Engineering is a diverse and high-valued profession in Canada. With major infrastructure projects, a transition to green energy, and growth in fields like AI and big data, engineering roles are in high demand nationwide. This bright outlook comes with lucrative salaries, especially for experienced professionals and those specializing in key areas.
This article will examine the promising average engineer salaries in Canada and prospect beyond.
What are the Average Engineer Salaries in Canada?
According to recent data, engineers in Canada earn an average of $94,294 per year, which is higher than the overall average salaries in Canada ($72,800). However, salaries can range from $90,000 on the low end to $122,300 on the high end, indicating significant variation based on factors like role, experience, location, and industry.
Entry-level engineers in Canada can expect starting salaries between $55,000 and $65,000 annually. At the senior level, experienced engineers with over 10 years of specialty experience often make well over $150,000 annually.
What are top-paying cities for engineers in Canada?
Regionally, Alberta and cities like Calgary and Edmonton tend to offer the highest salaries for engineers, especially those specializing in oil and gas. Ontario cities, including Toronto, Mississauga and Waterloo, boast substantial salaries due to robust manufacturing, technology and infrastructure sectors.
Other top-paying cities include:
- Calgary, AB – Average Salary: $104,455
- Toronto, ON – Average Salary: $99,398
- Edmonton, AB – Average Salary: $96,443
- Vancouver, BC – Average Salary: $95,802
- Mississauga, ON – Average Salary: $92,903
Smaller cities and provinces offer more modest salaries, reflecting fewer opportunities in niche engineering specializations:
- Regina, SK – Average Salary: $57,156
- Saskatoon, SK – Average Salary: $60,326
- Winnipeg, MB – Average Salary: $61,017
Source: https://ca.indeed.com/career/engineer/salaries
What are the Salaries for Different Engineering Disciplines In-Demand in Canada?
Engineering jobs encompasses a diverse range of specialties, each with varying levels of demand and salary potential across Canada. Here is an overview of key engineering disciplines:
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineers design, develop, and test machinery such as engines, sensors, and industrial systems. They are in demand across manufacturing, biotech, automotive, aerospace, and other sectors.
- Starting Salary: $55,000 – $65,000
- Experienced Salary (5+ years): $75,000 – $85,000
- Senior Salary (10-20 years): $100,000 – $150,000+
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers specialize in power systems, electronics, microprocessors, telecommunications and control systems. This versatile field is critical for the energy, tech and manufacturing industries.
- Starting Salary: $55,000 – $65,000
- Experienced Salary (5+ years): $75,000 – $85,000
- Senior Salary (10-20 years): $100,000 – $150,000
Civil Engineering
Civil engineers plan and execute public infrastructure projects including buildings, roads, bridges, dams, water systems and other large-scale public works.
- Starting Salary: $55,000 – $65,000
- Experienced Salary (5+ years): $75,000 – $85,000
- Senior Salary (10-20 years): $100,000 – $150,000+
Chemical Engineering
Chemical engineers use physics, chemistry, biology, and math to manage chemical processes and production systems. Their work is applied in pharmaceuticals, energy, food, and other sectors.
- Starting Salary: $55,000 – $65,000
- Experienced Salary (5+ years): $75,000 – $85,000
- Senior Salary (10-20 years): $100,000 – $150,000+
Petroleum Engineering
Petroleum engineers design processes to extract oil and gas efficiently, economically and safely. This field is vital for meeting Canada’s energy needs.
- Starting Salary: $60,000 – $65,000
- Experienced Salary (5+ years): $85,000 – $100,000
- Senior Salary (10-20 years): $120,000 – $150,000+
Data Engineering
Data engineers build systems to collect, store and analyze large datasets using statistics, programming and software engineering. This emerging field supports data-driven industries.
- Salary Range: $90,000 – $120,000
Source: https://www.randstad.ca/job-seeker/high-paying-jobs/engineering/
What are the Key Factors Influencing Engineering Salaries?
Salaries for engineers can vary substantially based on key factors:
Years of Experience
An engineer’s years of experience is directly correlated with higher earning potential. Entry-level engineers starting their careers typically earn between $55,000 and $65,000 annually. After 5+ years in the field, Canadian engineers who have developed specialized expertise and moved into team lead roles see average salaries rise from $75,000 to $100,000.
Canadian Engineers at the senior level, with 10-20+ years of focused experience in a technical specialty, can earn well over $100,000, with top salaries exceeding $150,000 for those in executive and management positions.
Location
Location also plays a major role in determining an engineer’s salary expectations and prospects. The highest salaries tend to be concentrated in provinces like Alberta, Ontario and British Columbia, home to robust engineering industries spanning oil and gas, manufacturing, infrastructure and technology.
