How Much Do Software Engineers Make in Canada 2026
Updated
Software engineering has the widest salary range of any profession in Canada. A junior developer at a small company might earn $65,000, while a staff engineer at Google’s Toronto office takes home $350,000+ in total compensation. The key variables are company tier (Big Tech vs. everything else), seniority level, and whether you work for a Canadian or US employer. Remote work for US companies has become the highest-paying option for many Canadian developers, offering American salaries while living in Canadian cities.
Software Engineer Salary by Experience
Level
Years of Experience
Base Salary
Total Compensation*
Intern
0 (co-op/internship)
$40,000-$60,000 (annualized)
$40,000-$60,000
Junior (L3/E3)
0-2 years
$65,000-$90,000
$70,000-$100,000
Mid-level (L4/E4)
2-5 years
$90,000-$130,000
$100,000-$160,000
Senior (L5/E5)
5-10 years
$130,000-$180,000
$160,000-$260,000
Staff (L6/E6)
8-15 years
$170,000-$220,000
$250,000-$380,000
Principal (L7+)
12+ years
$200,000-$260,000
$350,000-$500,000+
Engineering Manager
6+ years
$150,000-$200,000
$200,000-$320,000
Director of Engineering
10+ years
$200,000-$280,000
$300,000-$500,000
Total compensation = base salary + stock/RSUs + annual bonus
Salary by City
City
Junior
Mid-Level
Senior
Cost of Living
Toronto
$70,000-$90,000
$100,000-$140,000
$140,000-$200,000
High
Vancouver
$68,000-$88,000
$95,000-$135,000
$135,000-$190,000
Very high
Ottawa
$65,000-$85,000
$90,000-$125,000
$120,000-$170,000
Moderate
Montreal
$60,000-$80,000
$85,000-$120,000
$115,000-$165,000
Moderate
Calgary
$65,000-$85,000
$90,000-$125,000
$120,000-$170,000
Moderate
Waterloo/KW
$65,000-$85,000
$90,000-$130,000
$125,000-$180,000
Moderate
Remote (CDN company)
$70,000-$90,000
$95,000-$135,000
$130,000-$185,000
Varies
Remote (US company)
$90,000-$120,000
$120,000-$180,000
$170,000-$280,000
Varies
Salary by Company Type
Company type is the single biggest factor in software engineer compensation. A senior engineer at Google can earn 2-3x what the same person would earn at a mid-size Canadian tech company. Banks offer solid base salaries and defined benefit pensions but lower total comp than Big Tech. The real outlier is remote work for US companies — Stripe, Coinbase, and similar firms pay near-US rates to Canadian employees, creating some of the highest-earning software developers in the country.
Company Type
Mid-Level
Senior
Examples
FAANG/Big Tech (Canada offices)
$130,000-$170,000
$200,000-$350,000+
Google, Amazon, Meta, Apple, Microsoft
Major Canadian tech
$100,000-$140,000
$150,000-$220,000
Shopify, Wealthsimple, Databricks
Big 5 banks
$90,000-$120,000
$120,000-$170,000
RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC
Mid-size tech companies
$90,000-$130,000
$130,000-$180,000
Hootsuite, Lightspeed, Clio
Startups (funded)
$80,000-$120,000
$120,000-$170,000 + equity
Varies
Consulting firms
$75,000-$110,000
$110,000-$160,000
Deloitte, Accenture, CGI
Government
$70,000-$95,000
$95,000-$120,000
Federal CS-02 to CS-05
US companies (remote from Canada)
$120,000-$180,000
$180,000-$300,000+
Stripe, Coinbase, Figma
Total Compensation Breakdown (Examples)
Google (Toronto) — Senior Software Engineer (L5)
Component
Amount
Base salary
$175,000
RSUs (annual vest)
$75,000-$120,000
Annual bonus (15%)
$26,000
Signing bonus (amortized)
$10,000-$20,000
Total compensation
$286,000-$341,000
Shopify — Senior Developer
Component
Amount
Base salary
$150,000-$170,000
RSUs (annual vest)
$30,000-$60,000
Annual bonus
$0 (included in RSUs)
Total compensation
$180,000-$230,000
Big 5 Bank — Senior Developer (AVP Level)
Component
Amount
Base salary
$130,000-$150,000
Annual bonus (10-15%)
$13,000-$22,500
RSUs/DSUs
$0-$15,000
Pension (DB)
$13,000-$15,000 (employer contribution)
Total compensation
$156,000-$202,500
Salary by Specialization
Specialization matters more in software engineering than in most professions. Machine learning and AI engineers command the largest premiums, as demand for these skills has surged while the talent pool remains small. Security engineering and cloud/DevOps also carry premiums due to the critical nature of the work. Frontend development and QA, while still well-paid, sit at the lower end of the range.
Specialization
Mid-Level
Senior
Machine Learning / AI
$110,000-$150,000
$160,000-$280,000
Data Engineering
$100,000-$140,000
$140,000-$220,000
Cloud/DevOps/SRE
$100,000-$140,000
$140,000-$200,000
Backend (Java, Go, Python)
$95,000-$135,000
$135,000-$200,000
Full-stack
$90,000-$130,000
$130,000-$190,000
iOS/Android mobile
$90,000-$130,000
$130,000-$190,000
Frontend (React, etc.)
$85,000-$125,000
$120,000-$180,000
Security engineering
$100,000-$140,000
$140,000-$210,000
Embedded/firmware
$85,000-$120,000
$120,000-$170,000
QA/SDET
$75,000-$110,000
$110,000-$150,000
Game development
$65,000-$100,000
$100,000-$150,000
Canada vs USA Software Engineer Pay
The Canada-US salary gap in software engineering is larger than in almost any other profession, primarily because US Big Tech firms rely heavily on stock-based compensation that inflates total packages. However, Canadian developers benefit from universal healthcare (saving $5,000-$15,000/year in insurance costs), much lower student debt, and stronger employment protections. For many engineers, working remotely for a US company while living in Canada offers the best of both worlds.
Level
Canada (CAD)
USA (USD)
Difference
Junior
$75,000
$95,000 (US$70,000)
~30% less
Mid-level
$115,000
$160,000 (US$118,000)
~35% less
Senior
$170,000
$250,000 (US$185,000)
~40% less
Staff
$280,000
$400,000 (US$296,000)
~35% less
But Consider the Full Picture
Factor
Canada
USA
Healthcare cost
$0 (covered)
$5,000-$15,000/year
Student debt (typical)
$20,000-$40,000
$50,000-$150,000
Income tax (on $150K)
~$45,000
~$35,000-$55,000 (state dependent)
Work-life balance
Generally better
Varies widely
Job security
Harder to fire (provinces have notice rules)
At-will employment
Vacation (typical)
3-4 weeks
2-3 weeks (unlimited PTO rarely used fully)
How to Maximize Software Engineer Salary in Canada