2027 Canada Salary Guide from Robert Half reveals 55% of employers are stretching salary budgets to secure top talent

• More than six in 10 (61%) cite specialized skills as a reason to offer salaries above planned budget
• 70% of companies are taking pay transparency steps beyond legal requirements, strengthening talent attraction efforts

TORONTO, Oct. 1, 2026 /CNW/ -- Global talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half has released its 2027 Salary Guide, providing employers and job seekers with projected salaries for hundreds of positions across six professional fields, along with compensation trends and hiring insights. The salary ranges reflect base salaries for new hires across all levels of experience.

Key findings from the 2027 Salary Guide highlight how competition for talent with specialized skills is shaping compensation strategies: 

Which skills are commanding higher salaries?

Which emerging benefits are shaping total rewards?

• Workers with specialized skills command premium pay: 55% of managers say they are offering higher-than-planned salaries to attract top talent, with 61% citing specialized skills as a key reason.
• AI fluency and expertise are driving higher salaries: 63% are increasing pay for professionals with relevant AI skills, with 32% offering more for AI-related expertise than for other technical skills.
• Compensation budgets are increasing: Six in 10 organizations are increasing compensation budgets to help attract in-demand talent, despite cost pressures.
• Salary transparency enhances hiring: 70% of companies are taking pay transparency steps beyond legal requirements and 49% say it has led to higher quality candidate pools.

Select roles expected to outpace salary growth in 2027

The following roles are in demand and are expected to see above-average salary growth in 2027, exceeding the national average increase of +1.4%.

Professional field	Role	Projected salary increases for new hires
Finance and accounting	Controller	+4.1 %
	Assistant controller	+3.9 %
	Senior accountant	+3.6 %
Technology	Business intelligence developer	+5.3 %
	Chief information security officer (CISO)	+5.2 %
	AI engineer	+3.9 %
Marketing and creative	Marketing automation specialist	+5.9 %
	Digital strategist	+5.0 %
	Social media manager	+3.6 %
Legal	Litigation support/eDiscovery director	+5.1 %
	Law clerk manager	+3.8 %
	In-house counsel (0-3 years' experience)	+2.6 %
Administrative and customer support	Inventory manager	+3.9 %
	Senior executive assistant	+2.7 %
	Office manager	+2.1 %
Human Resources	Benefits manager	+2.3 %
	HR assistant	+1.8 %

AI-related skills command higher pay

Managers are offering higher pay to professionals who can use AI to improve efficiency, productivity, and business outcomes. Sixty-three per cent are increasing pay for relevant AI skills and 32% say AI expertise commands a greater premium than other technology skills.

"The growing demand for AI-related expertise reflects a broader shift toward specialized skills across the workforce," said Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director, Robert Half, Canada. "Many employers are moving away from broad-based pay increases and adopting more targeted compensation strategies to invest in specialized and hard-to-find skills that support business priorities. Our Salary Guide helps employers navigate changing talent trends and make informed compensation decisions, while providing professionals with insight into the skills that can support career growth and higher earning potential."

Salary transparency strengthens hiring outcomes

As salary transparency becomes increasingly standard practice, access to reliable external market data is growing in importance, with 93% of employers using or planning to use it to benchmark compensation and stay competitive. In addition, 96% of hiring managers either already include or plan to include salary ranges in job descriptions, citing the top benefits as:

• Attracting a higher-quality candidate pool -- 49%
• More efficient salary negotiations -- 46%
• Reduced time-to-hire -- 33%

"Salary transparency is shaping how organizations attract and retain talent," said Vasilopoulos. "When organizations combine reliable market data with transparent compensation practices, they can make salary decisions with confidence, set clear expectations with candidates, streamline hiring decisions, and support stronger retention outcomes." 

The biggest benefits opportunities

The largest gaps between what workers value and what employers offer can highlight opportunities for organizations to focus benefits investments where they matter most.

Benefit	Employers offering	Workers who value it
Cost of living adjustments	18 %	50 %
Extended health insurance	38 %	59 %
High-cost specialty drugs	33 %	50 %
Employer contributions to retirement plans	30 %	45 %
Flexible work schedules	52 %	66 %
Annual raises	30 %	41 %

Explore salary data and compensation trends by profession and location by visiting the 2027 Salary Guide from Robert Half.

About the 2027 Canada Salary Guide from Robert Half

Robert Half has been publishing salary forecasts for more than 75 years. Since 1950, the Salary Guide has served as a trusted source for employers, job seekers, government organizations, educational institutions and business leaders. The guide features salary benchmarks informed by market data and insights from Robert Half talent solutions professionals, along with survey findings from more than 2,850 hiring managers, business leaders and employed workers across Canada.

FAQ: 

How much are salaries expected to increase in Canada in 2027?
Salaries are projected to increase between +1.1% and +1.8% across the six specializations featured in Robert Half's 2027 Canada Salary Guide. However, many roles in finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support and HR are expected to be above the average range. 

Why are organizations paying more for specialized skills?
Organizations are paying more for specialized skills because competition remains strong for professionals with expertise tied to business-critical priorities. In addition to salary, employers are evaluating total compensation strategies to remain competitive during candidate negotiations. 

What are the benefits of salary transparency and benchmarking?
Salary transparency and benchmarking can help organizations attract higher-quality candidates, improve retention, strengthen salary negotiations and reduce time-to-hire.

About Robert Half

Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) is the world's first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm, connecting highly skilled job seekers with rewarding opportunities at great companies. We offer contract talent and permanent placement solutions in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support, and we also provide executive search services. Robert Half is the parent company of Protiviti^®, a global consulting firm that delivers internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting solutions. Robert Half, including Protiviti, has been named one of the Fortune® Most Admired Companies™, and by Forbes as one of Canada's Best Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firms 2026. Explore comprehensive talent solutions, research and insights at RobertHalf.ca.

SOURCE Robert Half Canada Inc.

Cassandra MacLellan, 647-956-5575, [email protected]