Job Market Overview

There has been promising news coming out of the Canadian jobs market with the unemployment rate falling to 5.4% in 2019, its lowest in 40 years. Overall, the jobs market in Canada is healthy, with 453,100 jobs created from June 2018 to June 2019. However, the UK and US both currently have lower unemployment rates than Canada, at 3.6% and 3.8% respectively.

Recent research by the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, has found that in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), some skilled immigrants are having to take jobs seemingly below their skill level. It reports that one in two newly settled men and two in three newly settled women with a bachelor’s degree are working in positions they are overqualified for.

Things to Know About Working in Toronto

Toronto is the business and financial capital of Canada and the second biggest financial center in North America. Its technology market is the fastest-growing of its kind in North America as well, making Toronto the eighth most popular destination for global tech workers. That is why, if you have qualifications that relate to either of those industries, there should be job opportunities for you in Toronto.

In terms of design, Toronto has the largest workforce in Canada and the third-largest in North America––it really is the meeting place of a wide array of talent. Toronto is also a Canadian and international leader in tourism, life sciences, music, food and beverage manufacturing, education, and aerospace.

Most In-Demand Jobs in Toronto

Toronto has plenty of opportunities to offer for those that do not work in technology or finance. According to research by major staffing agency, Randstad Canada, sales associate positions are currently the most-needed role in Canada, followed by admin assistant, driver, developer, and receptionist. Retail trade is Canada’s largest employer with 10% of the workforce in retail jobs, so this could explain the demand for sales associates. Randstad claims you can expect to be paid between 52,000 and 62,000 CAD (39,000 and 47,000 USD) for a job as a sales assistant.

New Jobs in Toronto

Due to the boom in Toronto’s tech industry, the following jobs are becoming more common, so take a look if you are interested in working on the cutting edge of society:

• Blockchain developer
• Automation engineer
• AI researcher
• Chief experience officer
• Live chat agent
• Dev ops engineer
• Environmental engineer
• Cyber security specialist
• Data scientist
• 3D architect

Best Companies in Toronto

Forbes Magazine has made a list of the top 300 companies to work for in Canada, called “Canada’s Best Employers”, so before you apply for a job in Toronto, have a look through the list for any potential matches for you and your skills. You can search the list by a specific industry or company name.

The current top three companies on the list are based in Toronto. They are:

1. Google
2. University of Toronto
3. Avis Budget Group

The same list places Toronto’s Apple base as the twelfth best company to work for, while Microsoft and FedEx (ninth and eleventh, respectively) are situated in the neighboring city, Mississauga.

Average Salary

The average salary in Toronto is around 59,000 CAD (44,500 USD). According to Salary Explorer, salaries have risen 2% between 2018 and 2019.

What is a Good Salary in Toronto?

LowestRates.ca did some research on the cost of housing, transportation, groceries, and internet bills for a young person with no dependents in Toronto to see how much you need to earn to live in the city. They calculated you need to earn at least 32,900 CAD (25,000 USD) to survive. So, if you have a family, you can be sure you will need to earn more than that if you want to live comfortably in Toronto.

Average Salaries in Technology Sector

Toronto has the fourth-largest technology workforce in the world, and it constantly needs new talent. To attract the brightest and best, tech companies in Toronto (Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Shopify, etc.) pay the biggest salaries of any industry.

Salaries for The Top Technology Jobs in Toronto

Job Title Salary in CAD Salary in USD Software Engineering Manager 110,000 85,000 Software Architect 105,000 80,000 Senior Development Operations (DevOps) Engineer 95,000 72,000 Senior Software Engineer 95,000 72,000 Information Technology (IT) Manager 90,000 70,000 Senior Java Developer 90,000 70,000 Senior .NET Developer 85,000 65,000

Average Salaries for Financial Services Jobs

The financial services industry is thriving in Toronto and that success is reflected in the salaries earned by the people it employs.

Salaries for The Top Financial Services Jobs in Toronto Job Title Salary in CAD (approx.) Salary in USD (approx.) Investment Manager 95,000 72,000 Finance Manager 85,000 65,000 Business Analyst 80,000 60,000 Branch Manager 75,000 57,000 Project Manager 73,000 56,000 Chartered Accountant 70,000 53,000 Bank Manager 70,000 53,000

You can find more information about working in Canada, the minimum wage, and average salaries in our Working in Canada section.

How to Get a Job

These are some of the best websites to find jobs in Toronto:

• City of Toronto Government
• Toronto Jobs
• Workopolis
• Eluta
• Indeed
• Career Builder

Do you have experience in finance, technology, media, startups, or tourism? These sectors are healthy and could present you with the best chance of getting a job in Toronto.

Expats will need a work permit to work in Canada. Find out more about work permits and visas in our Canada guide.

Requirements and “Canadian Experience”

When being interviewed for a job in Toronto, you might be asked about your “Canadian experience.” The hiring manager wants to know if you possess the skills and experience for a role in the country. For example, do you speak fluent English or French? If not, you could find it very difficult to get a job. Be sure to mention any experience working at a Canadian company or with Canadians, that has given you an insight into the work culture, expectations, and social norms, could help.

Moreover, if you want a job in Toronto, or anywhere in Canada, you might need to learn how to “sell yourself.” Being confident and making your skills known to the hiring manager is expected—the job market in Canada favors the brave, so there is no need to be modest. If you do not have a job before you move to Toronto, you might have to take a lower level job first and build up your experience working in a Canadian work environment.

Entrepreneurship

With Toronto’s healthy start-up scene, pursuing entrepreneurship or self-employment in the city could be a real possibility. There are plenty of coworking spaces to get some work done, and there is even an entrepreneurship course, called Entrepreneurship 101, that was created by non-profit innovation hub, MaRS Discovery District, based in Toronto.

Coworking Spaces

There is a whole host of coworking spaces in Toronto and you can visit coworker.com for a comprehensive list, plus reviews. Workhaus – FiDi, for example, is one of the top-rated spaces.

Here are some of the most affordable coworking spaces in Toronto:

• Shecosystem at 20 CAD a day (15 USD) – Koreatown
• Northspace at 20 CAD a day (15 USD) – North York
• Devhub at 15 CAD a day (11 USD) – King Street West
• Lab T.O. at 20 CAD a day (15 USD) – Wallace Avenue
• Women on the Move at 125 CAD (95 USD) a month – Dundas Street West
• Venture X at 195 CAD (148 USD) a month – Mississauga
• MakeWorks at 200 CAD (150 USD) a month – College Street
• The Village Hive at 25 CAD (19 USD) a day – Markham
• Workplace One at 25 CAD (19 USD) a day with membership – Queen West
• District 28 where hot desking is 195 CAD (148 USD) a month – Logan Avenue
• Love Child Social House at 15 CAD per day (11 USD) – Bathurst Street

If your budget stretches further and you are not impressed by any of the above spaces, why not check out these shared working spaces? They tend to look trendier and are sometimes found in more upmarket areas.

• East Room starting at 250 CAD (190 USD) a month – Riverside
• Project Spaces starting at 250 CAD (190 USD) a month – King West
• WeWork starting at 700 CAD (530 USD) a month for a dedicated desk – Richmond Street West