About one in five people with employment income in the Toronto region earned $100,000 or more in 2024. Among people who worked full time for the full year, the share was almost one in three.
So the claim that one in four Torontonians earns six figures is not a clean fact. It can be too high or too low depending on who is counted. The answer changes when we switch between all residents, income earners, full-time workers, households, the City of Toronto and the much larger Toronto region.
This guide explains the numbers, the jobs and why a $100,000 salary can feel rich to one person and tight to another.
The quick answer
Statistics Canada's 2024 data for the Toronto census metropolitan area says:
| Group | Share earning $100,000 or more |
|---|---|
| Everyone with employment income | 20.4% |
| Full-year, full-time workers | 32.3% |
| Other workers | 7.7% |
| Men with employment income | 25.4% |
| Women with employment income | 15.0% |
The same source put median employment income at $49,500 for everyone with employment income. For full-year, full-time workers, the median was $74,600.
Our answer is that six-figure income is common in Toronto, but it is not normal for everyone. Most people with employment income still made less than $100,000.
Why the “one in four” claim is confusing
The sentence hides at least five questions:
- Does “Torontonian” mean a City of Toronto resident or someone in the Toronto region?
- Are children and people without jobs included?
- Does “earn” mean salary, employment income or total income from all sources?
- Are part-time and part-year workers included?
- Is the number for one person or a whole household?
Change any answer and the percentage changes.
The 2024 Statistics Canada table covers the Toronto census metropolitan area. That area includes the City of Toronto and many nearby communities. It is not a count of City residents alone.
The table also measures employment income. That can include wages, salaries, commissions and net self-employment income. It is wider than base salary.
The most useful current number is one in five
Among 4,030,900 Toronto-region residents with employment income in 2024, 20.4 per cent earned at least $100,000.
That is close to one in five.
The group includes people who worked only part of the year or part time. It may include students, seasonal workers, a person who lost a job and someone who took parental leave.
It does not include every resident. A child, a person with no employment income and some retirees are outside this denominator.
Use this number when the question is, “How common is $100,000 among people who earned money from work?”
Almost one in three full-year, full-time workers made $100,000
The share rises to 32.3 per cent when Statistics Canada looks only at full-year, full-time workers.
That is just under one in three.
This group worked mostly full-time weeks for the full year. It removes many low-income and interrupted work situations from the calculation.
It also better matches a career question. Someone asking what a stable, established career can pay may reasonably want this comparison.
But it should not be turned into “one in three Torontonians.” It is one in three within a selected group of full-year, full-time workers in the Toronto region.
Median and average income tell different stories
For full-year, full-time workers in the Toronto region, the median employment income was $74,600 in 2024. The average was $97,300.
The median is the middle person. Half earned more and half earned less.
The average adds every income and divides by the number of workers. A smaller number of very high incomes can pull the average upward.
That $22,700 gap tells us the income distribution is not even. The average worker is not a real person standing in the middle of the line.
For most salary comparisons, the median is the safer starting point.
Toronto city and Toronto region are not the same
“Toronto” can describe several official geographies.
- The City of Toronto is the municipal boundary.
- The Toronto census division matches the City for many statistical purposes.
- The Toronto census metropolitan area includes a much larger commuter region.
- The Greater Toronto Area is another regional term and does not always match the census metropolitan area.
The current 2024 income table uses the census metropolitan area.
An older 2021 Census profile gives City of Toronto figures for 2020. It found that 239,510 City residents had employment income of $100,000 or more. That was 14.7 per cent of City residents with employment income and about 10.1 per cent of all residents aged 15 and older in private households.
Do not compare that City figure directly with the 2024 regional figure and call the difference growth. The year, data source, geography and population all changed.
Employment income is not the same as salary
Base salary is the fixed amount in an employment agreement.
Employment income may include:
- salary and hourly wages
- overtime
- commissions
- cash bonuses
- taxable employment benefits
- net income from self-employment
A person can appear above $100,000 because a $92,000 base salary was joined by overtime or a bonus.
