Are You in the Top 10%? What Your Salary Really Means in Canada

Think you know where your salary ranks in Canada? Most people are way off. We analyzed Statistics Canada data to show you exactly where you stand—and the numbers are eye-opening.

The Canadian Income Percentile Breakdown

Here's the reality of Canadian incomes in 2025:

Percentile	Annual Income	What This Means
Top 1%	$270,000+	You're earning more than 99 in 100 Canadians
Top 5%	$150,000+	Solidly high income
Top 10%	$110,000+	You're doing very well
Top 25%	$75,000+	Above average Canadian
Top 50%	$50,000+	You earn more than half of Canadians
Median	$42,000	The true middle

Reality check: If you earn $110,000 CAD, you're in the top 10% of Canadian earners. But you probably don't "feel" rich.

The Canadian Dream Delusion

Here's where it gets interesting:

Most Canadians earning $100,000+ consider themselves "middle class"
Even $200,000 earners in Toronto say they're "comfortable, not wealthy"
The gap between perception and reality is massive

The Toronto/Vancouver Effect: Housing costs make high earners feel poor. But nationally, $110K puts you ahead of 90% of Canadians.

What Each Income Level Actually Buys

$50,000/year (Top 50%)

Renting in major cities, owning in smaller markets
Used car, careful budgeting
Limited RRSP contributions
Budget vacations

$75,000/year (Top 25%)

Home ownership outside Toronto/Vancouver
New-ish car
TFSA and RRSP contributions
Annual trip south

$110,000/year (Top 10%)

Condo in Toronto/Vancouver, house elsewhere
Premium lifestyle
Maxed TFSA
Multiple vacations

$150,000/year (Top 5%)

House in GTA suburbs
Investment portfolio growing
Kids' RESP funded
International travel

$270,000+/year (Top 1%)

Property in desirable areas
Generational wealth building
Complete financial freedom
Early retirement possible

The Provincial Reality

Your income percentile varies dramatically by province:

Province	Top 10% Threshold	Median
Alberta	$130,000	$55,000
Ontario	$115,000	$45,000
British Columbia	$110,000	$43,000
Saskatchewan	$105,000	$48,000
Quebec	$95,000	$40,000
Manitoba	$95,000	$42,000

Translation: $110,000 makes you top 10% nationally, but only top 15% in oil-rich Alberta.

The Tax Bite

Canadian taxes are substantial. Here's what you actually keep:

Salary (Ontario)	Take-Home	Effective Tax Rate
$50,000	$40,200	19.6%
$75,000	$57,800	22.9%
$100,000	$73,500	26.5%
$150,000	$103,200	31.2%

The marginal rate above $235,675 in Ontario hits 53.53%.

RRSP vs TFSA: The Real Calculation

If you're in the top 10%, you should max both:

TFSA: $7,000/year contribution room
RRSP: 18% of income, up to $31,560

At $110,000 income, maxing your RRSP saves approximately $4,000 in taxes annually.

Calculate Your Actual Take-Home

Your gross salary is just the start. CPP, EI, federal tax, provincial tax—it adds up.

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The Bottom Line

If you earn $50,000 in Canada, you're:

Top 50% in Canada
Top 10% in North America
Top 1% globally

Perspective matters. But so does ambition.

Share this - Let's see where your friends actually rank. Most have no idea.