As per Statistics Canada’s latest report, both salaried and hourly employees witnessed a hike in their average hourly wages in February 2023.

Between January and February 2023, the monthly-based wages increased from $42.37 to $42.58 on average. In addition, the hourly-based wages, on average, increased from $29.25 to $29.44.

Note that the overtime hours are also included in the increased average hourly wage.

The mentioned increases in both situations continue recent patterns.

The hourly wages for salaried employees in Canada have increased for six months and eight months for the hourly-paid workers.

The report provided by Statistics Canada also explains the average hourly wages details by the industry as well as the provinces and territory.

The average hourly wages of salaried employees by province or territory

In this section, we’ll explore three industries in each province or territory where salaried employees experienced the highest average increase and a notable decrease in hourly wages between January and February 2023.

Alberta (AB)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The manufacturing industry witnessed a rise of (+$3.61) from $45.52 to $49.13
• The Logging, Forestry, and Support industries witnessed a rise of (+$3.57) from $38.60 to $42.17
• The transportation and Warehousing industry witnessed a rise of (+$3.66) from $40.23 to $43.89

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Waste Management, Remediation Services, and Administrative and Support industries witnessed a drop of (-$4.18) from $40.41 to $36.23
• Real Estate and Rental & Leasing industries witnessed a drop of (-$2.04) from $45.50 to $43.46
• Finance and Insurance industries witnessed a drop of (-$2.22) from $44.50 to $42.28

British Columbia (BC)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Forestry, Support, and Logging industries noticed a rise of (+$3.16) from $40.77 to $43.93
• Professional, Technical, and Scientific Services noticed a rise of (+$1.61) from $45.74 to $47.35
• Utility industries noticed a rise of (+$1.95) from $59.98 to $61.93

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Quarrying, Mining, and Oil and Gas Extraction industries noticed a decline of (-$3.96) from $67.75 to $63.79
• Transportation and Warehousing industries noticed a decline of (-$1.53) from $37.08 to $35.55
• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industries noticed a decline of (-$1.18) from $38.51 to $37.33

Manitoba (MB)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The Manufacturing industry saw a rise of (+$3.52) from $41.06 to $44.58
• Professional, Technical, and Scientific Services saw a rise of (+$2.54) from $40.87 to $43.41
• Information and Cultural Industries saw a rise of (+$2.52) from $38.13 to $40.65

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Entertainment, Arts, and Recreation industries saw a drop of(-$4.98) from $40.47 to $35.49
• Healthcare & Social Assistance industries saw a drop of (-$2.37) from $34.38 to $32.01
• Real Estate and Rental and Leasing industries saw a drop of (-$1.65) from $33.31 to $31.66

New Brunswick (NB)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Information and Cultural Industries witnessed a rise of (+$11.55) from $42.75 to $54.30
• Accommodation and Food Services witnessed a rise of (+$2.42) from $20.54 to $22.96
• Administrative & Support, Remediation, and Waste Management Services witnessed a rise of (+$1.31) from $33.76 to $35.07

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Forestry, Logging, and Support industries witnessed a drop of (-$8.36) from $41.23 to $32.87
• Transportation and Warehousing industries witnessed a drop of (-$0.83) from $35.62 to $34.79
• The healthcare and Social Assistance industry witnessed a drop of (-$0.73) from $39.76 to $39.03

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The Manufacturing industry noticed a rise of (+$2.03) from $42.94 to $44.97
• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industries noticed a rise of (+$1.19) from $33.03 to $34.22
• Waste Management, Administrative & Support, and Remediation Services noticed a rise of (+$0.99) from $38.84 to $39.83

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Other Services – excluding Public Administration noticed a drop of (-$3.89) from $39.12 to $35.23
• Oil and Gas Extraction, Mining, and Quarrying services noticed a drop of (-$3.26) from $54.65 to $51.39
• Information and Cultural Industries noticed a drop of (-$1.68) from $39.04 to $37.36

Northwest Territories (NWT)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Mining, Oil & Gas Extraction, and Quarrying industries saw a rise of (+$10.05) from $57.08 to $67.13
• The healthcare and Social Assistance industries saw a rise of (+$7.08) from $51.45 to $58.53
• The construction industry saw a rise of (+$6.54) from $51.67 to $58.21

