Salaries In Canada: Earning
and Managing Your Finances

Earning An Income In Canada

Due to Canada’s impressive financial status, their paying salaries have continued to increase over the decades. High Salaries in Canada are a crucial aspect for a comfortable and happy life in Canada.

Average Salary in Canada

The average salary for a full-time working Canadian is approximated at $54000 per year. A decent wage for a Canadian is $23 per hour.

Workers who are just starting in their field can earn up to $31000 a year, whereas those who have a few years of experience under their belt for their respective professions can bag a whopping $81000 a year.

Working out all the expenses from your salary and also saving some of it might seem like an intimidating task. Another aspect that adds a little bit more terror to the blend is having to do taxes. 

If you are looking for a comprehensible guide on how to manage your finances in Canada, this is the one for you! 

Canada is one of the highest salary payers in the world, and the credit for this goes to its rapidly developing industries and powerful economy that is continuing to grow strong every day. 

Professional workers from all over the world point their compass needle toward Canada to seek a better lifestyle and broaden their career opportunities. 

Irrespective of what field one wants to work in and what sort of skill set one possesses, Canada is one country that will make sure to pay you enough that your boat stays afloat!

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How Do Salaries Compare Across Provinces And Cities?

Canada has different provinces and cities, all of which have different salary patterns. You need to understand which provinces are more likely to pay up the highest salary for your occupation. This will help you in deciding which city of Canada is the best for you.

Alberta

The average and median salaries in the province of Alberta are probably the highest in the country. Alberta is in the lead, while British Columbia quickly follows. Overall, the pay rates in the Northwestern Territories are on top.

Nunavut

The province of Nunavut has decided the minimum wage of $16. This has been in effect since 2020. Saskatchewan is at the bottom of the list with only $13 per hour, marked as their minimum wage.

Ottawa

Another fascinating perspective is given by the city of Ottawa, which projects one of the highest median incomes despite being in the bottom 20 cities if we consider the cost of living.

The Cost Of Living In Canada

We have already discussed the salaries in Canada above; let us now quickly review the cost of living in Canada.

  1. Family of four estimated monthly costs: C$6,131
  2. The single-person estimated monthly costs: C$3,291

Saving And Investing In Canada

Saving and investment go hand in hand. This is because investment is a kind of saving that multiplies over time. In all honesty, it is the best type of saving.

To save up, there are some obvious tried and tested methods that will be able to help you. You need to start working at the basics, such as drawing up a budget based on your salary and cutting down on your utility bills. You should be able to differentiate what part of your expense is a must-have and what you can do without.

The easiest and safest way to invest money in Canada is by investing in GIC. GIC is a savings account from which you gain interest over time, hence a sure-shot investment return. 

Bonds are also an option that has low risks and can come to your rescue when required. 

Two of the most volatile investing schemes are stocks and cryptocurrency, so you need to be very sure-footed when embarking on these paths.

Taxes in Canada

PST Taxes

PST stands for provincial sales tax. It is the 6% sales tax that all individuals have to pay up when buying taxed goods or services. An important feature that all need to keep in mind is that PST applies to both items that are brand new and those that are being resold. Suppliers that extend their services to consumers or deal in goods need to attain a license for PST, which would make them liable to collect it.

GST Taxes

GST is a goods and services tax that applies nationally and for Canada is 5% with few exceptions, such as 13% for Ontario.

HST Taxes

Almost everyone is supposed to pay the HST tax in Canada. Goods such as medical equipment, groceries, etc, are exempt from HST.

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