Canadian HR salaries 2025: an in-depth report

Source Details:

(a) Data was collected from employees across Canada.

(b) Data was aggregated from salary websites and leading industry reports.

Report Purpose:

This report analyzes salaries for HR professionals across Canada by region and specialization to outline the current state of the HR salary market.

Report Intro:

This report provides a detailed analysis of salaries for HR professionals across five key regions: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa. By examining workforce distribution, projected job openings, and industry growth, this report offers insights into current employment conditions and future opportunities for HR professionals in Canada.

Report Insight Part 1: The Canadian HR landscape

Human resources generalists and specialists form a substantial portion of the HR workforce, with an estimated 126,700 professionals employed nationwide as of 2023. A large proportion of these professionals are located in Toronto, and the demand for HR generalists and specialists is expected to remain balanced over the next decade, with 53,800 job openings projected between 2024 and 2033.

Report Insight Part 2: Salaries by region and specialization

Salaries for full-time HR professionals range from approximately $57,000 for administrator/assistant roles to $211,000 for vice president roles. These salaries are consistent across various regions, with salaries being slightly higher in Calgary than in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Montreal.

Report Insight Part 3: Benefits and retention

Leave allowances are highly valued as additional benefits for HR employees, while access to mental health services remains a crucial component of Employee Assistance Programs. These benefits, in combination with salary, are essential for employee retention.

Part 1: The Canadian HR landscape

Market outlook

HR professionals are employed across a variety of industries, with significant concentrations in public administration, professional services, and finance.

Human resources generalists and specialists form a substantial portion of the HR workforce, with an estimated 126,700 professionals employed nationwide as of 2023.

According to the Government of Canada, for the 2024–26 period, the HR workforce is distributed across key urban centres as follows:

The demand for human resources generalists and specialists is expected to remain balanced over the next decade, with 53,800 job openings projected between 2024 and 2033. This equates to an average of 5,380 new job openings per year, driven by both job creation (49 percent) and replacement demand (51 percent). The field is expected to experience annual employment growth of 1.9 percent, outpacing the national average of 1.2 percent.

Industry distribution for these roles is as follows:

• Public Administration: 25 percent of HR generalists and specialists work in this sector, which is projected to grow at an annual rate of 0.7 percent.
• Legal, Accounting, Consulting, and Other Professional Services: 11 percent of these professionals work in this industry, expected to grow at 1.5 percent annually.
• Repair, Personal, and Household Services: 11 percent of HR professionals are employed in this sector, which is anticipated to grow at 1.1 percent annually.

Human resources managers and directors represent a more senior segment of the HR workforce, with an estimated 54,400 professionals employed in 2023. For the 2024–26 period, their distribution across major Canadian cities is as follows:

Like their generalist and specialist counterparts, HR managers and directors are expected to experience balanced labour market conditions over the next decade. A total of 22,400 job openings are projected from 2024 to 2033, equating to an annual average of 2,240 new job opportunities. Job creation will account for 34 percent of openings, while replacement demand (66 percent) – primarily due to retirement – will drive the remainder. The role is expected to see annual employment growth of 1.3 percent, closely aligning with the national average of 1.2 percent.

Industry distribution for HR managers and directors includes:

• Public Administration: 17 percent of professionals in this role work in this sector, which is projected to grow at 0.7 percent annually.
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, and Leasing Services: 10 percent of HR managers and directors work in this industry, projected to grow at 1.3 percent annually.
• Legal, Accounting, Consulting, and Other Professional Services: 7 percent are employed in this sector, which is expected to grow at 1.5 percent annually.

Both HR generalists/specialists and HR managers/directors are expected to experience stable employment conditions through 2033, with job openings largely matching the available workforce. The demand for HR professionals will be fueled by business expansion, industry growth, and employee turnover, with a notable proportion of job openings driven by replacement needs.

The following sections of this report will provide a comprehensive breakdown of salaries across regions and experience levels, offering a clear picture of compensation trends for HR professionals in Canada.

Hiring trends

According to Robert Half, companies are increasingly looking for HR professionals who are comfortable using emerging tech tools like generative AI to create job postings and source candidates. Many employers are also looking to hire HR professionals who understand Canadian labour laws, although these candidates are hard to find.

“At the moment, we’re seeing a huge increase in demand for HR business partners and talent acquisition specialists, which kind of ties into recruitment, and then compensation and benefits as well,” said Megan Gallagher, senior consultant – legal and HR at Robert Walters.

These roles are becoming critical as companies focus on aligning their HR strategies with business goals while ensuring they can attract and retain top talent. The need for HR business partners is particularly strong, while compensation and benefits managers are equally important, ensuring companies remain competitive when it comes to salary benchmarking.

