The gap between what a job posting says and what the role actually pays can be 30,000 dollars or more. Salary ranges in North America are wide, and where you fall within a range depends on your city, your experience, the company’s funding stage, and how well you negotiate.
This guide breaks down 2026 salary data by industry across the United States and Canada. All US figures are in USD. Canadian figures are in CAD. Total compensation (base + bonus + equity) is noted where it significantly changes the picture.
Technology
North American tech compensation leads the world, but the numbers you see on Levels.fyi and Blind represent the top tier. The average software engineer isn’t making 400K total comp at a FAANG company. That said, tech salaries remain strong across experience levels, and the floor is higher than in most other industries.
Software Engineers
US ranges by experience level:
- Entry level (0-2 years): $75,000 - $120,000. New grads from top CS programs command the upper end. Bootcamp graduates and self-taught developers start closer to $75,000 - $90,000.
- Mid-level (3-5 years): $120,000 - $180,000. This is where the range starts to widen based on geography and company type.
- Senior (6-10 years): $160,000 - $250,000 base. At major tech companies, total comp (base + RSUs + bonus) can push this to $300,000 - $450,000.
- Staff and Principal (10+ years): $200,000 - $350,000 base. Total comp at FAANG-tier companies reaches $400,000 - $700,000+.
Canadian software engineer salaries run about 20-30% lower in CAD terms and 35-45% lower in USD terms. A senior engineer in Toronto earns $120,000 - $180,000 CAD. Vancouver is similar. Smaller markets like Calgary, Ottawa, and Montreal pay $100,000 - $150,000 CAD.
City-level differences in the US:
- San Francisco / Bay Area: Still the highest-paying market. The cost of housing offsets some of the premium, but total comp remains unmatched.
- Seattle: Close to Bay Area levels, driven by Amazon, Microsoft, and a growing startup ecosystem.
- New York City: Finance-tech crossover roles pay especially well. Base salaries match or exceed Bay Area, though equity packages are sometimes smaller.
- Austin, Denver, Raleigh-Durham: These mid-tier tech hubs have grown significantly. Salaries are 10-20% below coastal markets, but cost of living is 30-50% lower.
- Remote (US-based): Many companies have standardized remote pay bands. Some peg to a national average. Others adjust by geography. The trend is moving toward location-based adjustments, which means a remote engineer in Kansas City earns less than one in Manhattan.
Data Science and Machine Learning
Data scientists earn $100,000 - $170,000 at the mid-level in the US. Machine learning engineers command a premium, with mid-level roles paying $130,000 - $200,000. Senior ML engineers at research-focused companies (Google DeepMind, OpenAI, Meta FAIR) can earn $300,000 - $500,000+ in total comp.
In Canada, data science roles pay $80,000 - $140,000 CAD. Toronto’s AI corridor, anchored by the Vector Institute, has driven Canadian ML salaries upward.
Product Management
US product manager salaries: entry-level $90,000 - $130,000, mid-level $130,000 - $190,000, senior/director $180,000 - $280,000. At top tech companies, senior PMs regularly earn $250,000 - $400,000 total comp. Canada PM salaries run $80,000 - $160,000 CAD.
Cybersecurity
The persistent shortage of cybersecurity professionals keeps salaries elevated. Mid-level security engineers earn $120,000 - $170,000 USD. CISOs at mid-to-large companies earn $200,000 - $400,000. The ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study reported a global shortage of 3.4 million cybersecurity workers, and North America accounts for a significant share of that gap.
Finance and Banking
Wall Street compensation follows a rigid structure: base salary plus bonus, with the bonus often equaling or exceeding base pay at senior levels. Outside of investment banking, finance salaries are still strong but follow a more predictable progression.
Investment Banking
- Analysts (year 1-3): $110,000 - $130,000 base. Year-end bonuses add $80,000 - $150,000, bringing total comp to $190,000 - $280,000.
- Associates: $175,000 - $225,000 base plus $100,000 - $200,000 bonus.
- Vice Presidents: $250,000 - $350,000 base plus bonus of similar magnitude.
- Managing Directors: $400,000 - $600,000 base. Total comp with bonuses and deferred compensation can exceed $1M - $3M at top-tier banks.
Canadian investment banking salaries at Big Five banks (RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC) are lower. Analyst base pay runs $65,000 - $85,000 CAD. The Bay Street discount relative to Wall Street is roughly 30-40%.