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• The Administrative & Support, Remediation, and Waste Management industry saw a decrease of (-$5.51) from $34.07 to $28.56
• Other Services – excluding the Public Administration industry, saw a decrease of (-$4.41) from $52.42 to $48.01
• The accommodation and Food Services industry saw a decrease of (-$0.99) from $26.58 to $25.89

Nova Scotia (NS)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Technical, Scientific, and Professional Services witnessed an increase of (+$2.19) from $41.21 to $43.40
• Educational Services witnessed an increase of (+$0.57) from $34.86 to $35.43
• Manufacturing witnessed an increase of (+$0.22) from $40.18 to $40.40

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Other Services – excluding Public Administration industries, witnessed a decline of (-$2.95) from $34.10 to $31.15
• Remediation, Waste Management, and Administrative & Support Services witnessed a decline of (-$2.87) from $34.86 to $31.99
• Finance and Insurance industries witnessed a decline of (-$2.75) from $42.05 to $39.30.

Nunavut (NU)

Note: Due to the limitations on Nunavut data, only the top two industries that experienced wage increases or decreases were reported among salaried employees.

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The Rental and Leasing and Real Estate industries noticed a rise of (+$2.17) from $41.93 to $44.10
• Waste Management, Administrative and Support, and Remediation Services noticed a rise of (+$1.23) from $42.28 to $43.51

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Healthcare and Social Assistance services noticed a drop of (-$4.08) from $60.03 to $55.95
• Warehousing and Transportation industries noticed a drop of (-$0.04) from $40.96 to $40.92

Ontario (ON)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Information and Cultural Industries saw an increase of (+$2.34) from $49.05 to $51.39
• The utility industry saw an increase of (+$2.31) from $60.96 to $63.27
• Scientific, Professional, and Technical Services saw an increase of (+$2.02) from $46.47 to $48.49

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Logging, Forestry, and Support industries saw a decrease of (-$2.93) from $41.13 to $38.20
• Finance and Insurance industries saw a decrease of (-$2.19) from $45.27 to $43.08
• Recreation, Arts, and Entertainment industries saw a decrease of (-$2.06) from $35.47 to $33.41

Prince Edward Island (PEI)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Information and Cultural Industries witnessed a rise of (+$17.74) from $34.83 to $52.57
• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation Industries witnessed a rise of (+$3.58) from $34.51 to $38.09
• Healthcare and Social Assistance services witnessed a rise of (+$1.53) from $37.52 to $39.05

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Educational Services Industries witnessed a drop of (-$3.13) from $36.01 to $32.88
• Finance and Insurance witnessed a drop of (-$2.10) from $38.95 to $36.85
• Administrative & Support, Waste Management, and Remediation Services witnessed a drop of (-$1.28) from $29.24 to $27.96

Quebec (QC)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Real Estate and Rental and Leasing industries noticed an increase of (+$3.58) from $35.82 to $39.40
• The utility industry noticed an increase of (+$3.49) from $65.61 to $69.10
• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services noticed an increase of (+$3.15) from $44.16 to $47.31

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Quarrying, Mining, and Oil and Gas Extraction industries noticed a decrease of (-$3.79) from $56.21 to $52.42
• Forestry, Logging, and Support industries noticed a decrease of (-$3.03) from $32.81 to $29.78
• Accommodation and Food Services noticed a decrease of (-$2.06) from $27.74 to $25.68

Saskatchewan (SK)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Entertainment, Recreation, and Art industries saw a rise of (+$3.42) from $31.69 to $35.11
• Transportation and Warehousing industries saw a rise of (+$1.71) from $38.49 to $40.20
• Manufacturing industries saw a rise of (+$1.60) from $44.12 to $45.72

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Finance and Insurance industries saw a drop of (-$4.72) from $43.48 to $38.76
• Waste Management, Administrative & Support, and Remediation Services industries saw a drop of (-$4.16) from $40.02 to $35.86
• Other Services – excluding Public Administration, saw a drop of (-$2.53) from $33.80 to $31.27

Yukon (YU)

Note: Due to the limitations of Yukon data, only the top two industries that experienced wage decreases were reported among salaried employees

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Information and Cultural Industries witnessed an increase of (+$6.09) from $47.71 to $53.80
• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industries witnessed an increase of (+$1.10) from $38.05 to $39.15

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Accommodation and Food Services witnessed a decrease of (-$2.60) from $29.25 to $26.65
• Administrative & Support, Remediation, and Waste Management Services witnessed a decrease of (-$2.46) from $37.56 to $35.10
• The Construction industry witnessed a decrease of (-$1.35) from $46.84 to $45.49

The average hourly wages of hourly-paid employees by province or territory

In this section, we’ll explore three industries in each province or territory where hourly-based employees experienced the highest average increase and a notable decrease in hourly wages between January and February 2023.