“HR business partners focus more on aligning HR strategies with business goals, which makes them indispensable when it comes to the type of market that we’re in right now,” Gallagher said.

Alongside this, Louisa Benedicto, SVP of HR Recruitment at Hays, has seen increased demand for benefits and pensions roles. Employers are under pressure to retain employees without increasing costs, and benefits professionals who can maximize existing partnerships and educate staff on available perks are becoming essential.

Retention is key this year, with Benedicto highlighting the “Great Stagnation,” where employees are staying put rather than seeking new roles. In response, employers are looking for ways to offer more without added expenses.

“The sort of skill set they’re asking for is someone who not just administers benefits but actually gets more out of partnerships and gives more back to employees,” she said.

The demand isn’t limited to benefits roles. Benedicto highlighted a growing need for HR professionals who bring a financial and strategic mindset to the table and the need for expertise in labour relations and policy. With organizations struggling to meet revenue expectations over the last few years, HR professionals are now expected to help mitigate financial risks.

“There is definitely an increased skill set that I’m being asked for at the executive or senior end around cost-saving and having more of a business mindset related to the bottom line and ensuring organizational well-being and health,” she said. “Those two skill sets, I think, are going to be a rising trend for the year ahead.”

For entry-level positions, however, the situation looks different, with companies prioritizing experienced professionals who can hit the ground running, Gallagher said.

“There is an excess of talent and not as many roles for entry-level positions,” she added. “When you’re in a market like we're in right now, companies tend to prefer and put more focus on bringing in skilled professionals who have valuable experience and can come in and really roll up their sleeves and get stuck in.”

The challenge for entry-level job seekers is that many businesses lack the resources to train and develop new talent. As a result, the current job market is skewed in favour of experienced professionals, leaving many entry-level candidates struggling to find opportunities, Gallagher said.

Despite this imbalance, there is optimism that things will improve. The expectation is that as business confidence grows, more companies will be willing to invest in developing new talent, eventually closing the gap in entry-level hiring.

“As the market picks up, and I do think we’re on that upward trajectory, demand for professionals with varying levels of experience will start to balance in time,” she said.

Part 2: Salaries by region and specialization

Regional salary trends

According to data compiled from multiple sources, including Robert Half and Hays, on average, salaries for full-time HR professionals range from approximately $57,000 for administrator/assistant roles to $211,000 for vice president roles, with salaries increasing with experience level. These salaries are consistent across various regions, with most cities differing by only a few thousand dollars for the same role.

Calgary offered the highest salaries for the majority of roles, including all generalist and senior management positions. In contrast, Ottawa had the highest concentration of lower salaries, primarily for entry-level positions. Montreal also reported salaries on the lower end of the spectrum for senior leadership roles, such as vice president and director.

Salaries in Vancouver closely align with those in Calgary, with some exceptions. However, the disparity is slightly more pronounced when comparing these two cities to Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.

The oil and gas industry plays a significant role in shaping Calgary’s salary trends, while the cost of living is another factor driving higher salaries in the region, according to Gallagher.

“Calgary’s economy is significantly influenced by the oil and gas industry, which is known for offering higher salaries to attract top talent, so that industry in particular has a substantial impact on the city’s overall salary trends,” Gallagher said.

“While Calgary’s cost of living is generally lower than that of Vancouver or Toronto, it is still relatively high, and so there is still a need to offer competitive salaries to attract and retain skilled professionals there.”

Beyond economics, companies are using higher salaries as a talent attraction strategy. Those looking to fill senior and specialized roles must offer compelling compensation packages to draw professionals to Calgary.

“The biggest salary driver for Calgary is talent attraction. Higher salaries are often used as a strategy to attract skilled professionals and workers to an area where it might not be as sought after in comparison to areas like Toronto and Vancouver, where the lifestyle is slightly more appealing.”

According to Benedicto, demand in the Greater Toronto Area remains steady, but there is a rise in demand for roles in up-and-coming provinces like the Maritimes, resulting from companies moving to these areas starting in 2020.

Despite this growth, the market has been cautious in early 2025, largely due to businesses waiting to see the impact of US President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariff on Canadian goods and services before making extensive hiring decisions. The uncertainty around tariffs has kept some firms on the sidelines, but that hesitation may soon break.

“There are a lot of clients who are hanging on, waiting. They need to hire but haven’t hired yet,” she said. “I have a lot of clients who are saying, ‘In March, we’re going to be hiring again when we know how the tariffs will be here will then impact our orders and supply chain’.”

