Top 10 Highest Paying Hourly Jobs in Canada by Industry (2024)

Are you curious about which industries offer the highest hourly wages in Canada? The average hourly earnings for employees paid by the hour can vary significantly across sectors. In 2024, industries such as oil and gas extraction, utilities, and telecommunications lead the compensation race. Whether you’re exploring career options or analyzing industry trends, this guide ranks the top 10 highest-paying industries in Canada by hourly wages.

Top 10 Canadian Industries with the Highest Hourly Wages in 2024

1. Oil and Gas Extraction — $62.81/hour
2. Mining, Quarrying, and Oil & Gas Extraction — $46.06/hour
3. Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution — $45.31/hour
4. Utility System Construction — $45.21/hour
5. Utilities — $44.72/hour
6. Support Activities for Mining, and Oil & Gas Extraction — $44.61/hour
7. Mining and Quarrying (except Oil & Gas) — $44.11/hour
8. Rail Transportation — $43.37/hour
9. Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers — $42.58/hour
10. Architectural, Engineering and Related Services — $42.32/hour

Insights and Trends

• The energy sector dominates the list, reflecting the specialized skills and risks involved in fields like oil extraction and electric power distribution.
• Engineering and architectural services close the top 10, showcasing the premium placed on design and infrastructure development.
• High wages in telecommunications and rail transportation underscore the importance of technology and logistics in Canada’s economy.

Future Outlook

As Canada continues investing in energy infrastructure, mining technologies, and transportation systems, we can expect these industries to sustain competitive wages.

Highest Hourly Wages by Industry in Canada (2024)

