Revealed: Salary ranges for HR leaders in 2025

Salary ranges correspond to the 25th and 75th percentiles for:

• entry-level (1–3 years of experience)
• mid-level (4–7 years of experience)
• senior-level (8–12 years of experience) positions.

All salaries are expressed in thousands of dollars (e.g., 76.5 = $76,500) and represent annual base salaries (before benefits), except for manufacturing and logistics, and skilled trades salaries, which are presented in hourly rates.

For management roles, given that a company’s size affects its wages more than employees’ years of experience, salaries vary according to company income, says Randstad.

“Understanding market trends in salaries is essential to developing a sound talent attraction and retention strategy,” says the report. “With the growing demand for skilled and specialized talent, and the ever-changing expectations of job seekers, companies will be well advised to review and fine-tune their total rewards programs in 2025.”

Currently, 44 per cent of the workforce cites compensation as a major motivator for job switching, and nearly a third planned to switch jobs in the first half of 2024, according to Randstad.

Pay increase projections for 2025 in Canada continue to decline for the second straight year, according to a separate report.

Salary ranges for top jobs in Canada

Here are the highest-paying jobs in different sectors, according to Randstad:

Engineering and design: 

• Project director: $107,300 - $201,800 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Supply chain manager: 87,200 - 153,900
• Construction project coordinator: $86,000 - $137,000

Industrial management:

• General manager: $130,000 - 220,000 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Operations director: $120,400 - $268,400
• Manufacturing director: $119,600 - $233,100

Manufacturing and logistic

• Order/cherry picker forklift operator: $20,600 - $28,600 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Shipper/receiver: $19,800 - $29,400
• Forklift operator: $19,600 - $29,700

Skilled trades:

• Millwright: $32,800 - $47,200 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Electrician: $32,300 - $47,400
• Field heavy duty mechanic: $31,900 - $48,300

Business administration: 

• Administrative manager: $63,900 - $104.800 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Executive assistant (bilingual): $58,000 - $97,700
• Project manager assistant: $56,800 - $94,600

Customer care:

• Inside sales manager: $78,100 - $133,000 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Workforce planner: $53,700 - $84,200
• Technical support level 1 agent: $48,900 - $84,000

Finance and accounting:

• Finance director: $136,00 - $263,000 annually across 1-year, 3-year, 5-year and 10-year workers
• Credit and collections manage: $98,000 - $150,500
• Controller: $96,700 - $237,700

Healthcare:

• Pharmacy manager: $111,100 - $160,000 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Pharmacist: $102,300 - $142,500 
• Clinic manager: $78,300 - $124,800

Sales:

• Sales engineer: $72,100 - $109,800 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Sales manager/director: $71,900 - $125,800
• Branch manager - distribution: $69,200 - $104,500

Information technologies:

• BI data architect: $103,400 - $178,000 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Development manager: $98,800 - $152,800
• Full stack developer: $86,400 - $149,500

Marketing and communications:

• e-commerce director: $113,200 - $225,100 annually across entry, mid and senior levels
• Marketing director: $102,500 - $192,100
• e-commerce marketing manager: $88,000 - $150,300

Canadian organizations are adjusting to current job market and economic conditions by adopting new strategies for salary planning, according to a Gallagher survey.