Full-Stack Engineer Salary in Toronto 2026: C$75K–C$240K Complete Guide

# Full-Stack Engineer Salary in Toronto 2026: C$75K–C$240K Complete Guide

Toronto has become one of North America's most competitive markets for full-stack engineers. Shopify's global engineering presence, Cohere's rapid AI hiring, a cluster of ambitious fintechs led by Wealthsimple, and Bay Street banks building in-house product teams have structurally raised the floor — and ceiling — for full-stack compensation. Add Canada's universal healthcare, 18-month parental leave, and a growing AI ecosystem anchored by the Vector Institute, and Toronto offers a compelling total package that competes seriously with US hubs when net take-home is properly accounted for.

This guide covers what full-stack engineers actually earn in Toronto in 2026, broken down by seniority, employer, and tech stack, with a Canadian tax analysis, city comparison, benefits overview, and immigration pathways. For live percentile benchmarks, see the Toronto full-stack engineer salary tool at /s/salary/fullstack-engineer/toronto.

Full-Stack Engineer Salary by Level in Toronto (2026)

USD equivalents at approximately 0.74 CAD/USD. Total compensation includes base salary, annual performance bonus (typically 10–20% of base), and equity (RSUs or options). All figures are gross annual salary before Canadian federal and Ontario provincial income tax.

Junior engineers at consulting firms or seed-stage startups sit at the lower end; those joining Shopify or Cohere new-grad programs typically start above C$90K with meaningful RSU grants. The most significant salary jump in the Toronto market occurs at the Senior→Lead transition, where equity compensation can represent 30–50% of total package value.

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Top Toronto Employers for Full-Stack Engineers

Toronto's full-stack market is shaped by two distinct employer segments: high-growth technology companies and the financial services giants investing heavily in product engineering.

Technology companies:

Shopify — Toronto's flagship tech employer; senior full-stack engineers typically earn C$165K–C$210K base with substantial RSU grants. React, Ruby on Rails, and Go are core stacks. Engineering culture values product ownership and shipping velocity.

Cohere — the fastest-growing AI employer in Canada; full-stack engineers building developer tooling and enterprise products earn C$145K–C$200K at senior level, with aggressive equity packages for early employees.

Wealthsimple — Canada's leading fintech; React/TypeScript/Node.js stack throughout; senior engineers earn C$140K–C$185K with meaningful equity participation.

Hootsuite — mid-market scale-up; React and Scala backend; competitive C$130K–C$165K for senior full-stack roles.

PointClickCare — health-tech leader; TypeScript/React/Node.js stack; senior engineers earn C$135K–C$170K with strong benefits.

Ubisoft Toronto — gaming studio; full-stack engineers on internal tools and live-ops platforms earn C$115K–C$155K.

OpenText — enterprise SaaS; Java and Angular stacks; senior full-stack engineers at C$120K–C$160K.

Financial services (banks and fintechs):

RBC — Royal Bank's Borealis AI and digital banking teams pay C$135K–C$180K for senior full-stack engineers; strong pension and benefits partially offset lower equity.

TD Bank — Layer6 AI subsidiary and digital transformation teams; C$130K–C$170K; stability and benefits are key differentiators.

Banks consistently pay less equity than tech employers but offer defined-benefit pension plans, RSP matching, and more predictable total compensation. The trade-off is meaningful: a senior engineer choosing TD over Shopify might give up C$30K–C$50K in upside but gain superior retirement security.

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Stack Premiums in Toronto's Full-Stack Market

Toronto's market heavily rewards TypeScript fluency. Engineers who have made the full TypeScript stack transition — React frontend, Node.js backend, type-safe APIs — command a C$8K–C$15K premium over equivalent JavaScript generalists.

Specific frameworks carry additional premiums:

Next.js / React Server Components: C$5K–C$10K over standard React, particularly at consumer-facing product companies like Wealthsimple and Shopify.

Vue.js: C$3K–C$8K premium, most valued at mid-size companies with existing Vue codebases.

GraphQL + REST hybrid API design: valued across fintech and AI employers; adds C$5K–C$8K at mid-level.

Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, Pulumi): engineers who own deployment pipelines as well as the application layer earn the strongest total comp across all employer types.

