Fazlur Rahman
Data scientists in Canada earn a median of $46.15 per hour based on the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey 2023-2024, published via Job Bank November 2025. That translates to roughly $94,000 per year at full-time annual work hours. Top earners at AI/ML specialist roles in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal clear $130,000 to $180,000+ in total compensation, especially when equity and signing bonuses layer onto base pay.
The discipline has matured from notebook analysis to production machine learning. Hiring managers in 2026 expect candidates who can take a model from training through deployment and monitoring, ideally with MLOps and LLM fine-tuning experience. That shift is widening the gap between generalist data scientist roles (flat growth) and applied ML engineer roles (8% to 15% growth in 2025).
Data last verified September 2026 from Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey (2023-2024) and Job Bank wage report for Data Scientist (NOC 227147), published November 19, 2025.
At a glance
- National median data scientist wage is $46.15/hr (~$94,000/year) per Job Bank November 2025.
- Toronto and Vancouver report nearly identical medians at $47.69 and $48.08 per hour.
- Ottawa tops major metros at $48.21/hr; Quebec's Montreal $46.00, Alberta's Calgary $43.27.
- AI/ML specialist and applied ML engineer premiums run 15% to 30% above the median.
Top provinces for data scientist pay
The provincial spread is narrow for data science because most roles concentrate in a handful of metros. Ontario and British Columbia lead, with Quebec close behind because of the AI/ML demand at Mila and major Montreal employers. The Prairie and Atlantic provinces pay less but offer lower cost of living and growing remote-friendly employers.
| Province | Median hourly wage (CAD) | Approximate annual full-time |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $48.08 | ~$98,000 |
| Ontario | $47.69 | ~$97,300 |
| Quebec | $46.00 | ~$93,800 |
| Manitoba | $45.00 | ~$91,800 |
| Nova Scotia | $44.06 | ~$89,900 |
| Alberta | $43.27 | ~$88,300 |
| Saskatchewan | $42.05 | ~$85,800 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $41.76 | ~$85,200 |
| New Brunswick | $39.32 | ~$80,300 |
| Prince Edward Island | N/A | N/A |
Top metros for data scientist pay
The metro breakdown is where the real story lives. Ottawa benefits from federal government data science roles. Toronto offers the largest job market with strong financial-services demand. Vancouver has the highest median and growing applied AI employers. Montreal houses Mila and the major Quebec AI research labs. Waterloo offers a tight fintech cluster.
| Metro area | Median hourly wage (CAD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | $48.21 | Federal government buyer base |
| Toronto | $47.69 | Largest data science market by volume |
| Windsor-Sarnia | $49.84 | Surprisingly high SAE estimate |
| Vancouver Island | $48.08 | BC second-tier with growing demand |
| Vancouver (Lower Mainland) | $48.08 | Top tech and SaaS concentration |
| Laval | $45.45 | Montreal adjacent, AI/ML demand |
| Montreal | $45.64 | Mila research + applied AI labs |
| Calgary | $42.37 | Energy ML demand |
Toronto vs Vancouver: head to head
The two tech capitals of Canada look similar on medians but differ on industry mix. Toronto is heavier on financial services and enterprise SaaS, with deep bench in retail banking and insurance. Vancouver skews tech-native with gaming, applied AI, and major Canadian tech employers (Hootsuite, Slack, Toptal). Both pay similar cash. Stock and equity compensation differs by employer, not by city.
The AI/ML specialist premium
Data scientist and AI/ML engineer pay in Canada has bifurcated sharply between generalist and specialist roles. Generalist data scientist pay grew 3% to 5% in 2025 as the field matured. Applied ML engineer, LLM specialist, and research scientist roles have grown 8% to 15%, with leading AI labs (Cohere, Scale AI, Mila-adjacent Quebec shops, Vector Institute-affiliated Toronto employers) offering total compensation well into the $200,000 to $300,000 band at senior levels. Candidates who combine any two of these specialties (LLM fine-tuning, RAG, MLOps, computer vision) command the highest total compensation in the 2026 market.
Frequently asked questions
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Methodology
Hourly wage figures are the median and 25th-to-75th percentile range for Data Scientist (NOC 227147) from the Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey (2023-2024) and Small Area Estimation model, published November 19, 2025 via the Job Bank. Annual figures assume 1,950 to 2,080 full-time work hours. Total compensation estimates draw on Tech Talent Canada salary reports and Robert Half Technology salary guides 2025/2026.
Data scientist and AI/ML engineer pay in Canada has bifurcated sharply between generalist and specialist roles. Generalist data scientist pay grew 3% to 5% in 2025 as the field matured. Applied ML engineer, LLM specialist, and research scientist roles have grown 8% to 15%, with leading AI labs (Cohere, Scale AI, Mila-adjacent Quebec shops, Vector Institute-affiliated Toronto employers) offering total compensation well into the ,000 to ,000 band at senior levels. The most compelling growth runs through applied AI/ML engineering roles that combine research and production work. Recruiters report that LLM fine-tuning and RAG pipeline expertise command the strongest premiums at Toronto and Vancouver AI startups, with Quebec LLM labs also paying top decile. Production ML engineering with Kubernetes, MLOps, and feature stores pays high premiums in Toronto, Vancouver, and Waterloo. Time-series forecasting in financial services and energy pays strong rates. Computer vision with applied work pays 20% to 30% premiums in Montreal at Mila-affiliated labs. Candidates who combine any two of these specialties command the highest total compensation in 2026.
Compensation data reflects full-time wage-and-salary employment. Verify current postings on employer career sites.
