Wages in Canada If you're moving to Canada from the UK, Europe or USA, you're likely to find Canadian wages are a bit lower than you are used to. This is often compensated for by lower house prices in Canada. We'll begin our survey of Canadian wage rates with the minimum wage. Each province sets its own minimum wage - ranging from $6.40 to $8.50 per hour. We've provided detailed figures for the minimum wage in each Canadian province. Graduates in the secondary education sector earn attractive salaries by Canadian standards. For example, school-teachers at the top of the pay scale (after 11 years teaching) can earn $70,000 pa or more. Academic salaries vary quite widely depending on the employer. Lecturer pay scales run from around $42,000 - $70,000. Assistant professor / senior lecturer pay scales run from around $50,000 - $80,000. For professors the scale is around $75,000 - 110,000. Individual institutions may pay significantly more or less than these averages. Looking at jobs throughout Canada, typical wages are as follows:   Average Hourly Wages in Canada in 2004 Profession Average Hourly Wage Retail Sales / Sales Clerk $12 Data Entry Clerk $13 Accounting Clerk $16 Bookkeeper $16 Truck Driver $19 Plumber $19 Carpenter $19 Electrician $20 Executive Assistant $20 Social Worker $24 Architect $26 Registered Nurse $27 Physiotherapist $27 Computer Engineer (not software) $29 Engineering Manager $35 Computer and Info Systems Manager $37 Lawyer $40 Dentist $60 In practice, wages vary from city to city and province to province - sometimes quite widely. Here are pay scales for jobs in Toronto, Calgary and Winnipeg: