The average pay for lawyer in Canada is around $104,000 a year. If you’re asking yourself how much a lawyer makes, you’ve come to the right place. We have calculated the average salary for lawyers in Canada. Let’s take a look at the chart provided and answer key question on the topic:
According to the Canadian Lawyer 2017 Report by LexisNexis Martindale Hubbell, the median hourly rate for lawyers in Toronto is $190; $155 in Montreal; $295 in Calgary and $195 per hour in Vancouver. The size of the city matters, but so does your specialization.
The average Canadian lawyer salary is $79,000 CAD per year, or $54.23 USD per hour.
In addition to the average salary, there are also additional bonuses and benefits that can be included in a Canadian lawyer’s compensation package. These include:
• Performance-based bonuses, which can range from 5 percent to 15 percent of base pay
• Stock options or stock grants (if applicable)
• Health care benefits including prescription drug coverage, vision care and dental care
• Life insurance benefits
The average salary for lawyers in Canada is $76,000 CAD per year.
This is based on a report by the Canadian Lawyer Magazine, which surveyed 330 lawyers across the country. These numbers are also updated annually to reflect changes in the market over time.
Salary for lawyer in canada
A person working as a Lawyer in Canada typically earns around 238,000 CAD per year. Salaries range from 128,000 CAD (lowest) to 359,000 CAD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Lawyer salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Lawyer Salary Distribution in Canada
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeLawyer salaries in Canada range from 128,000 CAD per year (minimum salary) to 359,000 CAD per year (maximum salary).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 219,000 CAD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Lawyer(s) are earning less than 219,000 CAD while the other half are earning more than 219,000 CAD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Lawyer(s) are earning less than 156,000 CAD while 75% of them are earning more than 156,000 CAD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Lawyer(s) are earning less than 266,000 CAD while 25% are earning more than 266,000 CAD.
Lawyer Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Lawyer salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Lawyer with less than two years of experience makes approximately 149,000 CAD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 188,000 CAD per year, 26% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 248,000 CAD per year, 32% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Lawyer(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 292,000 CAD per year, 18% 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 323,000 CAD per year, 11% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 344,000 CAD per year, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Lawyer average salary change by experience in Canada
| 0 – 2 Years | 149,000 CAD | |
| 2 – 5 Years | +26% | 188,000 CAD |
| 5 – 10 Years | +32% | 248,000 CAD |
| 10 – 15 Years | +18% | 292,000 CAD |
| 15 – 20 Years | +11% | 323,000 CAD |
| 20+ Years | +6% | 344,000 CAD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
Lawyer Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
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 Lawyer salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor’s Degree, the average salary of a Lawyer is 179,000 CAD per year.
While someone with a Master’s Degree gets a salary of 239,000 CAD per year, 33% more than someone having a Bachelor’s Degree degree.
A PhD gets its holder an average salary of 341,000 CAD per year, 42% more than someone with a Master’s Degree.
Lawyer average salary difference by education level in Canada
| Bachelor’s Degree | 179,000 CAD | |
| Master’s Degree | +33% | 239,000 CAD |
| PhD | +42% | 341,000 CAD |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