Candidates with Shopify Liquid templating experience are specifically sought by the broader Toronto e-commerce ecosystem, while Cohere-adjacent engineers with LLM API integration experience carry a growing premium in 2026 as enterprise AI adoption accelerates.

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Toronto vs Vancouver, New York, and Remote

Toronto and Vancouver pay nearly identically in nominal Canadian dollars, with Toronto commanding a modest C$5K–C$10K premium at senior and lead level due to employer density. New York's nominal advantage shrinks significantly after New York City and state income tax (combined effective rate 38–42% at $180K). Remote USD roles paying $130K–$180K remain the highest-earning option for Toronto-based engineers who secure them — the CAD/USD spread effectively adds 35% to purchasing power.

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Canadian Benefits: What Toronto Engineers Actually Get

Canadian benefits substantially improve the effective value of a Toronto tech salary relative to US comparisons:

OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan): Universal healthcare coverage — no premiums for employees, no deductibles for core services. A single engineer in Toronto saves the equivalent of US$8K–US$15K per year in avoided health insurance costs versus a comparable US role.

EI (Employment Insurance): Up to 55% of insurable earnings (max C$695/week in 2026) for up to 45 weeks if laid off. Provides a meaningful safety net absent in most US at-will employment.

RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan): Tax-deferred retirement savings with an 18% of earned income annual contribution limit. Many Toronto tech employers match 3–5% of salary. Combined with TFSA (Tax-Free Savings Account) room, effective retirement savings capacity is substantial.

Parental leave: Canada's EI system funds up to 18 months of parental leave at 33% of insurable earnings (or 12 months at 55%). Many tech employers like Shopify and Wealthsimple top up EI to 75–100% of base for the first 6–12 months — a benefit worth C$40K–C$80K per leave period.

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Immigration Pathways for Toronto Full-Stack Engineers

Two primary routes exist for international full-stack engineers targeting Toronto:

Express Entry: The Federal Skilled Worker stream uses a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. Software engineers with a Canadian job offer add 50–200 points and are typically invited in regular draws. Without a job offer, competitive CRS scores (450–500+) reach invitation thresholds in 6–18 months depending on draw frequency. Global Talent Stream (GTS): The fastest pathway to Canadian work authorisation. GTS Category A covers unique and specialised talent sponsored by pre-approved employers (Shopify, Cohere, and most major Canadian tech companies are approved). Processing time is 2 weeks — the fastest route globally for tech talent. GTS holders work immediately while permanent residency applications proceed.

Most international full-stack engineers follow a GTS work permit → Express Entry PR pathway, with permanent residency typically achieved within 2–3 years of arriving.

For international comparison of the full-stack market, see Full-Stack Engineer Salary in London 2026 and Full-Stack Engineer Salary in Amsterdam 2026. For a multi-city overview, the Full Stack Developer Salary Guide 2026 covers seven cities including Toronto. Remote USD roles are compared in the Full-Stack Engineer Remote Salary 2026 guide.

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Negotiating Your Toronto Full-Stack Salary

Benchmark in CAD and USD simultaneously. Toronto employers know full-stack engineers can secure USD-denominated remote roles. Citing market data in both currencies signals awareness and creates legitimate leverage, especially at companies competing for talent against US remote-first employers. Separate base from total comp. Toronto equity packages vary enormously — Shopify RSUs are liquid and meaningful; early-stage startup options may vest over 4 years with a 10-year exercise window. Ask for a multi-year total comp projection, not just year-one base. Use Canadian benefits as negotiation currency. If a company offers weak extended health, dental, or parental top-up, these have real dollar equivalents. A company paying C$5K less in base but offering 12 months of 100% parental top-up and a 5% RRSP match is worth C$15K–C$20K more in year one for the right life stage. Time the conversation correctly. Salary discussions at Shopify, Cohere, and RBC typically happen post-technical-round and pre-offer. Counter the first offer — Toronto tech employers generally have 8–15% headroom above opening offers.

Toronto's full-stack market in 2026 rewards engineers who combine TypeScript depth, product ownership, and the ability to ship across the stack. For engineers who prioritise total compensation, quality of life, and long-term residency, Toronto remains one of North America's most compelling destinations.