Administrative Assistant Average Salary in Canada 2024
How much money does a person working as Administrative Assistant make in Canada?
LOW
30,900
CAD AVERAGE
65,800
CAD HIGH
104,000
CAD
A person working as Administrative Assistant in Canada typically earns around 65,800 CAD. Salaries range from 30,900 CAD (lowest) to 104,000 CAD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Administrative Assistant salaries in Canada vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Administrative Assistant Pay Scale and Salaries in Canada
Salary Structure and Pay Scale Comparison
61,900 CAD or more
54,400 to 61,900 CAD
37,900 CAD or less
37,900 to 54,400 CAD
 30,900 CAD |
62,400 CAD |
104,000 CAD |
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Administrative Assistant in Canada range from 30,900 CAD (starting salary) to 104,000 CAD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 62,400 CAD, half of the professionals who work as Administrative Assistant in Canada earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Administrative Assistant in Canada earn less than 50,500 CAD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 71,700 CAD while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Administrative Assistant in Canada compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 37,900 CAD to 54,400 CAD. About 20% of salaries are below the 37,900 CAD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 54,400 CAD to 61,900 CAD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 61,900 CAD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Administrative Assistant / Canada
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 35,700 CAD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +38% | 49,200 CAD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +42% | 70,000 CAD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 85,300 CAD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +6% | 90,000 CAD |
| 20+ Years | +9% | 98,100 CAD |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Administrative Assistant and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 35,700 CAD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 49,200 CAD, 38% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 70,000 CAD, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 85,300 CAD, 22% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 90,000 CAD, 6% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 98,100 CAD, 9% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Administrative Assistant / Canada
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Administrative Assistant.
| High School | 42,600 CAD | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +51% | 64,500 CAD |
| Bachelor's Degree | +50% | 96,600 CAD |
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down salaries by education level for the position Administrative Assistant in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: High School
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 42,600 CAD.
Level 2: Certificate or Diploma
At this level, the average salary becomes 64,500 CAD, 51% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 96,600 CAD, 50% more than the previous level.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Administrative Assistant / Canada
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Administrative Assistant in Canada, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
| Male | 64,200 CAD | |
| Female | +5% | 67,400 CAD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Canada for all Careers
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Administrative Assistant / Canada
How much are annual salary increments in Canada for individuals working as Administrative Assistant? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Administrative Assistant in Canada are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
Canada / All Professions
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Administrative Assistant / Canada
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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66% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 34% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 34% | |
| No Bonus | 66% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Administrative Assistant / Canada
32 CAD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Administrative Assistant in Canada is 32 CAD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Administrative Assistant in Canada is 15 CAD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Administration / Reception / Secretarial |  -100% | |
| Accreditation Specialist | 131,000 CAD |  +99% |
| Admin Clerk | 40,200 CAD | -39% |
| Admin Executive | 68,200 CAD | +4% |
| Administrative Aide | 50,000 CAD | -24% |
| Administrative Analyst | 88,200 CAD | +34% |
| Administrative Assistant | 65,800 CAD | +0% |
| Administrative Associate | 62,600 CAD | -5% |
