Hourly wages, by occupation and sex

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The male–female wage differential differs by occupation

  • About one in four Canadian employees work in sales and service occupations—the highest concentration of employees in the occupational groupings. The wages in these jobs are the lowest, averaging only $13.65 per hour in 2007. The highest wages that year ($31.93) were earned by employees in management occupations, who accounted for nearly 7% of all employees.

  • Prince Edward Island was the province with the smallest male–female wage differential in 2007, as women earned nearly 97 cents for every dollar earned by men. Despite favourable economic conditions in Alberta, it had the largest wage gap, with women earning just under 79 cents for every dollar earned by men. The hourly wage gap between men and women has been shrinking over the last 10 years, particularly in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Manitoba. The provinces that are slowest at closing the gap are Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador.

  • While average wages have always been lower for women than for men, the wage gap in 2007 constant dollars has narrowed in the majority of occupations in the last 10 years. It has shrunk fastest for employees in finance, secretarial and administrative jobs. Meanwhile, the hourly wage gap between men and women in primary industry occupations has remained unchanged. In 2007, the largest male–female wage gap was in blue-collar occupations in the following areas: primary industries; processing, manufacturing and utilities; and trades and transport and equipment operators. In contrast, women in health occupations earned almost the same hourly wage as men.

Chart J.5
Average hourly wages, by occupation and sex, 2007

Chart J.5  Average hourly wages, by occupation and sex, 2007

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, CANSIM table 282-0070.

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