Corporate Finance
Financial analysts earn $60,000 - $90,000 USD. Senior financial analysts reach $85,000 - $120,000. Finance managers and directors earn $120,000 - $200,000. CFOs at mid-market companies (100-1000 employees) earn $200,000 - $400,000.
Private Equity and Venture Capital
PE associate compensation starts at $150,000 - $200,000 base with substantial carry (profit-sharing) that vests over several years. Senior PE professionals earn seven figures when carry is included. VC associates earn less in base ($100,000 - $150,000) but gain carried interest and deal-by-deal exposure.
Accounting and Audit
Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) starting salaries for auditors and tax associates run $60,000 - $75,000 in major US metros. Seniors earn $75,000 - $95,000. Managers reach $100,000 - $140,000. Partners at Big Four firms earn $300,000 - $1M+, but the path to partner takes 12-15 years.
CPA certification adds roughly $10,000 - $15,000 to starting salaries and is essentially required for upward mobility in public accounting.
Healthcare
Healthcare is the largest employer in the US economy and compensation varies enormously based on role, specialty, and geography.
Physicians
According to the Medscape Physician Compensation Report, average physician compensation in the US:
- Primary Care: $270,000 - $320,000
- Orthopedic Surgery: $550,000 - $650,000
- Cardiology: $450,000 - $550,000
- Dermatology: $400,000 - $500,000
- Psychiatry: $280,000 - $340,000
- Emergency Medicine: $310,000 - $380,000
- Radiology: $400,000 - $500,000
These figures include base salary, productivity bonuses and profit-sharing in group practices. Academic physicians earn less than those in private practice.
Canadian physician compensation is typically fee-for-service through provincial health plans. Family physicians in Canada earn $250,000 - $350,000 CAD gross (before overhead). Specialists earn $300,000 - $600,000+ CAD. Overhead costs for physicians who run their own practices consume 25-40% of gross billings.
Nursing
US registered nurses earn $65,000 - $95,000 depending on state and specialty. California pays the highest nursing salaries, with RNs averaging over $120,000 in the Bay Area. Travel nurses earn $80,000 - $150,000+, though the extreme premiums of 2021-2022 have normalized.
Nurse practitioners (NPs) earn $110,000 - $150,000. Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) are among the highest-paid nursing roles at $190,000 - $250,000.
Canadian RNs earn $70,000 - $100,000 CAD. NPs in Canada earn $95,000 - $130,000 CAD.
Pharmacists
US pharmacists earn $120,000 - $150,000. Pharmacy managers at retail chains earn $130,000 - $165,000. Clinical pharmacists in hospital settings earn slightly more than retail pharmacists. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects flat growth in pharmacist employment, which has moderated salary increases.
Healthcare Administration
Hospital administrators and health system executives earn $100,000 - $200,000 at the director level. C-suite executives at large health systems (CEOs, COOs, CMOs) earn $300,000 - $1M+. Healthcare consulting roles at firms like McKinsey Health or Huron Consulting pay $100,000 - $200,000 for mid-level consultants.
Engineering
Traditional engineering fields offer stable, well-paying careers, though compensation rarely matches tech or finance at the top end.
Mechanical Engineering
US mechanical engineers earn $65,000 - $95,000 at the mid-level. Senior and principal engineers reach $100,000 - $140,000. Management roles (engineering director, VP of engineering at manufacturing companies) pay $140,000 - $220,000.
Automotive engineering in Detroit and aerospace engineering in Seattle, Wichita and the greater LA area pay at the top of these ranges. Canadian mechanical engineers earn $65,000 - $100,000 CAD.
Civil Engineering
Civil engineers earn $60,000 - $90,000 at the mid-level in the US. Licensed Professional Engineers (PE) earn a premium of $10,000 - $20,000 over non-licensed peers. Senior project managers at large construction or engineering firms reach $110,000 - $160,000. State and federal government engineering roles pay less than private sector but offer pension benefits and job security.
Electrical Engineering
Electrical engineers earn $70,000 - $110,000 at the mid-level. Specializations in power systems, semiconductor design and RF engineering command premiums. Semiconductor engineers in chip design roles at companies like Intel, Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and AMD earn $120,000 - $200,000+ at senior levels, with total comp approaching software engineer levels.