Within those provinces, major urban centers like Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver pay more than smaller towns and cities due to the volume and prestige of projects.
Engineering Discipline
Another variable in salary ranges is the specific engineering discipline. Petroleum engineers, electrical engineers, and chemical engineers are among the highest earners due to the technical nature of their work and the high demand for their skills.
At the same time, emerging engineering fields like data science and AI also command competitive salaries for engineers with sought-after expertise in those cutting-edge domains.
Industry
Looking at industries, sectors like oil/gas, mining, aerospace and technology stand out for offering the most lucrative salaries and incentives for engineers, given profitability and engineering-intensive operations.
Bonuses in high-paying sectors like mining and oil/gas frequently range from 20% to 50% of an engineer’s base pay, allowing total compensation packages to swell substantially.
Leadership Role
Lastly, Canadian engineers who take on leadership roles as project managers, team leads and executives typically earn far more than individual contributor positions. The management and oversight capabilities required in those engineering roles directly translate into higher pay, which can exceed $150,000 annually.
Licensing and Certification
One of the biggest factors allowing experienced engineers to access the highest-paying roles is obtaining the Professional Engineer (P.Eng) license.
The P.Eng certification demonstrates years of focused expertise and allows engineers to take on leadership positions. Obtaining this elite status requires the following:
- Bachelor’s degree in engineering
- 4+ years of relevant work experience
- Completing the Professional Practice Exam
Engineers who operate without P.Eng status face far more limited career progression and earnings potential across Canada. However, they can still work under the supervision of a licensed engineer.
Is There a Difference in Salaries Based on Experience Level for Engineers?
Gaining expertise and seniority as an engineer directly translates into higher earning potential. Here’s a look at how salaries progress based on experience:
Entry Level: $55,000 – $65,000
Newly graduated engineers or those just entering the workforce can expect salaries in this range. Gaining core technical skills is the priority at this career stage.
5+ Years Experience: $75,000 – $100,000
At this mid-career point, engineers begin moving into team lead and project management roles with increased pay. Specialization also drives pay rise.
10-20+ Years Experience: $100,000 – $150,000+
Engineers who attain senior expert and leadership roles with over a decade of focused experience are handsomely rewarded with 6-figure salaries.
Source: https://ca.talent.com/salary?job=engineer
Industries Offering Top Salaries
While salaries vary across locations and disciplines, some industries consistently offer the highest pay and bonuses for engineers due to profitability, demand, and the technical nature of the work:
- Oil/Gas: Petroleum engineers can earn over $150,000 with bonuses between 20% – 50% of base pay
- Mining: Average salaries exceed $120,000 for mining engineers supporting this $48B+ industry
- Aerospace: Electrical and systems engineers earn $95,000+ building advanced aircraft and systems
- Utilities: Power systems engineers earn $90,000 – $120,000 maintaining critical infrastructure
- Telecommunications: Network engineers can make $100,000+ working for major telecom providers
- Manufacturing: Industrial engineers earn $85,000+ optimizing assembly lines and workflows
Top Engineering Firms in Canada that Pay Well
In addition to strong salaries across the board, some engineering firms in Canada are particularly renowned for generously compensating employees based on profitability, project volume, and prestige.
SNC-Lavalin
As one of the largest engineering firms in the country, with over 50,000 employees worldwide, SNC-Lavalin offers competitive starting salaries between $70,000 and $90,000 for roles like field engineers, design engineers, and project engineers. With bonus incentives and profit sharing, total compensation can exceed $100,000 for top performers.
Stantec
This massive multinational firm with 22,000 staff maintains a strong presence across Canada and provides engineering services in infrastructure, energy and urban development. Stantec offers starting salaries in the range of $60,000 to $75,000 for newly graduated engineers, rising quickly with experience.
WSP Global
WSP Global, formerly operating as Genivar, is another leading global engineering firm with a large Canadian footprint. The firm pays salaries between $65,000 to $80,000 for entry-level engineers with 5+ years of experience commanding $90,000 or more.
PCL Construction
This construction conglomerate provides premier pay for engineers involved in its “Engineer-Procure-Construct” projects, which integrate design, supply and building. PCL starts engineers at $70,000 to $90,000 depending on specialization, with profit sharing and performance bonuses offering additional income.
Aecon Group
As Canada’s largest public construction firm, Aecon offers new engineering graduates starting salaries ranging from $60,000 to $75,000, increasing substantially with specialization in fields like civil infrastructure and green energy development.
The major infrastructure and energy projects these top engineering firms undertake provide opportunities for motivated engineers to earn substantial salaries and benefits, especially in high-tech specializations in high demand across Canada. Engineers who gain licensure and demonstrate strong leadership potential can earn $150,000 or more at these elite firms.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-15-largest-engineering-firms-canada-gineersnow-ebkoc/
What are Engineering Opportunities Across Canada?
