Tech Salaries in Toronto 2026: What Engineers Earn in Canada's Tech Hub

Toronto has quietly become one of the most important tech cities in North America. Not because it pays the most - it does not, and no one pretends otherwise - but because it offers something the big US tech hubs struggle with: accessibility.

Canada's immigration system is friendlier. Healthcare is universal. Housing, while expensive by Canadian standards, is still cheaper than San Francisco or New York. And the talent pipeline from the University of Toronto and the Vector Institute has made the city a genuine AI research hub that attracts global attention.

The result is a tech market that is growing faster than almost any US city, fueled by international talent that cannot get US visas and Canadian engineers who prefer to stay home. The salaries are in Canadian dollars, which means they look 25-30% smaller in USD terms - but the cost-of-living math tells a more nuanced story.

This guide covers every major tech role we track in Toronto, with real 2026 salary data in CAD.

ML Engineer - C$110K-C$175K

Machine learning engineers in Toronto earn the highest base salaries in the city, driven by Toronto's concentration of AI research talent and the companies competing for it. Salary range: C$110K-C$175K Median: ~C$135K

Toronto punches way above its weight in AI. Geoffrey Hinton's work at the University of Toronto essentially launched the deep learning revolution, and the Vector Institute continues to attract world-class researchers. This academic foundation has spawned companies like Cohere (large language models), Waabi (autonomous driving), and attracted AI labs from Google DeepMind, Meta, Samsung, and NVIDIA.

For ML engineers, this means real demand and competitive salaries - at least by Canadian standards. The C$175K ceiling is not far off what a mid-level ML engineer earns in the US when you factor in the exchange rate, but senior ML engineers at Google Toronto or Cohere can earn significantly more with equity.

The US comparison is unavoidable: an ML engineer in San Francisco earns $156K-$301K USD, roughly 2x in raw numbers. But Toronto ML engineers do not pay $4,000/month rent or 13% California state tax. The effective gap is real but smaller than the sticker shock suggests.

Software Engineer - C$50K-C$270K

Software engineers in Toronto have the widest salary range of any role, reflecting everything from junior developers at local agencies to senior staff engineers at US tech giants' Canadian offices. Salary range: C$50K-C$270K Median: ~C$128K

The C$50K floor is real - early-career developers at small Canadian companies or agencies start low compared to US standards. But the C$270K ceiling shows what is possible at companies like Google, Amazon, or Shopify for senior-to-staff engineers. The gap between "Canadian company" and "US company with Toronto office" compensation is significant, often 30-50%.

TypeScript, Go, and Python dominate the Toronto market. React and Next.js are everywhere on the frontend. The fintech sector (powered by the big banks) also creates demand for Java and Kotlin developers working on banking infrastructure.

If you are comparing: software engineers in Seattle earn $95K-$230K+ USD, and New York pays $100K-$250K+. Toronto's median C$128K (~$95K USD) is noticeably lower, but the career trajectory at a US company's Toronto office can be nearly identical.

Frontend Engineer - C$75K-C$150K

Frontend engineers in Toronto occupy a solid mid-range in the city's tech compensation landscape. Salary range: C$75K-C$150K Median: ~C$120K

The Toronto frontend market is heavily React/Next.js-oriented, with a growing TypeScript-first culture. Design systems work, accessibility expertise, and performance optimization skills command premiums at the higher end of the range.

E-commerce companies (Shopify's ecosystem alone creates enormous demand), fintech startups, and digital agencies all hire frontend engineers actively. The C$150K ceiling applies to senior frontend engineers at well-funded startups or US companies; reaching beyond that typically requires moving into a full-stack or staff-level role.

Product Manager - C$87K-C$166K

Product managers in Toronto earn competitive salaries, especially at companies where the Toronto office owns significant product areas rather than just executing on US-defined roadmaps. Salary range: C$87K-C$166K Median: ~C$108K

The key distinction in Toronto PM compensation is whether you are at a Canadian company or a US company's Canadian office. Canadian-origin companies like Shopify, Wealthsimple, and the major banks tend to pay in the C$87K-C$130K range. US companies with Toronto product teams - Google, Amazon, Meta - pay at the higher end, sometimes exceeding C$166K for senior PMs with strong equity packages.

Technical product managers (those who can read code, understand system design, and make data-driven decisions) earn more than business-oriented PMs, mirroring the global trend.

Full Stack Developer - C$90K-C$150K

Full stack developers in Toronto are the workhorses of the city's startup scene, where lean teams need engineers who can ship features end to end. Salary range: C$90K-C$150K Median: ~C$102K

Toronto's startup ecosystem - particularly in fintech, health tech, and climate tech - relies heavily on full stack developers. The React + Node.js + PostgreSQL stack is most common, with Next.js increasingly becoming the default framework.

The C$90K floor is higher than the software engineer floor (C$50K) because "full stack" implies more experience - companies expect you to work independently across the entire stack. The ceiling is lower than specialized roles because full stack typically means generalist, and Toronto companies willing to pay C$150K+ usually want specialists.

The Canadian Tech Equation

Toronto salaries look modest next to US numbers. That is undeniable. But the comparison is more complex than a currency conversion:

Healthcare: Universal coverage saves C$5K-C$20K/year compared to US premiums + deductibles + copays. This is real money that never shows up in salary comparisons but absolutely affects your financial life. Taxes: Ontario's top marginal rate (~53%) is higher than most US states, but the effective rate for tech salaries (C$100K-C$175K) is comparable to California or New York when you include US state taxes, Social Security, and Medicare. Housing: A one-bedroom in downtown Toronto runs C$2,200-C$2,800/month. Expensive by Canadian standards, but compare that to San Francisco ($3,000-$4,500 USD) or Manhattan ($3,500-$5,000 USD). The savings are significant. Immigration: Canada's Global Talent Stream processes work permits in 2 weeks. The US H-1B lottery accepts roughly 25% of applicants annually. For international talent, this alone can be the deciding factor. Quality of life: Reliable public transit (by North American standards), genuine cultural diversity, safe neighborhoods, and proximity to nature. These do not show up on a pay stub but they matter.

The Bottom Line

Toronto is not where you go to maximize raw salary. For that, go to San Francisco or Seattle. Toronto is where you go when you want a strong tech career without the US visa lottery, sky-high rent, or the feeling that your entire life revolves around optimizing total compensation.

The city's AI scene is world-class. The startup ecosystem is growing. US companies keep opening Toronto offices because the talent is good and the cost is lower. And for engineers who want to live well while building interesting things, the math works out better than the raw numbers suggest.

Quick reference - all 5 roles:

ML Engineer - C$110K-C$175K

Software Engineer - C$50K-C$270K

Frontend Engineer - C$75K-C$150K

Product Manager - C$87K-C$166K

Full Stack Developer - C$90K-C$150K

Evaluating a Toronto tech offer? Try our free AI resume analysis - paste the job posting and see how your experience matches, with salary benchmarks for the Canadian market.

Compare Toronto against other major markets: San Francisco (highest raw salaries), Seattle (no state tax), New York (finance crossover), London (UK market), Austin (Texas tax advantage), and remote roles for the full picture.