What is the median income in Canada?
Median income serves as a key indicator of economic well-being, representing the middle point at which half of individuals earn more and half earn less. Unlike average income, which can be skewed by extremely high earners, median income provides a more accurate representation of the typical financial situation of individuals.
Median income reached $43,090 in 2022
According to Statistics Canada, the median income of individuals of both sexes (males and females) in Canada rose by $1,440 in 2022, reaching $43,090—an increase of 3% from the previous year. Between 2000 and 2022, the median income grew at an average annual rate of 3%, nearly doubling from $20,900 to $43,090. During this period, the only recorded decline occurred in 2009, when median income dropped by $80, or less than 0.2%.
How does median income compare regionally?
In 2022, The Northwest Territories and Yukon had the highest median income in Canada at $57,560 and $58,860 respectively. As for the provinces, Alberta led the pack with a median income of $46,040 while Newfoundland and Labrador ranked at the bottom with a median income of $38,130. The province with the biggest change in median income compared to 2021 on a dollar basis was Quebec; median income in that province increased by $2,720 from $41,510 to $44,230 while Nova Scotia experienced the smallest change with an increase of just $720. Amongst the three territories, Yukon had the biggest increase in median income of $1,530 while the Northwest Territories was relatively unchanged with an increase of just $150.
Between 2000 and 2022, the median income in nearly every province and all three territories more than doubled; Ontario and Manitoba are the exceptions. Leading the way in percentage terms is Newfoundland and Labrador which saw a 141% increase in its median income during this period while Ontario trails the pack with a 77% increase in median income. On a dollar basis, Quebec is the province that has seen the largest improvement in median income, increasing by $24,130 from $20,100 to $44,230.
Females earn less than males
In 2022, the median income for Canadian males was $49,740 compared to $37,690 for females—about a $12,000 difference. This 31% gap falls at the lower end of the historical range of 29% to 69% observed from 2000 to 2022, and it is close to the average dollar gap of $11,942 recorded during that period. Overall, the income gap between males and females has been narrowing since 2000.
Regional variations further highlight these differences. Alberta has the largest disparity, with the median income of males 50% higher than females. In contrast, Prince Edward Island shows the smallest gap among the provinces, with the median income of males only 19% higher. Notably, Nunavut is the only region where females had a higher median income — plus 7 percent — than males in 2022, while in the Northwest Territories and Yukon, men's median incomes were 8% and 10% higher than women's, respectively.
You may also be interested in…
Combining imports and exports, the United States was Ontario’s top trade partner in 2024, with more than $438 billion of goods exchanged. The United States made up 61% of Ontario’s total international merchandise trade in 2024, 8.7 times more than China, its second-largest trade partner.