2026 Canada Tech Salary Guide
Find out the expected salaries for Canadian tech workers in 2026 with the Tech Salary Guide from Motion Recruitment. The guide includes salary data for over 100 tech positions, along with expert commentary on the changing Canadian tech scene and the latest industry developments.
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IT Salaries and Tech Market Insights for Canada in 2026
Motion’s 2026 Canada IT Salary Guide provides Canadians with the information needed to navigate a tech job search or hiring plan.
Map Out Your 2026 Strategy for the Canadian Tech Market
with Expert Insights & Salary Data
1.1 Million
tech workers in Canada
Home to multiple top ten tech cities in North America, Canada has over 1.1 million tech workers.
CA$137K
average salary for IT workers
The average base level salary for all Toronto tech workers is CA$137,693.
Emerging Tech in Canada: Agentic AI and a Lack of Upskilling
Canadian tech professionals can set themselves apart by advancing their AI skills. As Agentic AI reshapes the industry, most have yet to build expertise in generative AI. Taking the initiative to develop these capabilities now will help you stay ahead and increase your success in a highly competitive market.
Q: What Advice Would You Give Tech Canadian Job Seekers and Hiring Managers in 2026?
From Matt McKinney, Executive Director of the Toronto Office, Motion Recruitment
"Tech leaders should be looking to invest not just in new technologies, but in their people in 2026. Prioritising upskilling, transparent communication, and meaningful recognition builds trust and stability, both critical to long-term success. Likewise, IT workers should seek out upskilling opportunities to grow their skillsets in an evolving market."
What will I find in Motion's IT Salary Guide?
- The state of tech employment in 2026, with the impact of layoffs, economic conditions, IT job creation and the tech talent shortage.
- The continuing impact of artificial intelligence on the job market, including the need for upskilling in the tech industry and how AI is evolving the wearables market.
- Tech hiring and workplace trends, including tech workers heading back to the office.
- Advice from market experts on what you can do to succeed in 2026.
- You will find starting salaries for mid and senior level ranges for over 100 specific job titles across technology areas. There are also city-specific variances included, which you can use to measure the regional salary ranges per tech job.
- You will see IT salaries for top roles from the most in-demand technology areas: Software, Data & AI, Security, Infrastructure & DevOps, Mobile, Functional, Product & UX and Executive.
Local IT salary guides
Download city-specific salary guides below:
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Tech Specific Salary Guides
Find technology-specific insights for top IT roles and salary guides below.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Engineer, Pen Tester, Security Architect, and more
Software
Python Developer, Platform Engineer, Ruby on Rails Developer, and more
Data Science
Data Scientist, Data Warehouse Analyst, Data Architect, and more
Machine Learning
Machine Learning Engineer, Computer Vision Engineer, and more
Cloud Computing
Cloud Engineer, Cloud Architect, and more
Data Engineering
AI Engineer, Data Modeler, Database Engineer, and more
DevOps
DevOps Engineer, DevOps Architect/Coach, and more
Front End
Javascript Developer, Angular Developer, React Developer, and more
Network Engineer
Network Security Engineer, Site Reliability Engineer, Network Architect, and more
DotNet
DotNet Architect, DotNet Developer, and more
Java
Java Architect, Java Developer, and more
Previous Salary Guides
Tech Hiring Market
Midyear Update
2025
Tech Salary Guide
North America
2025
Tech Hiring Market
Midyear Update
2024
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Frequently Asked Questions
A good IT salary in Toronto depends on the role, experience level, and specialization, but it generally aligns with competitive compensation reflecting the city's dynamic tech ecosystem.
More specialized positions in areas such as Cloud Engineering, Data Science, or Software Development tend to push those figures higher.
In this context, a “good” IT salary in Toronto aligns with ranges that offer both a stable ROI for employers and reflective compensation for seasoned professionals who drive digital transformation and scalability. Staying attuned to evolving salary metrics is essential, as the competitive landscape for top talent continues to strengthen—especially in AI, cybersecurity, and DevOps disciplines.
The expanding viability of tech careers in Toronto underscores that IT salary levels must correlate with role complexity and regional demand to sustain a seamless experience between workforce capability and organizational growth objectives.
The IT job with the highest salary in Canada is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) role. senior level CTOs command salaries ranging from approximately $196,941 to $241,820 annually. This position reflects substantial responsibility for strategic technology direction, team leadership, and digital transformation initiatives—factors that drive such high compensation.
Other high-paying IT roles in Canada include senior level .NET Architects, with salaries between $140,880 and $196,050, and Cloud Architects earning from $144,276 to $166,042. Cybersecurity Architects also rank near the top, with salaries between $129,549 and $162,580. These specialized roles emphasize technical depth and the evolving landscape of enterprise infrastructure and application security.
Mid-level roles such as Cloud Engineer typically offer salaries ranging from about $112,946 up to $140,731, reflecting the growing viability and demand for cloud expertise in this market. Network Engineers and Systems Engineers earn slightly less, but still maintain competitive compensation indicative of their role in maintaining scalable and secure IT environments.
IT salaries in Canada for 2026 demonstrate an upward trend, reflecting the expanding viability and demand for specialized skills in the market. The data indicates a consistent increase across various IT roles, with mid-level and senior level professionals experiencing robust compensation growth.
For instance, mid-level Systems Administrators can expect salaries ranging from approximately $81,300 to $100,500, while senior level positions command between $108,900 and $117,400. Similarly, Systems Analysts at mid-level earn from $77,000 to over $100,800, with senior levels ranging up to $113,000. More specialized roles show even higher figures: mid-level Cloud Engineers average from $113,000 to $140,700, climbing to between $132,400 and $174,000 at senior levels. Data Scientists, whose expertise is increasingly critical for AI-driven initiatives, see mid-level salaries from roughly $131,600 to $166,800, with senior roles ranging as high as $185,400.
These salary ranges illustrate how competitive compensation continues to play a significant impact in attracting and retaining talent amid rapid digital transformation and scalability efforts in Canada's IT sector. While salary growth varies by role and experience, the general trajectory reflects the evolving landscape of technology careers where maintaining a seamless experience for employers and candidates aligns with increasing remuneration.
At this moment in the tech industry, IT project managers in Canada have a competitive salary range that reflects their critical role in overseeing technology initiatives and ensuring a seamless experience across teams. According to current data, mid-level IT project managers in Canada earn between $101,230 and $126,830 annually. Senior level project managers demand higher compensation, ranging from $108,821 up to $137,605.
These salary ranges highlight the expanding viability of project management within IT as digital transformation initiatives increase in complexity and scale. The ability to coordinate cross-functional teams, manage critical errors, and achieve project ROI positions IT project managers as essential contributors in the evolving landscape of technology enterprises.