Alberta (AB)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Support, Forestry, and Logging industries noticed a rise of (+$3.16) from $40.77 to $43.93
• Cultural and Information industries noticed a rise of (+$1.95) from $59.98 to $61.93
• Technical, Scientific, and Professional Services noticed a rise of (+$1.61) from $45.74 to $47.35

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Transportation and Warehousing industries noticed a drop of (-$1.53) from $37.08 to $35.55
• Healthcare and Social Assistance services industries noticed a drop of (-$7.08) from $51.45 to $58.53
• Finance and Insurance industries noticed a drop of (-$3.72) from $23.85 to $27.57

British Columbia (BC)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The utility industry saw an increase of (+$5.22) from $44.68 to $49.90
• Oil and Gas Extraction, Mining, and Quarrying industries saw an increase of (+$1.92) from $46.90 to $48.82
• Scientific, Professional, and Technical Services saw an increase of (+$1.90) from $36.91 to $38.81

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Finance and Insurance industries saw a decrease of (-$0.69) from $34.96 to $34.27
• Educational Services saw a decrease of (-$0.65) from $23.83 to $23.18
• Other Services – excluding Public Administration, saw a decrease of (-$0.19) from $27.78 to $27.59

Manitoba (MB)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The manufacturing industry witnessed a rise of (+$0.87) from $29.21 to $30.08
• The construction industry witnessed a rise of (+$0.78) from $33.35 to $34.13
• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services witnessed a rise of (+$0.60) from $33.25 to $33.85

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Information and Cultural Industries witnessed a decline of (-$7.57) from $40.93 to $33.36
• Transportation and Warehousing industries witnessed a decline of (-$0.86) from $30.73 to $29.87
• Educational Services witnessed a decline of (-$0.49) from $22.11 to $21.62

New Brunswick (NB)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Warehousing and Transportation industries noticed a rise of (+$1.36) from $27.11 to $28.47
• Administrative & Support, Waste Management, and Remediation Services noticed a rise of (+$1.31) from $22.43 to $23.74
• Other Services – excluding Public Administration, noticed a rise of (+$0.30) from $24.08 to $24.38

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Information and Cultural Industries noticed a drop of (-$15.79) from $47.57 to $31.78
• Manufacturing industries noticed a drop of (-$0.38) from $27.21 to $26.83
• Food and Accommodation Services noticed a drop of (-$0.32) from $16.72 to $16.40

Newfoundland and Labrador (NL)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Professional, Technical, and Scientific Services saw an increase of (+$2.78) from $38.12 to $40.90
• The construction industry saw an increase of (+$1.73) from $35.52 to $37.25
• Quarrying, Mining, and Oil and Gas Extraction industries saw an increase of (+$1.25) from $44.77 to $46.02

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Information and Cultural Industries saw a decrease of (-$13.20) from $37.26 to $24.06
• Manufacturing industries saw a decrease of (-$1.50) from $30.76 to $29.26
• Administrative & Support, Remediation, and Waste Management Services saw a decrease of (-$0.93) – $25.13 to $24.20

Northwest Territories (NWT)

Note: Due to the limitations of NWT data, only the top two industries that experienced wage decreases were reported among hourly-paid employees.

