New research suggests roughly half of Canadian professionals believe they are underpaid.
That’s according to a survey released by human resources consulting firm Robert Half on Monday as part of its 2025 Canada Salary Guide, “which reveals critical insights on hiring and compensation trends,” the company said in a press release.
The survey found that 51 per cent of workers across a variety of professional sectors reported feeling underpaid.
“Salary continues to be the biggest priority for professionals, as cost of living remains top of mind,” David King, Robert Half’s senior managing director for Canada and South America, said in the press release.
The survey also found that the vast majority – 92 per cent – of respondents said they were concerned about inflation outpacing the growth of their salary, while one-third said they’ll look for a new job if their employer doesn’t raise their salary this year.
Canadian professionals also value flexibility, according to the survey, as 44 per cent of respondents prefer two to three in-office days during the week; working the remaining days at home.
The survey, which also polled hiring managers, found that employers, on average, prefer to have their full-time staff in the office four days per week.
“However, employers know they need to offer flexibility to hire top talent; 32 per cent of workers who are looking for a new job say more flexibility is the main reason why,” the release said.
“Thirty-nine per cent of managers are offering hybrid jobs specifically to attract skilled talent, while 37 per cent are offering flexible schedules for the same reason.”
The survey also found that as more Canadian professionals reach retirement age, employers are encountering succession problems.
“A lack of suitable succession candidates (42 per cent), insufficient upskilling programs (39 per cent), and having internal candidates uninterested in leadership roles (35 per cent) are some of the top succession challenges businesses face,” the release said.
“To counter this, many are focusing on upskilling employees, hiring and training high-potential candidates, and bringing in contract talent.”
Methodology
The 2025 Canada Salary Guide features employment trends and starting salaries for hundreds of positions across the finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources professions in Canada.
Information in the guide is based on data from job placements managed by Robert Half teams throughout Canada, an analysis of the demand for each position, the supply of talent and other market conditions, as well as online surveys developed by Robert Half and conducted by independent research firms.
The surveys were fielded in June 2024 and include responses from more than 1,750 workers aged 18 or older, and 1,800 managers with hiring responsibilities at companies with 20 or more employees in Canada.