Higher Education Salary Report 2026: Canada
Salary report and benchmark
Higher education salary benchmark for Canada.
How academic pay works in Canada
Academic Jobs, the higher education salary benchmark, based on 2,151 university job posts since January 1, 2026, drawn from millions of historical job posts.
Canadian faculty move from assistant professor to associate professor to full professor, typically with tenure, and most universities are unionised with salary scales set in collective agreements.
Pay varies by province and institution, with research-intensive universities such as University of Toronto, McGill University, and University of British Columbia paying the most.
Statistics Canada's university teaching staff survey is the main national benchmark.
Academic Jobs tracks 2,151 Canadian higher education roles since January 1, 2026.
| O papel | Pay now | What this is |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Professor | $130,000 | 868 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $128,500. |
| Tenure-track | $130,892 | 656 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $130,749. |
| Associate Professor | $175,000 | 337 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Professor | $176,296 | 314 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $175,500. |
| Lecturer/Instructor | $108,500 | 150 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $117,000. |
| Tenure | $174,500 | 147 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $165,000. |
| Endowed | $185,000 | 72 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research | $99,377 | 67 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $100,351. |
| Scientist/Associate | $76,128 | 60 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $76,935. |
| Research Fellow | $70,522 | 48 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $71,402. |
| Research Professor | $157,500 | 47 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $167,860. |
| Post-Doc | $68,500 | 44 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $70,000. |
| Clinical Professor/Prof of Practice | $292,500 | 39 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $275,000. |
| Sessional Lecturer | $18,840 | 37 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $99,377. |
| Post Doc Research Fellow | $69,000 | 30 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $70,000. |
31 more roles
| O papel | Pay now | What this is |
|---|---|---|
| Director/Manager | $164,500 | 25 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $175,000. |
| Librarian | $99,480 | 22 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Faculty Researcher | $99,981 | 19 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $102,698. |
| Program Director | $157,901 | 11 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Clinical Chair | $235,000 | 10 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $200,000. |
| Research Coordinator | $67,934 | 10 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $95,000. |
| Adjunct Faculty | $2,049 | 9 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $656. |
| Clinical Educator | $135,000 | 9 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $135,208. |
| Research Assistant | $84,240 | 8 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $143,792. |
| Research Technician | $151,718 | 8 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Visiting Professor | $39,996 | 8 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| PhD Researcher | $35,000 | 7 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Adjunct Professor | $99,377 | 6 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Lab Manager | $135,859 | 6 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $151,718. |
| Program Coordinator | $95,500 | 6 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $97,226. |
| Senior Professor | $750,000 | 5 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Sessional Academic | $140,000 | 5 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Teaching Assistant | $3,807,440 | 4 posts since January 1, 2026. |
| Academic Coordinator | $100,777 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $130,510. |
| Learning Specialist | $110,165 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Tutor | $44,923 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. Last year $54,485. |
| Visiting Scholar | $39,996 | 2 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Academic Advisor | $25,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Academic Coach | $103,762 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Curriculum Developer | $119,150 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Emeritus Professor | $240,240 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Lecturer | $140,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Research Manager | $80,898 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. |
| Senior Lecturer | $71,547 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
| Senior Research Assistant | $120,000 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. |
| Visiting Fellow | $39,996 | 1 posts since January 1, 2026. No change from last year. |
What changes pay
Rank
A professor scale sits above a lecturer or assistant professor scale.
Instituição
Research universities and teaching-focused colleges do not use the same bands.
Contract
Nine-month, twelve-month, and casual contracts are not the same annual pay.
Localização
Capital-city loadings and regional scales change the same title.
Compare a real offer
Use this salary report when you negotiate, or compare professor salaries and university salaries.