2026 salary benchmarks for accounting, legal, and operations.
Updated June 2026. Verified base salary ranges from Minted Search Group placements across Canada.
How we built this guide
Salary ranges below combine Minted Search Group’s verified placement data with four published Canadian sources: the Hays Canada 2026 Salary & Hiring Trends Guide (city-level data across the GTA, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Halifax); the Michael Page 2026 Canada Salary Guide (provincial data for Ontario and Quebec); the ZSA 2026 Private Practice Lawyer Salary Guide (year-of-call data for Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal private practice firms); and the ZSA × Counselwell 2026 Canadian In-House Lawyer Salary Report (survey data from 780 in-house lawyers across Canada).
Where Minted has direct placement data in a role, that data is the primary anchor. Where our sample is smaller, we cross-reference the published sources above and add our own market commentary on Canadian-specific dynamics. Every range is base salary in CAD, excluding bonus, equity, and benefits. Compensation depends on firm size, industry, candidate experience, and benefit structure — these are starting benchmarks, not offer letters.
Updated quarterly. Last review: June 2026.
Methodology and city deltas
All salary tables on this site are anchored to Toronto / GTA baseline numbers. City-specific snapshots on /locations/[city] pages derive from the Toronto baseline using the deltas below.
| City | F&A roles | Legal private practice | Legal in-house | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto / GTA | Baseline (1.00) | Baseline (1.00) | Baseline (1.00) | All master tables published as Toronto baseline. |
| Ottawa | 0.88–0.93 of GTA | 0.78–0.88 of Toronto | 0.80–0.85 of Toronto | Federal / Crown-corp segment runs at GTA parity for senior roles. |
| Vancouver | Tech: 1.00–1.05; non-tech: 0.95–1.00 | 0.80–0.90 of Toronto | Tech: 0.90–0.95; non-tech: 0.85–0.90 | Tech-sector premium. Howe Street national-firm offices run closer to Toronto Bay Street. |
| Hamilton / Golden Horseshoe | 0.87–0.92 of GTA | 0.75–0.85 of Toronto | 0.80–0.85 of Toronto | Industrial / manufacturing segment is the main driver. |
| Waterloo region | Tech: 0.95–1.00; non-tech: 0.85–0.92 | 0.75–0.85 of Toronto | Tech: 0.85–0.92; non-tech: 0.80–0.85 | Tech-corridor premium. |
Quarterly refreshes update the Toronto baseline first; city snapshots then auto-derive from these deltas.
Accounting & Finance · Public Practice
Audit, assurance, and tax across mid-tier and boutique public accounting firms. Big Four labels are candidate-facing market reference; Minted places candidates at mid-tier, large national, and boutique firms.
| Role | Level | Base (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting Technician / Audit Junior | Entry | $50K–$65K |
| Staff Accountant | 0–2 years | $60K–$80K |
| Senior Accountant | 2–4 years | $80K–$105K |
| Senior Accountant, Audit & Assurance | 4–6 yrs | $90K–$115K |
| Audit Manager | CPA + 4–6 yrs | $110K–$140K |
| Senior Manager, Audit | 6–9 yrs | $130K–$170K |
| Tax Manager | Manager | $110K–$140K |
| Senior Tax Manager | Mid-tier / large national (Big Four-trained candidates) | $135K–$180K |
| Director of Tax | Mid-tier / industry | $150K–$220K |
| Director, Audit | Mid-tier | $165K–$210K |
| Partner | Mid-tier / boutique | $250K–$500K+ |
Accounting & Finance · Industry
The full finance org chart at industry employers — from accounting operations through CFO.
