If you’ve ever looked at your paycheque and wondered if people in other parts of Canada are earning way more, you’re not alone — and you might be right.
New data from Statistics Canada has revealed the average salaries across the country as of January 2025, and let’s just say Quebec isn’t exactly leading the charge. While Canada’s national average climbed to $1,294.26 per week — about $67,300 per year — Quebecers are still earning well below that benchmark.
Quebec is stuck in the bottom half
The average weekly salary in Quebec is $1,237.52, which works out to around $64,351 per year. That puts la belle province below not only the national average but also behind provinces like Alberta, Ontario, and even Newfoundland and Labrador.
To put it into perspective, here’s how we compare:
- Alberta: $71,140/year
- Ontario: $69,147/year
- Quebec: $64,351/year
While Quebec isn’t dead last, we’re definitely closer to the bottom than the top.
The North is rolling in it
Shockingly, the highest average salaries in Canada aren’t even in the provinces — they’re up north. Nunavut takes the top spot with a weekly wage of $1,821.77 — over $94,700 per year — followed closely by the Northwest Territories and Yukon.
That means workers in Nunavut are making over $30,000 more than the average Quebecer, and nearly $40,000 more than those in P.E.I., which had the lowest average salary in Canada.
High salaries in northern regions are often tied to remote work conditions, higher living costs, and the difficulty of attracting talent to isolated communities.
Quebec’s wage growth is steady — but it’s not enough
Yes, Quebec salaries have grown in the past year — but not fast enough to keep pace with provinces that are home to booming sectors like oil and tech. While minimum wage is set to increase from $15.75 to $16.10 per hour on May 1, 2025, this 2.22% raise will benefit approximately 217,400 employees,
And with job vacancies on the decline across the country, it’s not getting any easier to level the playing field.
Here’s how each province and territory stacks up, ranked by average weekly earnings as of January 2025:
Above the national average:
- Nunavut – $1,821.77/week ($94,732/year)
- Northwest Territories – $1,814.09/week ($94,333/year)
- Yukon – $1,484.62/week ($77,200/year)
- Alberta – $1,368.07/week ($71,140/year)
- Ontario – $1,329.75/week ($69,147/year)
- British Columbia – $1,299.99/week ($67,599/year)
Below the national average:
- Newfoundland & Labrador – $1,286.67/week ($66,907/year)
- Saskatchewan – $1,262.05/week ($65,627/year)
- Quebec – $1,237.52/week ($64,351/year)
- New Brunswick – $1,182.25/week ($61,477/year)
- Manitoba – $1,164.53/week ($60,556/year)
- Nova Scotia – $1,148.93/week ($59,744/year)
- Prince Edward Island – $1,097.38/week ($57,064/year)
Love this? Check out our MTL Blog noticeboard for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!
AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog’s Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our Editorial Standards page.
