Based on the 2021 Census, this resource is the first part in a series looking at the tech industry landscape within the Canadian labour market. For this report, the authors looked at the number of tech workers and their pay in Canada.  

The study defines tech workers based on occupational skill profiles, specifically focused on the importance of six skills:  

• interacting with computers  

• understanding computers and electronics  

• writing programs  

• designing technology  

• applying knowledge related to engineering and technology  

• understanding telecommunications  

Using this approach, the study found that Canada has almost one million tech workers, representing slightly less than 5% of the total workforce. A significant portion of Canada’s tech workers (48%) reside in Ontario, where 5.8% of the total provincial workforce is employed in technology-intensive occupations.  

With an average annual income of $91,333, tech workers earn an average of $40,000 more per year than non-tech workers.  

The earning premium of tech workers varies across the country. In Quebec City, tech workers earn 50% more than non-tech workers. Meanwhile, in Vancouver, tech workers earn 91% more than their non-tech counterparts.  

Still, Canadian tech workers earn less than their American peers.  

Non-wage factors, like stock options, are often part of tech workers’ compensation in Canada. However, the change to Canada’s capital gains taxes is unlikely to affect most tech workers; only 0.2% of them declared capital gains over the $250,000 threshold in 2021.