Beyond the top-paying sectors, here is a snapshot of in-demand engineering roles aligned to major industries active across Canada:
| Infrastructure Growth | – Civil engineers ($70,000-$100,000) – Construction project managers ($86,000 – $122,000) |
| Green Energy Transition | – Renewable energy engineers ($60,000-90,000) – Sustainability engineers ($75,000 – $95,000) |
| Technology Integration | – Cybersecurity specialist ($90,000 – $120,000) – Software engineers ($75,000-$110,000) |
| Resource Extraction | – Mining engineers ($80,000 – $120,000) – Geological engineers ($80,000-$120,000) |
Source: https://engineering.ubc.ca/spotlight/why-engineering/top-engineering-jobs-in-canada
What are the Projected Demand and Outlook for Engineers in Canada?
Multiple factors point towards a strong continued demand for engineers across specializations in Canada:
- Infrastructure Investment: Federal and provincial governments plan to spend over $180 billion on infrastructure over the next decade, driving demand for civil and construction engineers.
- Technology Growth: Canada’s rapidly expanding tech sector requires software, electrical and systems engineers.
- Resource Extraction: Despite shifts towards sustainability, mining and petroleum engineers are still required, especially with productivity enhancements.
- Clean Energy Transition: Renewable energy, green construction and electrification will require power systems and sustainability engineers.
- Retiring Workforce: With 25% of engineers over 50, many current professionals will retire over the next 5-10 years.
- Skilled Immigration: Programs like Express Entry are expediting immigration for engineers internationally to meet domestic demand.
Overall, engineers across electrical, chemical, mechanical, civil, systems and software engineering can expect strong demand and competitive salaries in the years ahead. Specializing in high-growth sectors can provide the most direct route to a lucrative and stable engineering career.
Key Takeaways on Average Engineer Salaries in Canada
Here are the major key takeaways that Canadian engineers need to pay attention to when it comes to salaries:
- With major infrastructure projects and energy transitions underway, Canadian engineering roles offer median salaries of $94,294.
- Engineers with 5+ years of experience see salaries rise to between $75,000 and $100,000.
- Over 10-20 years of focused experience, senior engineers and leaders can earn $150,000 or more.
- Obtaining the elite Professional Engineer (P.Eng) license provides the highest salary and career potential.
- Petroleum, mining, aerospace, utilities and telecom offer premium salaries, construction, and green energy.
- Immigration pathways are making it easier for skilled foreign engineers to fill high-demand roles across Canada.
Engineering provides diverse, well-compensated career paths for those with core technical expertise and a passion for creating innovative infrastructure and energy solutions. With targeted specialization and willingness to relocate, six-figure salaries are attainable for Canada’s next generation of engineering leaders.
Engineering is just one of many careers with strong earning potential in Canada. From software developers to healthcare professionals, salaries vary across different roles. Take a look at our guide on Average Software Developer Salaries in Canada, Average Registered Nurse Salaries and explore how other professions compare.
FAQs about Engineer Salaries in Canada
Here are a list of FAQs related to engineering salaries in Canada that you might need to know:
What is the average salary for engineers in Canada?
The average salary for engineers in Canada is approximately $94,000 per year. However, there is significant variation across disciplines, experience levels, locations and industries. Entry-level engineers typically start between $55,000 - $65,000, while senior engineers can make over $150,000 annually.
Which engineering jobs pay the most in Canada?
Some of the highest paying engineering roles in Canada include petroleum engineering (up to $150,000), electrical engineering ($100,000 - $150,000), engineering project management ($90,000 - $150,000), and software engineering ($80,000 - $120,000). The oil/gas, aerospace, utilities, and telecom industries tend to pay engineers the highest salaries.
How much do entry level engineers make in Canada?
Entry-level engineers in Canada can expect starting salaries in the range of $55,000 - $65,000 per year. This salary band applies to newly graduated engineers just entering the workforce across most disciplines. Location, specialization, and company will impact starting salary.
What city pays engineers the most in Canada?
Calgary, Alberta has the highest salaries for engineers in Canada, averaging around $104,000 annually. Other cities that pay engineers handsomely include Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal thanks to robust infrastructure, manufacturing, oil/gas, and technology sectors.
How can engineers increase their salary in Canada?
Engineers can increase their earning potential by gaining licensure/certification (e.g. P.Eng), specializing in high-demand fields like data and software engineering, pursuing leadership/management roles, relocating to major metro regions, and working in lucrative industries like aerospace, utilities, and telecommunications.