Industry Data
Credible salary and people practices data for Canada’s tech sector
Good data is critical for making good decisions. TAP Network partners with Mercer to produce an annual salary and total rewards survey focused on the Canadian tech sector, reporting on local and national salaries, total compensation, detailed policy data, and more.
Attraction and retention have never been more important for tech employers, and the job market for tech talent has never been more competitive, complicated, or geographically dispersed.
Employees and candidates have high expectations for competitive pay and comprehensive rewards packages. The most successful pay strategies are built on credible data and aligned with business strategies.
For over 25 years, TAP Network’s Tech Sector Salary and Total Rewards Survey has been the definitive resource for tech sector salaries in BC. In 2020, our survey expanded geographically, and now includes compensation data from across Canada. Our survey is published in early September each year, reporting data provided by TAP Network member companies, and validated by Mercer.
Our 2023 Tech Sector Salary and Total Rewards Survey includes data on more than 30,000 incumbents, across 234 jobs, supplied by 204 technology companies operating in Canada.
In addition to salary and total compensation data, our survey provides comprehensive reporting on employment practices such as annual salary and merit increase budgets, geographic differentials, remote work, projected and actual short-term incentives, total rewards practices, voluntary turnover, severance policies, flexible work practices, diversity, equity and inclusion and more.
It also includes detailed diversity demographics data for Canada's tech sector.
Survey participants include startups, scale ups, and large multinationals. Click here for our 2023 participant list.
Our job library includes 100+ hardware and software technology design and support, life sciences and manufacturing roles, such as: software development, DevOps, data science, machine learning, QA, software testing, UX, product management, hardware/electrical engineer, production, manufacturing engineer, lab technicians, biologists, and more.
The library also includes 60 VFX, Animation, Video Game and Interactive Digital Media roles, such as: animation, lighting, digital matte painting artist, modelling, concept art, game designer, level designer, art direction and more.
Also included are 65 business support roles in executive leadership, sales, marketing, people and culture, finance, legal, and compliance and regulatory affairs.
Compensation data is reported using both incumbent weighted and organization weighted totals. Elements include:
- Base salary
- Short term incentive – target and actual
- Sales incentive – target and actual
- Long term incentive – eligibility and value
- Total Cash Compensation – target and actual
- Overtime pay
- On call pay
Our Tech Sector Salary and Total Rewards Survey provides reporting by organization size, annual revenue, geographic location and subsector.
Regional data cuts are included for:
- Toronto
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Alberta
- Vancouver
- Vancouver Island
- Other BC
Subsectors represented in our survey include:
- Software Products and Services
- Fintech
- e-Commerce
- Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Machine Learning and Robotics
- Quantum Computing
- Hardware Design, Development, Manufacturing
- Technology / Engineering Services and Consulting
- Clean Tech
- AgTech
- Video Game, Interactive and Digital Media
- VFX, Animation
- Life Sciences and Healthcare Tech
Companies that participate in our survey have access to Mercer WIN, an online reporting tool that allows participants to create custom reports, including roll ups, applying aging factors, creating custom cuts against peer comparators, and much more.
Participating companies also receive access to in-depth analysis of Canadian tech sector compensation and total rewards trends by Mercer compensation experts, covering topics such as pay equity, salary movement by sub-sector, year over year increases for hot jobs, total cash compensation, geographic differentials, executive total compensation, remote work and more.
The 2023 survey purchase price for non-participants is $2495 +GST.
Member participants receive a 60-70% discount off the non-participant rate! Sign up for membership before April 1st, 2024 to participate in our 2024 survey cycle.
Click here for a graphical summary of the 2022 Tech Salary Survey, with sample output of the compensation data and the table of contents for the policies and practices section of our survey. The 2023 survey summary is coming soon!