Secretary Average Salary in Ontario 2026
How much money does a person working as Secretary make in Ontario?
LOW
29,400
CAD AVERAGE
64,000
CAD HIGH
102,000
CAD
A person working as Secretary in Ontario typically earns around 64,000 CAD. Salaries range from 29,400 CAD (lowest) to 102,000 CAD (highest).
Salary Variance
This is the average salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Secretary salaries in Ontario vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Secretary Pay Scale and Salaries in Ontario
Median Salary, maximum and minimum salary, minimum wage, starting salary, and the salary range
Salary Range, Minimum Wage, and Starting Salary
Salaries for the position Secretary in Ontario range from 29,400 CAD (starting salary) to 102,000 CAD (maximum salary). It should be noted that the given figure is not the legally mandated minimum wage; rather, it represents the lowest figure reported in a salary survey that included thousands of participants and professionals from all regions of the country.
Median Salary
With a median salary of 61,200 CAD, half of the professionals who work as Secretary in Ontario earn less than this amount, and the other half earn more. The median salary denotes the middle value of salaries. Ideally, you would want to belong to the group earning more than the median salary, located on the right side of the salary distribution graph.
Percentiles and Salary Scale
The median is closely associated with two other values known as the 25th and 75th percentiles. By examining the salary distribution chart, it can be determined that 25% of professionals employed as Secretary in Ontario earn less than 49,300 CAD, while 75% earn more. Similarly, the chart shows that 75% earn less than 70,500 CAD while 25% earn more.
Pay Scale Structure
To provide a better understanding of expected salaries, we categorized the frequently occurring salaries into different ranges. This approach provides a more precise representation of salary distribution for the job title Secretary in Ontario compared to simply calculating the average. The majority of reported salaries, approximately 65%, fall within the range of 36,600 CAD to 53,200 CAD. About 20% of salaries are below the 36,600 CAD mark, while 10% fall within the range of 53,200 CAD to 60,700 CAD. Only 5% of individuals have salaries exceeding 60,700 CAD.
Salary Comparison by Years of Experience / Secretary / Ontario
How do experience and age affect pay?
| 0 - 2 Years | 33,400 CAD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +34% | 44,600 CAD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +48% | 66,000 CAD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +22% | 80,400 CAD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +9% | 87,700 CAD |
| 20+ Years | +8% | 94,900 CAD |
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally, the more years of experience the higher the wage. We broke down salaries by experience level for people working as Secretary and this is what we found.
Employees with less than two years of experience earn approximately 33,400 CAD.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 44,600 CAD, 34% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 66,000 CAD, 48% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, professionals whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 80,400 CAD, 22% 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 87,700 CAD, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 94,900 CAD, 8% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Salary Comparison By Education / Secretary / Ontario
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary variance between different education levels of professionals working as Secretary.
| High School | 38,100 CAD | |
| Certificate or Diploma | +57% | 59,800 CAD |
| Bachelor's Degree | +68% | 100,000 CAD |
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 salaries by education level for the position Secretary in order to make a comparison.
Level 1: High School
Employees at this education level have an average salary of 38,100 CAD.
Level 2: Certificate or Diploma
At this level, the average salary becomes 59,800 CAD, 57% more than the previous level.
Level 3: Bachelor's Degree
At this level, the average salary becomes 100,000 CAD, 68% more than the previous level.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Salary and Compensation Comparison By Gender / Secretary / Ontario
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? For the people who work as Secretary in Canada, the average difference between the salary of male and female employees is 5%.
| Male | 52,200 CAD | |
| Female | +5% | 54,600 CAD |
Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage / Secretary / Ontario
How much are annual salary increments in Ontario for individuals working as Secretary? How often do employees get salary raises?
Individuals working as Secretary in Canada are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 9% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
The term Annual Salary Increase usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rare that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one-year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 / Increase Frequency
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Salary Packages and Schemes
Not all compensation increases are reflected directly in the salary. Some companies offer upgraded packages to their staff instead of cash money. The figures displayed here account only for direct increments to the base salary.
Bonus and Incentive Rates / Secretary / Canada
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
68% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 32% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 0% to 4% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 32% | |
| No Bonus | 68% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus, where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Average Hourly Wage / Secretary / Ontario
The average hourly wage (pay per hour) for individuals working as Secretary in Ontario is 31 CAD.This is the rate they get paid for every worked hour.
About The Hourly Pay Rate
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually, jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fixed amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
What is the minimum hourly rate of pay?