| Role | Level | Base (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Accountant (industry) | 0–2 yrs | $58K–$75K |
| Bookkeeper | Mid–Senior | $55K–$75K |
| AP / AR Clerk | Junior–Mid | $50K–$68K |
| Payroll Specialist | Mid–Senior | $60K–$80K |
| Senior Accountant | Industry, CPA | $85K–$110K |
| Accounting Manager | Mid-market | $110K–$140K |
| Assistant Controller | Mid-market | $115K–$150K |
| Controller | Mid-market | $135K–$175K |
| Senior Controller / Group Controller | Mid–large | $160K–$215K |
| VP Finance | PE-backed / SaaS | $170K–$240K |
| CFO | Mid-market | $220K–$425K |
| CFO (Large / PE-backed) | Executive | $300K–$500K+ |
Accounting & Finance · FP&A and Treasury
| Role | Level | Base (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| FP&A Analyst | 1–3 years | $70K–$95K |
| Senior FP&A Analyst | 3–5 years | $95K–$120K |
| FP&A Manager | Tech / PE-backed | $120K–$155K |
| Senior Manager, FP&A | Mid-market | $140K–$180K |
| Director, FP&A | Mid-market | $155K–$200K |
| VP FP&A | Large / PE-backed | $200K–$275K |
| Treasury Analyst | Mid | $75K–$100K |
| Treasury Manager | Mid–Senior | $115K–$155K |
| Director, Treasury | Senior | $160K–$215K |
| VP Treasury | Public co. | $180K–$240K |
Accounting & Finance · Internal Audit & Controls
| Role | Level | Base (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Auditor | 1–3 yrs | $80K–$105K |
| Senior Internal Auditor / Manager IA | Mid–Senior | $100K–$140K |
| Director, Internal Audit | Senior | $160K–$215K |
| Chief Audit Executive | Executive | $215K–$325K |
| SOX Specialist | Mid | $85K–$115K |
Legal · Private Practice (firm-tier; Bay Street as market reference)
Minted places candidates at mid-tier full-service firms, prestige litigation boutiques, and specialty practice boutiques. The full year-of-call breakdown by firm tier appears in the firm-tier matrix below. Bay Street is shown as candidate-facing market reference only.
| Role | Level | Base (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Associate | 1st-year call · Bay Street (market reference) | $130K–$175K |
| Associate | 3rd-year call · Bay Street (market reference) | $180K–$220K |
| Corporate Associate | 5-year · Bay Street (market reference) | $220K–$280K |
| Senior Associate | 7th-year+ · Bay Street (market reference) | $260K–$340K |
| Counsel | Bay Street firm (market reference) | $280K–$380K |
| Partner (income) | Bay Street firm (market reference) | $400K–$900K+ |
| Articling Student | Mid-tier full-service | $75K–$95K |
| Articling Student | Prestige litigation boutique | $85K–$105K |
| Articling Student | Specialty boutique | $60K–$85K |
| Articling Student | Bay Street (market reference) | $80K–$100K |
| Equity Partner | Mid-tier full-service | $550K–$1.1M |
| Equity Partner | Prestige litigation boutique | $650K–$1.5M+ |
| Equity Partner | Specialty boutique | $350K–$850K |
| Equity Partner | Bay Street (market reference) | $650K–$1.5M+ |
Legal · In-House Counsel
Toronto / GTA baseline. The full company-size matrix (Small through F500 Canada) appears below.
| Role | Level | Base (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Counsel | 2–4 year call | $130K–$170K |
| Senior Counsel | 5–8 year call | $175K–$235K |
| Senior Counsel — Securities | Financial services | $210K–$270K |
| Associate General Counsel | Mid-market | $240K–$310K |
| Deputy General Counsel | Mid-market | $275K–$335K |
| General Counsel | Mid-market | $280K–$380K |
| General Counsel | Large enterprise | $380K–$550K+ |
| Chief Legal Officer | Large enterprise | $450K–$600K |
| Compliance Officer | Mid-market | $115K–$160K |
| Director of Compliance | Mid-market | $175K–$235K |
| Privacy Officer | Mid-market | $115K–$160K |
| Regulatory Counsel | Mid-market | $185K–$250K |
Operations & Admin
Firm operations and administration roles across law firms and professional-services employers.
| Role | Level | Base (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Assistant | Senior, Bay Street | $80K–$110K |
| Office Manager (mid-size firm) | Mid–Senior | $75K–$105K |
| HR Manager | Professional services | $95K–$125K |
| HR Director | Senior | $135K–$180K |
| Marketing & BD Manager | Law firm | $100K–$140K |
| Director of Marketing & BD | Senior | $150K–$205K |
| Legal Operations Manager | Mid–Senior | $115K–$155K |
| Director of Legal Operations | Senior | $160K–$215K |
| Law Clerk (Real Estate) | Mid | $65K–$85K |
| Law Clerk (Corporate) | Mid–Senior | $70K–$95K |
| Law Clerk (Litigation) | Mid | $68K–$90K |
| Paralegal (LSO-licensed, Ontario) | Mid–Senior | $75K–$105K |
| E-Discovery Specialist | Mid | $80K–$115K |
| Legal Assistant (Senior, downtown Toronto firm) | Senior | $70K–$95K |
| Director of Operations | Professional svc. | $140K–$185K |
| COO | Mid-size firm | $200K–$280K |
Legal private practice — Toronto year-of-call compensation by firm tier
2026 Toronto base salary ranges by firm tier. These are the same numbers published on /legal/law-firms. Bay Street is candidate-facing market reference; Minted's place-based focus is concentrated in the first three columns.