Rank	Industry	Average hourly pay in 2024
1	Oil and gas extraction	62.81
2	Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	46.06
3	Electric power generation, transmission and distribution	45.31
4	Utility system construction	45.21
5	Utilities	44.72
6	Support activities for mining, and oil and gas extraction	44.61
7	Mining and quarrying (except oil and gas)	44.11
8	Rail transportation	43.37
9	Wired and wireless telecommunications carriers (except satellite)	42.58
10	Architectural, engineering and related services	42.32
11	Heavy and civil engineering construction	41.71
12	Telecommunications	41.34
13	Other heavy and civil engineering construction	40.94
14	Computing infrastructure providers, data processing, web hosting, and related services	39.72
15	Non-residential building construction	39.49
16	Highway, street and bridge construction	39.07
17	Computer and communications equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers	38.98
18	Aerospace product and parts manufacturing	38.93
19	Management, scientific and technical consulting services	38.84
20	Water, sewage and other systems	38.77
21	Building equipment contractors	38.66
22	Local, municipal and regional public administration	38.59
23	Non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying	38.15
24	Community colleges and C.E.G.E.P.s	37.94
25	Construction	37.58
26	Professional, scientific and technical services	37.44
27	Construction, forestry, mining, and industrial machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers	37.38
28	Specialty trade contractors	37.05
29	Scheduled air transportation	37.05
30	Business schools and computer and management training	36.99
31	Other ambulatory health care services	36.95
32	Paper manufacturing	36.9
33	Other specialty trade contractors	36.83
34	Offices of physicians	36.83
35	Media streaming distribution services, and other media networks and content providers	36.7
36	Air transportation	36.68
37	Computer systems design and related services	36.68
38	Machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers	36.54
39	Scientific research and development services	36.35
40	Business, professional, labour and other membership organizations	36.35
41	Construction of buildings	36.22
42	Broadcasting and content providers	35.98
43	Radio and television broadcasting stations	35.81
44	Non-scheduled air transportation	35.6
45	Foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors	35.55
46	Other machinery, equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers	35.46
47	Insurance carriers	35.46
48	Universities	35.28
49	Out-patient care centres	35.22
50	Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance	35.08
51	Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing	34.79
52	Goods producing industries	34.7
53	Converted paper product manufacturing	34.65
54	Insurance carriers and related activities	34.65
55	Medical and diagnostic laboratories	34.52
56	Transportation equipment manufacturing	34.47
57	Building finishing contractors	34.24
58	Ambulatory health care services	34.24
59	Support activities for transportation	34.1
60	Residential building construction	33.83
61	Transit and ground passenger transportation	33.79
62	Logging	33.71
63	Support activities for forestry	33.68
64	Commercial and service industry machinery manufacturing	33.62
65	Office administrative services	33.56
66	Legal services	33.55
67	Forestry, logging and support	33.46
68	Forestry and logging	33.38
69	Agencies, brokerages and other insurance related activities	33.34
70	Industrial machinery manufacturing	33.32
71	Navigational, measuring, medical and control instruments manufacturing	33.28
72	Health care and social assistance	32.95
73	Durable goods	32.91
74	Finance and insurance	32.9
75	Other telecommunications	32.85
76	Sawmills and wood preservation	32.78
77	Motor vehicle merchant wholesalers	32.77
78	Foundries	32.62
79	Education special	32.56
80	Farm, lawn and garden machinery and equipment merchant wholesalers	32.29
81	Machinery manufacturing	32.23
82	Architectural and structural metals manufacturing	32.18
83	Securities and commodity contracts intermediation and brokerage	32.12
84	Advertising, public relations, and related services	32.12
85	Petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons merchant wholesalers	32.08
86	Other general-purpose machinery manufacturing	32.02
87	Securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investment and related activities	32.02
88	Other financial investment activities	31.96
89	Depository credit intermediation	31.85
90	Fabricated metal product manufacturing	31.69
91	Newspaper, periodical, book and directory publishers	31.66
92	Credit intermediation and related activities	31.55
93	Other fabricated metal product manufacturing	31.48
94	Transportation and warehousing	31.41
95	Other professional, scientific and technical services	31.32
96	Chemical manufacturing	31.05
97	Rental and leasing services	30.96
98	Chemical (except agricultural) and allied product merchant wholesalers	30.82
99	Indigenous public administration	30.77
100	Manufacturing	30.73
101	Web search portals, libraries, archives, and all other information services	30.7
102	Web search portals, libraries and archives, and all other information services	30.7
103	Wood product manufacturing	30.67
104	Machine shops, turned product, and screw, nut and bolt manufacturing	30.66
105	Religious, grant-making, civic, and professional and similar organizations	30.53
106	Veneer, plywood and engineered wood product manufacturing	30.48
107	Industrial aggregate excluding unclassified businesses	30.3
108	Automobile dealers	30.28
109	Home health care services	30.28
110	Motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories merchant wholesalers	30.26
111	Elementary and secondary schools	30.21
112	Repair and maintenance	30.09
113	Motor vehicle parts manufacturing	30.05
114	Specialized freight trucking	30.03
