,600 CAD | -17% |
| Payroll Clerk | 73,700 CAD | -9% |
| Payroll Manager | 160,000 CAD | +98% |
| Pensions Administrator | 85,500 CAD | +6% |
| Pricing Analyst | 145,000 CAD | +80% |
| Private Equity Analyst | 148,000 CAD | +84% |
| Proposal Development Coordinator | 71,800 CAD | -11% |
| Receivables Accountant | 81,900 CAD | +2% |
| Regulatory Accountant | 96,800 CAD | +20% |
| Retirement Plan Analyst | 132,000 CAD | +64% |
| Revenue Management Specialist | 143,000 CAD | +77% |
| Revenue Recognition Analyst | 157,000 CAD | +95% |
| Risk Management Director | 209,000 CAD | +160% |
| Risk Management Supervisor | 161,000 CAD | +100% |
| Tax Accountant | 79,800 CAD | -1% |
| Tax Advisor | 125,000 CAD | +55% |
| Tax Associate | 74,400 CAD | -8% |
| Tax Manager | 173,000 CAD | +110% |
| Teller | 49,300 CAD | -39% |
| Treasury Accountant | 88,500 CAD | +10% |
| Treasury Analyst | 146,000 CAD | +81% |
| Underwriter | 58,800 CAD | -27% |
| Underwriting Assistant | 57,400 CAD | -29% |
| Vice President of Finance | 228,000 CAD | +180% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Brampton | 85,000 CAD |
| Calgary | 88,800 CAD |
| Edmonton | 87,800 CAD |
| Gatineau | 77,300 CAD |
| Halifax | 82,500 CAD |
| Hamilton | 86,000 CAD |
| Kitchener | 82,400 CAD |
| Markham | 82,100 CAD |
| Mississauga | 88,700 CAD |
| Montreal | 91,200 CAD |
| Ottawa | 89,700 CAD |
| Quebec | 85,100 CAD |
| Regina | 74,400 CAD |
| Richmond | 72,700 CAD |
| Saskatoon | 75,400 CAD |
| Surrey | 80,300 CAD |
| Toronto | 94,200 CAD |
| Vancouver | 87,800 CAD |
| Vaughan | 80,200 CAD |
| Windsor | 79,200 CAD |
| Winnipeg | 81,400 CAD |
Salary Comparison By State
| State | Average Salary |
| Alberta | 87,800 CAD |
| British Columbia | 89,600 CAD |
| Manitoba | 84,900 CAD |
| New Brunswick | 78,900 CAD |
| Newfoundland-Labrador | 77,100 CAD |
| Northwest Territories | 85,300 CAD |
| Nova Scotia | 80,100 CAD |
| Nunavut | 88,300 CAD |
| Ontario | 94,800 CAD |
| Prince Edward Island | 73,000 CAD |
| Quebec | 92,700 CAD |
| Saskatchewan | 81,000 CAD |
| Yukon | 74,200 CAD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
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 |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
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