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The Construction industry witnessed a rise of (+$1.64) from $40.32 to $41.96
• Social Assistance and Healthcare industries witnessed a rise of (+$1.61) from $38.31 to $39.92
• Accommodation and Food Services industries witnessed a rise of (+$1.13) from $19.91 to $21.04

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Educational Services witnessed a drop of (-$0.22) from $22.09 to $21.87
• Transportation and Warehousing industries witnessed a drop of (-$0.18) from $35.10 to $34.92

Nova Scotia (NS)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• The insurance and Finance industries noticed an increase of (+$10.27) from $11.70 to $21.97
• Professional, Technical, and Scientific Services noticed an increase of (+$1.35) from $30.73 to $32.08
• Warehousing and Transportation industries noticed an increase of (+$1.06) from $28.70 to $29.76

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Administrative and Support, Waste Management, and Remediation industries noticed a decrease of (-$1.18) from $22.37 to $21.19
• Educational Services noticed a decrease of (-$0.39) from $22.22 to $21.83
• Healthcare and Social Assistance industries noticed a decrease of (-$0.16) from $30.02 to $29.86

Nunavut (NU)

Note: Due to the limitations of Nunavut data, the top industry that experienced wage decrease was reported among hourly-paid employees.

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Transportation and Warehousing industries saw a rise of (+$1.04) from $30.69 to $31.73
• The construction industry saw a rise of (+$0.94) from $38.92 to $39.86
• Accommodation and Food Services saw a rise of (+$0.58) from $23.72 to $24.30

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Remediation, Administrative and Support, and Waste Management Services saw a drop of (-$0.71) – $28.91 to $28.20

Ontario (ON)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Oil & Gas Extraction, Mining, and Quarrying industries witnessed a rise of (+$4.63) from $41.92 to $46.55
• Cultural and Information industries witnessed a rise of (+$3.82) from $34.45 to $38.27
• Scientific, Professional, and Technical Services witnessed a rise of (+$2.03) from $34.46 to $36.49

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• The Manufacturing industry witnessed a decline of (-$1.04) from $31.27 to $30.23
• Transportation and Warehousing industries witnessed a decline of (-$0.52) from $29.39 to $28.87
• Forestry, Logging, and Support industries witnessed a decline of (-$0.46) from $32.09 to $31.63

Prince Edward Island (PEI)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Information and Cultural industries noticed an increase of (+$3.08) from $30.46 to $33.54
• Construction industries noticed an increase of (+$0.61) from $27.78 to $28.39
• Healthcare and Social Assistance industries noticed an increase of (+$0.33) from $30.08 to $30.41

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Educational Services noticed a decrease of (-$1.56) from $23.43 to $21.87
• Other Services – excluding Public Administration a decrease of (-$0.18) from $24.21 to $24.03
• Waste Management, Remediation, and Administrative and Support Services a decrease of (-$0.17) from $19.96 to $19.79

Quebec (QC)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Quarrying, Oil and Gas Extraction, and Mining industries saw a rise of (+$12.38) from $40.27 to $52.65
• Other Services – excluding Public Administration, saw a rise of (+$1.05) from $26.01 to $27.06
• Rental & Leasing and Real Estate industries saw a rise of (+$0.90) from $24.09 to $24.99

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Information and Cultural Industries saw a drop of (-$6.05) from $39.92 to $33.87
• Entertainment, Art, and Recreation industries saw a drop of (-$0.88) from $24.93 to $24.05
• The manufacturing industry saw a drop of (-$0.81) from $31.35 to $30.54

Saskatchewan (SK)

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industries witnessed an increase of (+$3.79) from $20.94 to $24.73
• Finance and Insurance industries witnessed an increase of (+$3.72) from $23.85 to $27.57
• Oil & Gas Extraction, Mining, and Quarrying industries witnessed an increase of (+$1.83) from $44.12 to $45.95

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Information and Cultural industries witnessed a decrease of (-$4.28) from $33.66 to $29.38
• Warehousing and Transportation industries witnessed a decrease of (-$1.94) from $33.26 to $31.32
• Real Estate and Rental & Leasing industries witnessed a decrease of (-$1.12) from $30.06 to $28.94

Yukon (YU)

Note: Due to the limitations of Yukon data, only the top two industries that experienced wage decreases were reported among hourly-paid employees.

Industries witnessed the highest hourly wage increases.

• Cultural and Information industries noticed a rise of (+$4.89) from $32.31 to $37.20
• Recreation, Arts, and Entertainment industries noticed a rise of (+$1.97) from $24.77 to $26.74
• Waste Management, Administrative & Support, and Remediation Services noticed a rise of (+$1.39) from $23.54 to $24.93

Industries witnessed notable hourly wage decreases.

• Warehousing and Transportation industries noticed a decline of (-$0.33) from $35.93 to $35.60
• The Construction industry noticed a decline of (-$0.30) from $37.46 to $37.16