115	Wholesale trade	29.93
116	Remediation and other waste management services	29.91
117	Freight transportation arrangement	29.85
118	Lessors of non-financial intangible assets (except copyrighted works)	29.83
119	Management of companies and enterprises	29.82
120	Offices of other health practitioners	29.81
121	Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing	29.67
122	Nursing and residential care facilities	29.58
123	Individual and family services	29.52
124	Vocational rehabilitation services	29.35
125	Truck transportation	29.26
126	Other residential care facilities	29.24
127	Specialized design services	29.24
128	Motor vehicle and parts dealers	29.16
129	Metal service centres	29.03
130	Agricultural supplies merchant wholesalers	28.92
131	Other wood product manufacturing	28.9
132	Business-to-business electronic markets, and agents and brokers	28.89
133	Service producing industries	28.85
134	General freight trucking	28.79
135	Electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers	28.76
136	Building material and supplies merchant wholesalers	28.69
137	Textile mills	28.6
138	Automotive repair and maintenance	28.41
139	Recyclable material merchant wholesalers	28.34
140	Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing	28.29
141	Employment services	28.28
142	Other services (except public administration)	28.19
143	Community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services	28.1
144	Miscellaneous merchant wholesalers	28.04
145	Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing	27.81
146	Non-durable goods	27.67
147	Social assistance	27.66
148	Soap, cleaning compound and toilet preparation manufacturing	27.55
149	Health and personal care retailers	27.54
150	Health and personal care retailers	27.54
151	Real estate and rental and leasing	27.34
152	Other miscellaneous manufacturing	27.15
153	Automotive equipment rental and leasing	27.15
154	Miscellaneous manufacturing	26.99
155	Performing arts companies	26.89
156	Educational services	26.87
157	Furniture and related product manufacturing	26.86
158	Textile and fabric finishing and fabric coating	26.79
159	Community care facilities for the elderly	26.76
160	Farm product merchant wholesalers	26.72
161	Heritage institutions	26.68
162	Medical equipment and supplies manufacturing	26.67
163	Plastics and rubber products manufacturing	26.51
164	Personal and household goods repair and maintenance	26.48
165	Household and institutional furniture and kitchen cabinet manufacturing	26.43
166	Travel arrangement and reservation services	26.33
167	Plastic product manufacturing	26.28
168	Other support services	26.25
169	Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services	26.23
170	Printing and related support activities	26.07
171	Automotive parts, accessories and tire retailers	26.07
172	Sugar and confectionery product manufacturing	26.01
173	School and employee bus transportation	25.98
174	Other schools and instruction	25.96
175	Administrative and support services	25.88
176	Electronics and appliances retailers	25.83
177	Spectator sports	25.8
178	Fibre, yarn and thread mills	25.78
179	Activities related to real estate	25.68
180	Performing arts, spectator sports and related industries	25.56
181	Food manufacturing	25.36
182	Food merchant wholesalers	25.33
183	Food, beverage and tobacco merchant wholesalers	25.29
184	Furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers	25.29
185	Other food manufacturing	25.19
186	Beverage merchant wholesalers	25.16
187	Personal and household goods merchant wholesalers	25.13
188	Meat product manufacturing	25.1
189	Warehousing and storage	25.09
190	Furniture, floor covering, window treatment and other home furnishings retailers	25
191	Real estate	24.79
192	Trade	24.7
193	Lessors of real estate	24.55
194	Services to buildings and dwellings	24.44
195	Promoters (presenters) of performing arts, sports and similar events	24.37
196	Textile, clothing and footwear merchant wholesalers	24.24
197	Funeral services	24.21
198	Textile product mills	24.15
199	Offices of real estate agents and brokers	24.15
200	Business support services	24.14
201	Other personal services	24.12
202	Lawn and garden equipment and supplies retailers	23.84
203	Other textile product mills	23.74
204	Building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers	23.42
205	General merchandise retailers	23.33
206	Other miscellaneous merchant wholesalers	23.25
207	Rooming and boarding houses	23.24
208	Seafood product preparation and packaging	23.2
209	Retail trade	23.08
210	Arts, entertainment and recreation	22.94
211	Leather and allied product manufacturing	22.88
212	Beer, wine and liquor retailers	22.77
213	Personal and laundry services	22.62
214	Jewellery, luggage and leather goods retailers	22.38
215	Amusement, gambling and recreation industries	22.07
216	Personal care services	22.06
217	Other miscellaneous store retailers	21.69
218	Other amusement and recreation industries	21.54
219	Sporting goods, hobby and musical instrument retailers	21.42
220	Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers	21.25
221	Accommodation services	21.21
222	Shoe retailers	21.19
223	Traveller accommodation	21.04
224	Clothing, clothing accessories, shoes, jewelry, luggage and leather goods retailers	20.81
225	Special food services	20.71
226	Clothing and clothing accessories retailers	20.59
227	Food and beverage retailers	20.37
228	Office supplies, stationery and gift retailers	20.3
229	Grocery and convenience retailers	20.03
230	Accommodation and food services	19.48
231	Food services and drinking places	19.15
232	Gasoline stations and fuel vendors	19.03
233	Full-service restaurants and limited-service eating places	19.02
234	Gasoline stations	18.79

Source:

Statistics Canada. Table 17-10-0148-01  Population estimates, July 1, by census metropolitan area and census agglomeration, 2021 boundaries