Another person may have a $105,000 salary but lower taxable employment income for a year with unpaid leave.
When someone shares a salary online, ask whether it is base pay, total cash compensation or total compensation including pension, shares and benefits.
Household income is a different question
Two people earning $60,000 each have a household employment income of $120,000. Neither person earns six figures.
One person earning $100,000 may support a partner and children. Another may share costs with a partner who also earns $100,000.
Those households can have the same individual salary and completely different room in the budget.
Household income also changes with household size. A one-person household and a family of five should not be compared using the total alone.
When the real question is affordability, use after-tax household income, housing costs, family size, debt and child-care needs. The individual six-figure label is not enough.
Which Toronto careers can pay more than $100,000?
Many fields have some workers above $100,000. Very few guarantee that income at entry level.
Federal Job Bank wage data helps show where six figures are plausible. The figures below are hourly Toronto-region estimates, not promised salaries. Annual income depends on paid hours, overtime, bonus, time off and job security.
| Occupation | Toronto-region median hourly wage | High hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $69.74 | $112.98 |
| Financial services manager | $61.54 | $102.56 |
| Regional sales manager | $59.55 | $147.06 |
| Computer software engineer | $56.49 | $88.94 |
| Police officer | $52.88 | $64.66 |
| Secondary school teacher | $47.50 | $59.89 |
| Registered nurse | $40.59 | $55.00 |
| Industrial electrician | $40.00 | $46.00 |
The table shows why job titles alone can mislead. A high wage does not reveal how many hours are available, how long training takes or whether the work includes nights, risk, sales pressure or unpaid preparation.
Finance and professional services
Toronto is Canada's largest financial centre. Banks, insurers, investment firms, accounting businesses and consulting companies employ large numbers of workers.
Six figures is plausible in management, specialized analysis, risk, compliance, institutional sales and investment work. It is not automatic for every bank employee.
Compensation can include a bonus. A $100,000 year may not repeat if the market or employer changes.
Law
Lawyers in the Toronto region had a Job Bank median wage of $69.74 an hour for the 2023 to 2024 reference period.
That makes six figures common enough to be believable, but law has a wide range. A large corporate firm, a small community practice, government work and self-employment can pay differently.
The path also carries costs. Law school, licensing, student debt, long hours and job stress matter when judging the result.
Technology
Job Bank put the Toronto-region median at $56.49 an hour for computer software engineers and $48.08 for software developers.
Senior engineers, engineering managers, security specialists and some product roles can cross $100,000. Not every IT job does.
The market changes quickly. Job Bank currently describes Toronto prospects for software engineers and developers as very limited. A high median wage is not the same as an easy job search.
This is a good example of why young workers should not choose training from salary alone.
Health care
Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, specialized managers and some experienced nurses can earn six figures.
Registered nurses in the Toronto region had a median wage of $40.59 an hour and a high wage of $55.00. Overtime, shift premiums, role and seniority can change annual income.
The pay does not make the work easy. Training, licensing, nights, physical strain and responsibility should be part of any career decision.
Education and public service
Experienced teachers, principals, police officers, transit staff, utility workers, managers and specialized public employees may appear above $100,000.
The Ontario public sector salary disclosure list is often called the Sunshine List. It reports organizations and employees who meet the legal disclosure threshold. It is not a list of every six-figure worker in Ontario.
Private-sector workers are not in it. It may include overtime and taxable benefits. It also does not show the value of pension contributions or every deduction from take-home pay.
The $100,000 threshold dates from the 1990s and is not a current definition of rich.
Skilled trades and construction
Some tradespeople cross $100,000 through a high hourly rate, overtime, union work, specialized tickets, supervision or self-employment.
The standard Toronto-region median for an electrician was $34.86 an hour. Industrial electricians had a $40.00 median. Power-system and electricity-production work can pay more.