| Year of call | Mid-tier full-service | Prestige litigation boutique | Specialty boutique | Bay Street (market reference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $110K–$135K | $130K–$155K | $90K–$115K | $130K–$175K |
| 3rd year | $135K–$165K | $165K–$195K | $115K–$140K | $180K–$220K |
| 5th year | $165K–$195K | $200K–$240K | $135K–$170K | $220K–$280K |
| 7+ year | $195K–$235K | $245K–$300K | $170K–$210K | $260K–$340K |
| Counsel | $215K–$265K | $260K–$320K | $190K–$240K | $280K–$380K |
| Income Partner | $325K–$525K | $400K–$700K | $250K–$425K | $400K–$900K+ |
| Equity Partner | $550K–$1.1M | $650K–$1.5M+ | $350K–$850K | $650K–$1.5M+ |
| Articling Student | $75K–$95K | $85K–$105K | $60K–$85K | $80K–$100K |
Source: ZSA 2026 Private Practice Lawyer Salary Guide + Hays Canada 2026 Salary Guide (GTA Legal Private Practice). Year of call = years since being called to the Bar.
Legal in-house — Toronto / GTA compensation by company size
The same company-size matrix published on /legal/in-house. Excludes bonus (typically 15–35% of base) and equity (10–25% in PE-backed and tech companies).
| Role | Small (<$50M) | Mid ($50–250M) | Large ($250M–$1B) | F500 Canada / $1B+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Junior Counsel (2–4 yoc) | $130K–$155K | $140K–$170K | $150K–$185K | $165K–$200K |
| Senior Counsel (5–8 yoc) | $175K–$210K | $190K–$235K | $205K–$255K | $225K–$280K |
| Senior Counsel — Securities | n/a | $200K–$245K | $215K–$265K | $235K–$290K |
| Associate General Counsel | $215K–$255K | $240K–$285K | $260K–$310K | $285K–$340K |
| Deputy General Counsel | $250K–$300K | $275K–$335K | $310K–$370K | $345K–$415K |
| General Counsel | $260K–$320K | $280K–$380K | $360K–$475K | $425K–$575K+ |
| Chief Legal Officer | n/a | $350K–$425K | $450K–$600K | $550K–$750K+ |
| Compliance Officer | $100K–$135K | $115K–$160K | $130K–$175K | $145K–$190K |
| Director of Compliance | $155K–$205K | $175K–$235K | $195K–$260K | $215K–$285K |
| Privacy Officer | $100K–$135K | $115K–$160K | $130K–$175K | $145K–$190K |
| Regulatory Counsel | $165K–$220K | $185K–$250K | $200K–$275K | $220K–$300K |
Source: ZSA × Counselwell 2026 In-House Lawyer Salary Report (780 respondents) + Hays Canada 2026 Salary Guide. Toronto / GTA baseline.
Provincial overlays
F&A ranges reflect Ontario / GTA base salaries. For Ottawa, expect 7–12% below the GTA baseline on accounting and operations roles. For Vancouver, the tech segment is comparable to or slightly above Toronto; non-tech roles run 0–5% below. For Hamilton and Waterloo, comp typically runs 8–13% below GTA on most accounting roles. For legal private practice, mid-tier full-service comp in Toronto runs 20–30% below Bay Street; prestige litigation boutiques pay near Bay Street at senior levels; specialty boutiques run 15–35% below at the associate level. National-firm Ottawa offices pay 85–90% of the corresponding Toronto column; Vancouver national-firm offices pay 80–90%. See the city-specific snapshots for live placement-anchored numbers.
Numbers refreshed each quarter. Cross-referenced sources: Hays 2026 Canada Salary Guide, Michael Page 2026 Canada Salary Guide, ZSA 2026 Private Practice Lawyer Salary Guide, ZSA × Counselwell 2026 Canadian In-House Lawyer Salary Report, Robert Walters Canada Market Insights, Canadian Lawyer Magazine compensation surveys.
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