Quebec’s best-paid job sector for 2026 was revealed & it’s not what you’d expect

If you’ve been wondering how your paycheque stacks up against the rest of Quebec, Statistics Canada’s latest wage data gives a pretty clear answer, and the sector sitting at the very top just changed hands.

According to recent StatCan numbers, covering wages through May 2026, Quebec’s overall median weekly wage now sits at $1,280, up from the $1,264.90 we highlighted in our last look at this data back in October. That province-wide number hides a lot of variation, though. Some sectors are barely clearing $800 a week, while one has pushed past $1,800.

Here’s how every sector stacks up, ranked from lowest to highest paying, along with how each one has moved since May 2025.

Accommodation and food services — $820/week (≈ $42,640/year)

Still the lowest-paying sector in the province, though wages here ticked up slightly, less than 1 percent, from $814 a year ago. This covers everyone from servers and kitchen staff to hotel and restaurant management.

Agriculture — $900/week (≈ $46,800/year)

Agriculture posted the steepest decline of any sector on this list, dropping 10 percent from $1,000 a year earlier. It covers farm labour, greenhouse work, and food and plant production.

Business, building and other support services — $960/week (≈ $49,920/year)

This catch-all category, covering building maintenance, private security, HR, and call centres, edged up about 1 percent from $947.20 last year.

Wholesale and retail trade — $1,020/week (≈ $53,040/year)

Retail and warehouse jobs saw a solid bump this year, up nearly 6 percent from $966 in May 2025.

Other services (except public administration) — $1,080/week (≈ $56,160/year)

This grab-bag category, which includes funeral services, vehicle repair, and religious and non-profit organizations, actually saw pay dip about 2 percent from $1,102 a year ago.

Health care and social assistance — $1,105.20/week (≈ $57,470/year)

Hospitals, long-term care homes, and social services make up this massive sector, where pay rose just over 4 percent from $1,060.50 last year.

Manufacturing — $1,250.40/week (≈ $65,021/year)

Quebec’s factory sector, spanning food processing to aerospace, grew about 2 percent from $1,225 a year earlier.

Transportation and warehousing — $1,275.20/week (≈ $66,310/year)

Truckers, transit workers, and logistics staff saw one of the bigger jumps this year, up more than 6 percent from $1,200 in May 2025.

Information, culture and recreation — $1,435.35/week (≈ $74,638/year)

Media, telecom, and culture industries posted one of the largest increases on the list, climbing over 13 percent from $1,269.38 a year ago.

Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing — $1,538.40/week (≈ $79,997/year)

Banks, insurers, and real estate firms saw pay rise nearly 7 percent from $1,442.35 last year.

Educational services — $1,586.88/week (≈ $82,518/year)

From daycare to university, education workers saw wages grow about 3.5 percent from $1,533 a year earlier.

Construction — $1,600/week (≈ $83,200/year)

Residential building and civil engineering work climbed over 5 percent from $1,520 last year.

Professional, scientific and technical services — $1,631.25/week (≈ $84,825/year)

This sector, covering law, accounting, engineering, and IT, rose more than 7 percent from $1,520 in May 2025.

Public administration — $1,650/week (≈ $85,800/year)

Government jobs tied to justice, taxation, and public safety climbed over 7 percent from $1,538.60 a year ago.

Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, and oil and gas — $1,820/week (≈ $94,640/year)

Quebec’s natural resources sector posted the single biggest gain of any industry on this list, jumping more than 21 percent from $1,500 a year ago. Still, that wasn’t quite enough to reclaim the top spot.

Utilities — $1,827/week (≈ $95,004/year)

Despite taking the steepest pay cut of any sector on this list, down more than 13 percent from $2,108.70 last year, utilities workers, including those in electricity, natural gas, and water treatment, still hold the title of best-paid sector in the province, if only barely.

That’s a shift worth flagging. Back in our October roundup, drawing on September 2025 data, natural resources held the outright top spot, with utilities in second. The order between those two sectors has now flipped, with utilities narrowly back on top even after its steep year-over-year drop.

You can explore the entire StatCan report here.

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This story was inspired by an article originally published on Narcity Quebec.