| Administrative Coordinator | 62,700 CAD | -5% |
| Administrative Manager | 93,700 CAD | +42% |
| Administrative Officer | 64,300 CAD | -2% |
| Administrative Receptionist | 56,700 CAD | -14% |
| Administrative Secretary | 55,200 CAD | -16% |
| Administrative Specialist | 62,100 CAD | -6% |
| Administrative Support | 55,700 CAD | -15% |
| Administrative Technician | 49,200 CAD | -25% |
| Board Secretary | 55,100 CAD | -16% |
| Branch Office Administrator | 103,000 CAD | +57% |
| Business Administrator | 95,700 CAD | +46% |
| Business Office Manager | 149,000 CAD | +130% |
| Central Office Operator | 59,800 CAD | -9% |
| Clerical Assistant | 37,300 CAD | -43% |
| Clerk | 42,200 CAD | -36% |
| Commercial Administrator | 90,100 CAD | +37% |
| Commissions Processor | 75,600 CAD | +15% |
| Conveyancing Secretary | 55,200 CAD | -16% |
| Corporate Receptionist | 58,500 CAD | -11% |
| Creditors Clerk | 59,700 CAD | -9% |
| Data Entry Clerk | 39,700 CAD | -40% |
| Data Entry Specialist | 59,900 CAD | -9% |
| Document Controller | 53,600 CAD | -19% |
| Document Management Specialist | 79,300 CAD | +21% |
| Executive Administrative Assistant | 70,000 CAD | +6% |
| Executive Assistant | 69,100 CAD | +5% |
| Executive Officer | 76,300 CAD | +16% |
| Executive Personal Assistant | 77,200 CAD | +17% |
| Executive Secretary | 65,100 CAD | -1% |
| File Clerk | 39,700 CAD | -40% |
| Front Desk Attendant | 60,000 CAD | -9% |
| Front Desk Coordinator | 70,000 CAD | +6% |
| Front Desk Manager | 93,900 CAD | +43% |
| Front Desk Receptionist | 60,400 CAD | -8% |
| Front Desk Shift Leader | 74,300 CAD | +13% |
| Front Office Assistant | 55,300 CAD | -16% |
| Front Office Executive | 74,100 CAD | +13% |
| Group Services Manager | 165,000 CAD | +150% |
| Head Receptionist | 68,000 CAD | +3% |
| Inquiry and Admissions Clerk | 40,300 CAD | -39% |
| Key Account Assistant | 67,400 CAD | +2% |
| Keyboard and Data Entry Operator | 41,500 CAD | -37% |
| Leasing Administrator | 72,400 CAD | +10% |
| Legal Secretary | 65,700 CAD | -0% |
| Librarian | 78,600 CAD | +20% |
| Mail Processing Clerk | 36,000 CAD | -45% |
| Mail Sorting Clerk | 37,200 CAD | -43% |
| Mailroom Clerk | 37,400 CAD | -43% |
| Mailroom Manager | 66,600 CAD | +1% |
| Management Support Secretary | 60,000 CAD | -9% |
| Master Programme Coordinator | 117,000 CAD | +78% |
| Medical Receptionist | 66,200 CAD | +1% |
| Meeting and Event Assistant | 70,000 CAD | +6% |
| Meeting and Event Manager | 144,000 CAD | +120% |
| Night Manager | 89,500 CAD | +36% |
| Office Administrator | 90,700 CAD | +38% |
| Office Assistant | 41,300 CAD | -37% |
| Office Automation Clerk | 68,700 CAD | +4% |
| Office Clerk | 49,700 CAD | -24% |
| Office Coordinator | 60,000 CAD | -9% |
| Office Manager | 108,000 CAD | +64% |
| Office Services Coordinator | 82,000 CAD | +25% |
| Office Supervisor | 73,500 CAD | +12% |
| Operations Analyst | 122,000 CAD | +85% |
| Operations Clerk | 70,500 CAD | +7% |
| Operations Manager | 160,000 CAD | +140% |
| Personal Assistant | 59,700 CAD | -9% |
| Planning Assistant | 73,000 CAD | +11% |
| Process Expert | 93,200 CAD | +42% |
| Program Coordinator | 88,200 CAD | +34% |
| Programme Assistant | 72,600 CAD | +10% |
| Project Administrator | 105,000 CAD | +60% |
| Project Coordinator | 139,000 CAD | +110% |
| Query Administrator | 77,100 CAD | +17% |
| Reception Team Lead | 79,600 CAD | +21% |
| Receptionist | 54,800 CAD | -17% |
| Records Officer | 48,400 CAD | -26% |
| Registry Administrator | 63,500 CAD | -3% |
| Registry and Filing Clerk | 40,200 CAD | -39% |
| Rental Clerk | 41,800 CAD | -36% |
| Schedule Officer | 39,700 CAD | -40% |
| Scheduler | 46,600 CAD | -29% |
| School Secretary | 58,300 CAD | -11% |
| Secretary | 53,500 CAD | -19% |
| Service Reception Head | 68,200 CAD | +4% |
| Switchboard Operator | 51,300 CAD | -22% |
| Technical Program Manager | 142,000 CAD | +120% |
| Technical Project Manager | 153,000 CAD | +130% |
| Typist | 45,900 CAD | -30% |
| Unit Secretary | 52,200 CAD | -21% |
| Wayleave Officer | 40,300 CAD | -39% |
Salary Comparison By State
| State | Average Salary |
| Alberta | 67,500 CAD |
| British Columbia | 67,800 CAD |
| Manitoba | 63,300 CAD |
| New Brunswick | 58,300 CAD |
| Newfoundland-Labrador | 57,800 CAD |
| Northwest Territories | 64,900 CAD |
| Nova Scotia | 61,900 CAD |
| Nunavut | 69,200 CAD |
| Ontario | 75,300 CAD |
| Prince Edward Island | 53,300 CAD |
| Quebec | 68,800 CAD |
| Saskatchewan | 61,000 CAD |
| Yukon | 56,800 CAD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Canada is 4% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 117,000 CAD | |
| Public Sector | +4% | 122,000 CAD |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Administrative Assistant in Canada?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 62,400 CAD and 71,700 CAD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Administrative Assistant in Canada ranges from 30,900 CAD to 50,500 CAD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