Chemical and Process Engineering
Chemical engineers earn $75,000 - $120,000 in the US. The oil and gas sector in Houston and Calgary pays at the top of this range. Pharmaceutical manufacturing in the Northeast corridor and biotech clusters in Boston and San Diego also pay premium rates. Canadian chemical engineers in Alberta’s energy sector earn $80,000 - $130,000 CAD.
Understanding Total Compensation
Base salary is just one piece. In North America, total compensation includes several additional components.
Annual Bonus. Most professional roles include a target bonus of 5-20% of base salary. Sales roles have higher variable comp (often 50/50 base/commission splits). Finance and consulting bonuses can equal or exceed base pay.
Equity (Stock Options and RSUs). Tech companies distribute equity as a major compensation component. RSUs (Restricted Stock Units) vest over four years and can represent 20-50% of total comp at major tech companies. Startup stock options carry more risk but offer higher upside if the company exits successfully.
401(k) / RRSP Matching. US employers commonly match 3-6% of salary in 401(k) contributions. Canadian employers match RRSP contributions at similar rates. A 6% match on a $150,000 salary is $9,000 per year in free money.
Health Insurance. US employer-sponsored health insurance is worth $7,000 - $25,000 per year depending on plan quality and family vs. individual coverage. This is a significant non-cash benefit that varies widely between employers. Canadian workers get universal healthcare but often receive supplemental private insurance for dental, vision and prescription drugs.
Signing Bonuses. Common in tech, finance and consulting. Typical signing bonuses range from $10,000 - $50,000 for mid-to-senior roles. They’re often used to cover the gap when equity from a previous employer hasn’t fully vested.
Cost of Living Adjustments
A $150,000 salary in San Francisco and a $100,000 salary in Austin provide a similar standard of living once housing, taxes and daily expenses are factored in.
The highest-cost US metro areas for professionals:
- San Francisco / San Jose
- New York City
- Boston
- Seattle
- Los Angeles
- Washington, D.C.
State income tax also plays a role. Texas, Florida, Washington, Tennessee and Nevada have no state income tax. California’s top marginal rate is 13.3%. New York City adds city income tax on top of state tax. These differences can shift take-home pay by $10,000 - $25,000 per year on the same gross salary.
In Canada, Vancouver and Toronto are the highest-cost cities. Calgary, Ottawa and Montreal offer lower living costs with competitive salaries.
Salary Negotiation Basics
North American employers expect negotiation. A Salary.com survey found that only 37% of workers always negotiate, which means the majority are leaving money on the table.
Key principles:
Get the offer in writing before negotiating. Never negotiate against yourself during the interview process. Wait until you have a written offer with specific numbers.
Name a range, not a number. Your target should be the midpoint of your stated range. If you want $140,000, say “$135,000 to $150,000.”
Use competing offers. If you have multiple offers, use them. “I have another offer at $X and I’d prefer to work at your company. Can you match or get closer to that number?” This works.
Negotiate beyond base salary. If the employer can’t move on base, ask about signing bonus, additional equity, extra PTO, remote work flexibility, or a six-month salary review. These concessions are often easier for companies to approve because they don’t permanently increase their payroll obligations.
For detailed negotiation strategies specific to the North American market, read our North American salary negotiation guide.
Trends Shaping 2026 Compensation
Pay transparency laws are expanding. Colorado, California, Washington, New York and several other states now require salary ranges in job postings. This has increased market transparency and given candidates more data points for negotiation. More states are expected to adopt similar laws.
AI roles are outpacing traditional tech roles in salary growth. AI/ML engineering, prompt engineering and AI infrastructure roles are growing faster in compensation than general software engineering. Companies across all industries are willing to pay a premium for AI expertise.
Return-to-office mandates are creating salary friction. Some companies are offering location-based pay adjustments that reduce salary for remote workers. Others are using in-office requirements as a retention tool, offering bonuses or higher raises to employees who work from the office full-time.
Healthcare costs continue to rise. US employer healthcare spending has increased 5-7% annually. Some employers are shifting more of this cost to employees through higher deductibles and co-pays, which effectively reduces total compensation even if base salary increases.
Salary research is only useful if it leads to better outcomes. Use this data to evaluate offers, prepare for negotiations and make informed decisions about where and how to work. 1Template can help you position your resume to target the salary range you want, with formatting that highlights the experience and certifications that move you into higher pay bands.