The minimum pay rate per hour for people working as Secretary in Ontario is 14 CAD. This is the minimum as per the gathered data in the salary survey not the minimum hourly rate mandated by law.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Administration / Reception / Secretarial | ||
| Accreditation Specialist | 153,000 CAD |  +140% |
| Admin Clerk | 48,900 CAD |  -24% |
| Admin Executive | 73,900 CAD | +15% |
| Administrative Aide | 56,500 CAD | -12% |
| Administrative Analyst | 98,000 CAD | +53% |
| Administrative Assistant | 75,300 CAD | +18% |
| Administrative Associate | 68,600 CAD | +7% |
| Administrative Coordinator | 66,100 CAD | +3% |
| Administrative Manager | 106,000 CAD | +66% |
| Administrative Officer | 71,500 CAD | +12% |
| Administrative Receptionist | 64,900 CAD | +1% |
| Administrative Secretary | 62,300 CAD | -3% |
| Administrative Specialist | 70,500 CAD | +10% |
| Administrative Support | 64,500 CAD | +1% |
| Administrative Technician | 58,700 CAD | -8% |
| Board Secretary | 67,000 CAD | +5% |
| Branch Office Administrator | 116,000 CAD | +81% |
| Business Administrator | 108,000 CAD | +69% |
| Business Office Manager | 185,000 CAD | +190% |
| Central Office Operator | 67,800 CAD | +6% |
| Clerical Assistant | 41,200 CAD | -36% |
| Clerk | 47,000 CAD | -27% |
| Commercial Administrator | 97,300 CAD | +52% |
| Commissions Processor | 84,900 CAD | +33% |
| Conveyancing Secretary | 59,200 CAD | -8% |
| Corporate Receptionist | 69,800 CAD | +9% |
| Creditors Clerk | 69,700 CAD | +9% |
| Data Entry Clerk | 48,900 CAD | -24% |
| Data Entry Specialist | 68,900 CAD | +8% |
| Document Controller | 59,300 CAD | -7% |
| Document Management Specialist | 85,500 CAD | +34% |
| Executive Administrative Assistant | 76,300 CAD | +19% |
| Executive Assistant | 78,800 CAD | +23% |
| Executive Officer | 87,900 CAD | +37% |
| Executive Personal Assistant | 84,500 CAD | +32% |
| Executive Secretary | 74,500 CAD | +16% |
| File Clerk | 48,000 CAD | -25% |
| Front Desk Attendant | 65,000 CAD | +2% |
| Front Desk Coordinator | 85,100 CAD | +33% |
| Front Desk Manager | 105,000 CAD | +64% |
| Front Desk Receptionist | 64,500 CAD | +1% |
| Front Desk Shift Leader | 81,800 CAD | +28% |
| Front Office Assistant | 63,300 CAD | -1% |
| Front Office Executive | 87,400 CAD | +37% |
| Group Services Manager | 185,000 CAD | +190% |
| Head Receptionist | 76,300 CAD | +19% |
| Inquiry and Admissions Clerk | 48,100 CAD | -25% |
| Key Account Assistant | 82,800 CAD | +29% |
| Keyboard and Data Entry Operator | 46,600 CAD | -27% |
| Leasing Administrator | 87,700 CAD | +37% |
| Legal Secretary | 74,100 CAD | +16% |
| Librarian | 88,300 CAD | +38% |
| Mail Processing Clerk | 42,100 CAD | -34% |
| Mail Sorting Clerk | 39,600 CAD | -38% |
| Mailroom Clerk | 43,000 CAD | -33% |
| Mailroom Manager | 73,600 CAD | +15% |
| Management Support Secretary | 66,600 CAD | +4% |
| Master Programme Coordinator | 128,000 CAD | +100% |
| Medical Receptionist | 71,100 CAD | +11% |
| Meeting and Event Assistant | 76,300 CAD | +19% |
| Meeting and Event Manager | 171,000 CAD | +170% |
| Night Manager | 105,000 CAD | +64% |
| Office Administrator | 106,000 CAD | +66% |
| Office Assistant | 47,600 CAD | -26% |
| Office Automation Clerk | 80,800 CAD | +26% |
| Office Clerk | 56,400 CAD | -12% |
| Office Coordinator | 70,100 CAD | +9% |
| Office Manager | 125,000 CAD | +95% |
| Office Services Coordinator | 90,200 CAD | +41% |
| Office Supervisor | 88,200 CAD | +38% |
| Operations Analyst | 144,000 CAD | +120% |
| Operations Clerk | 76,900 CAD | +20% |
| Operations Manager | 178,000 CAD | +180% |
| Personal Assistant | 67,700 CAD | +6% |
| Planning Assistant | 81,600 CAD | +27% |
| Process Expert | 105,000 CAD | +64% |
| Program Coordinator | 97,200 CAD | +52% |
| Programme Assistant | 89,200 CAD | +39% |
| Project Administrator | 116,000 CAD | +81% |
| Project Coordinator | 151,000 CAD | +140% |
| Query Administrator | 86,600 CAD | +35% |
| Reception Team Lead | 85,000 CAD | +33% |
| Receptionist | 66,800 CAD | +4% |
| Records Officer | 56,600 CAD | -12% |
| Registry Administrator | 71,300 CAD | +11% |
| Registry and Filing Clerk | 46,600 CAD | -27% |
| Rental Clerk | 49,300 CAD | -23% |
| Schedule Officer | 48,900 CAD | -24% |
| Scheduler | 50,300 CAD | -21% |
| School Secretary | 67,400 CAD | +5% |
| Secretary | 64,000 CAD | -0% |
| Service Reception Head | 79,000 CAD | +23% |
| Switchboard Operator | 56,200 CAD | -12% |
| Technical Program Manager | 162,000 CAD | +150% |
| Technical Project Manager | 172,000 CAD | +170% |
| Typist | 54,800 CAD | -14% |
| Unit Secretary | 60,700 CAD | -5% |
| Wayleave Officer | 49,000 CAD | -23% |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working in a private company or the government? The difference between the public or government sector salaries and the private sector salaries in Canada is 4% on average across all career fields.
| Private Sector | 117,000 CAD | |
| Public Sector | +4% | 122,000 CAD |
Salary Statistics and Calculation Guide
What is considered to be a good and competitive salary for the job title Secretary in Ontario?
A good and competitive compensation would range anywhere between 61,200 CAD and 70,500 CAD. This is a very rough estimate. Experience and education play a very huge part in the final earnings.
Gross Salary (before tax) and Net Salary (after tax)
All salary and compensation figures displayed here are gross salary figures, that is the salary before tax deductions. Because taxes may differ across sectors and locations, it is difficult to accurately calculate the net salary after tax for every career.
Base / Basic Salary
The base salary for a careers like Secretary in Ontario ranges from 29,400 CAD to 49,300 CAD. The base salary depends on many factors including experience and education. It is not easy to provide a figure with very little information, so take this range with a grain of salt.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people earn more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios.