The average Canadian paycheque just grew — Here’s how Quebec salaries stack up

Canadians are, on average, taking home a bit more than they were a year ago, and Quebec is no exception, though the province still trails the national pace.

According to new data from Statistics Canada, the average weekly wage across the country hit $1,345.79 in April 2026, up 3.8% from the same month last year. On an annualized basis, that works out to roughly $70,000 a year, keeping in mind StatCan measures this weekly and actual yearly pay depends on hours and weeks worked.

Quebec came in a little under that mark. The average weekly wage here was $1,292.50, which annualizes to about $67,200. That’s a 3.4% bump from a year earlier, so paycheques are growing, just slightly slower than the national average, and the province sits below the countrywide number.

How Quebec stacks up against the rest

Quebec lands in the middle of the pack, behind the country’s higher-earning provinces but ahead of most of Atlantic Canada. Here’s how the provinces compared in April 2026 (average weekly earnings):

• Alberta: $1,394.29
• Ontario: $1,381.76
• British Columbia: $1,357.68
• Newfoundland and Labrador: $1,294.87
• Quebec: $1,292.50
• Manitoba: $1,234.99
• Saskatchewan: $1,297.38
• Nova Scotia: $1,221.52
• New Brunswick: $1,256.45
• Prince Edward Island: $1,161.80

Alberta continues to lead the provinces, helped by its oil and gas sector, with Ontario and B.C. close behind. Quebec’s average edges out several of its neighbours but remains a fair bit below those three.

Which industries pay the most

The gap between sectors is where the numbers really spread out. Nationally, the best-paying industries by average weekly earnings in April were information and cultural industries ($2,056.88), finance and insurance ($1,863.28), and professional, scientific and technical services ($1,957.65).

At the other end, the lowest average weekly earnings were in accommodation and food services ($534.28) and retail trade ($788.93), both sectors known for part-time and lower-wage work.