Specialization salary trends

The average salary across all five regions varies by specialization area, with those in specialized fields making more than those in generalist roles. For example, directors and managers specializing in recruitment saw significantly higher salaries than those in generalist and compensation and benefits roles.

On average, a recruitment director makes around $7,000 more than a generalist director and $15,000 more than a compensation and benefits director. A recruitment manager also makes between $31,000 and $33,000 more than their generalist and benefits and compensation counterparts. Ultimately, this suggests that the recruitment specialization pays significantly higher for managers and directors.

Recruitment roles, in particular, command higher salaries than generalist and specialist positions, with the talent shortage and premium for specialized skills a driving force behind this shift, Gallagher said.

“Recruitment roles in general are always in high demand when you’re in a market like the one we’re in today, where there’s a talent shortage. So, companies are always going to be looking for competing, skilled recruiters who can help them find and hire the best talent and best professionals. And so that naturally drives up salaries for these positions,” she said.

“Recruiters do often require specialized skill sets and experience – for example, sourcing, interviewing, and negotiating offers – so anywhere where you would see a role that does require a little bit more niche skill set does always kind of justify higher pay.”

Salary changes

According to Robert Half, the average year-over-year increase for HR roles across all regions was 2.5 percent between 2024 and 2025. This is in line with the Conference Board of Canada’s compensation planning outlook for HR professionals, which highlights a 3.4 percent projected average non-unionized salary increase for 2025.

2024, however, saw an average non-unionized salary increase of 3.7 percent. The Conference Board of Canada’s economic forecast indicates that the Canadian labour market is expected to tighten further in 2025, resulting in more job vacancies than available skilled workers. This ongoing talent shortage would traditionally lead to wage increases as employers compete for a limited workforce. However, this trend did not materialize in 2024.

Cost of living

According to MovingWaldo, Vancouver has the highest cost of living, followed by Toronto. Calgary, however, has the second-lowest cost of living yet also has the highest salaries for legal employees. This may suggest that salaries may go further in Calgary than in other Canadian cities. It is, however, important to note the difference in salary taxes by province.

Part 3: Benefits and retention

For HR professionals, compensation is just one factor in their employment decisions, with benefits and flexible work arrangements playing a crucial role in retention and job satisfaction.

Data from HRD Canada shows that 56.47 percent would be willing to change their current job if it offered working options that better suited their preferences.

The same data also showed that paid vacation leave was the highest-ranked additional benefit for HR employees with a rating of 8.94 out of 10. This was followed by leave allowance benefits (8.03) and mental health leave (5.84). Meanwhile, financial compensation for a home office setup was the least valued benefit at 3.77 out of 10, followed by paternity leave (4.17) and continuing education allowance (4.36).

Ultimately, this shows that leave benefits are top of mind as additional perks for HR professionals.

For additional health care benefits, prescription drug coverage was of the utmost importance with a rating of 10.86 out of 12. This was followed by eye care (7.8) and long-term disability (7.59). The least valued additional health care benefits were virtual care (2.4), acupuncture (3.17), and travel expenses covered for out-of-state procedures (3.39).

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits also hold value for HR professionals, the most important of which is on-demand mental health support with a rating of 9.66 out of 12. This was followed by access to a psychologist (8.67) and family counseling (8.42). The least valued EAP benefit was elderly care (3.51), followed by childcare (on-site or external financial assistance) (3.98) and legal assistance (4.39).

This shows there is a clear demand from HR professionals for mental health services as part of their EAP.

Offering benefits that reflect the priorities of employees is essential, particularly as retention becomes a top concern for employers. According to Robert Half, 85 percent of HR managers are concerned about retention between now and the end of 2025, and 3 in 4 managers say it will likely be a challenge to keep team members motivated and engaged.

Conclusion

The Canadian HR landscape is poised for steady growth, with a balanced labour market forecasted for both HR generalists and specialists, as well as HR managers and directors. As of 2023, an estimated 126,700 HR professionals were employed nationwide, with projected annual employment growth of 1.9 percent – outpacing the national average of 1.2 percent. Over the next decade, 53,800 job openings for HR generalists and specialists are expected, while HR managers and directors will see 22,400 new job opportunities.

Salaries vary across regions, with Calgary offering the highest compensation for most roles, despite having the second-lowest cost of living. Specialization also impacts earnings, with recruitment professionals earning significantly more than their generalist and compensation and benefits counterparts.

Meanwhile, retention remains a critical concern, with 85 percent of HR managers citing it as a key challenge through 2025. Benefits play a crucial role in job satisfaction, with paid vacation leave, mental health support, and prescription drug coverage ranking as top priorities for HR professionals. As the Canadian labour market tightens, offering competitive compensation and meaningful benefits will be essential in attracting and retaining HR talent.