Work can also be seasonal or project-based. A high rate is not useful if a worker gets too few hours.
Apprenticeship, licensing, tools, travel and physical risk belong in the comparison.
Sales and management
Sales can create six-figure years without a professional licence. It can also create unstable income.
Commission may form a large part of pay. A good territory, a strong year or a large client can move a worker over the line. A weak year can pull them back under it.
Managers in many fields can reach six figures after years of responsibility. The title alone proves little because one company may call a team lead a manager while another gives the title only to a senior executive.
Business owners and self-employed workers
A business can produce more than $100,000 in revenue without giving the owner $100,000 in income.
Rent, supplies, staff, insurance, tax and debt are paid from revenue. Net self-employment income is what remains after eligible business expenses.
Online claims often confuse revenue with income. Ask which number is being shared.
Why your own circle can look richer or poorer
People tend to meet others through work, school, neighbourhood, family and hobbies. Those circles are not random samples of Toronto.
A Bay Street lawyer may know many six-figure earners. A retail worker may know very few. Both observations can be honest.
Age matters too. A 23-year-old new graduate and a 48-year-old manager are at different points in a career.
Online communities add another filter. People who work at a computer may be more available to discuss salary during the day. High earners may also be more willing to answer a thread about high earnings.
Men and women do not reach six figures at the same rate
In the 2024 Toronto-region data, 25.4 per cent of men with employment income made $100,000 or more. The share for women was 15.0 per cent.
Among full-year, full-time workers, the shares were 37.9 per cent for men and 25.3 per cent for women.
The table describes the gap. It does not prove one cause.
Occupation, seniority, hours, care responsibilities, discrimination, bonuses and other factors can all matter. A useful income story should show the difference instead of treating one average as everyone's experience.
Is $100,000 still a lot of money in Toronto?
Yes. It is more employment income than most Toronto-region earners receive.
It also buys less than it did years ago. Housing, food, insurance, transportation and child care can consume very different shares of the paycheque.
A renter with an older lease and no debt may feel comfortable. A new homeowner with child care and student loans may feel stretched.
Calling $100,000 “nothing” dismisses the majority who earn less. Calling every six-figure worker wealthy ignores household size, costs and wealth.
The fair answer is that it is a high income, not a guaranteed rich life.
Gross pay is not take-home pay
Gross salary is the amount before deductions.
An Ontario employee may pay federal and provincial income tax, Canada Pension Plan contributions, Employment Insurance premiums, pension contributions, union dues and benefit premiums.
Canada uses marginal tax brackets. The highest rate that touches part of your income does not apply to every dollar.
Do not rely on a social comment that says every $100,000 worker takes home the same amount. Tax credits, deductions, pension, bonus timing and other income change the result.
Use the Canada Revenue Agency's Payroll Deductions Online Calculator for an estimate based on the actual pay period and situation.
Do not choose a career from one salary table
Start with the work, then test the pay.
Ask:
- How long is the training?
- How much debt will it require?
- What is the entry wage, not only the senior wage?
- How many people reach the high end?
- Are jobs available in Toronto now?
- Does the job require nights, travel or overtime?
- Is the income stable?
- What pension, insurance and time off come with it?
- Can the skills move to another employer?
A $90,000 job with normal hours and security may produce a better life than a $130,000 role with constant stress and layoffs.
Our take
The “one in four” line is close enough to sound true and loose enough to confuse everyone.
The current Toronto-region data gives a clearer answer. About one in five people with employment income earned $100,000 or more in 2024. Almost one in three full-year, full-time workers did.
Six figures is common in established professional, management, public-sector, health, technology, sales and specialized trade careers. It is still not the experience of most workers.
Use the right group, compare the median and remember that income is only one part of a Toronto life.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of Torontonians earn more than $100,000?
In the Toronto census metropolitan area, 20.4 per cent of people with employment income earned at least $100,000 in 2024. The share was 32.3 per cent among full-year, full-time workers. Neither number means the same thing as all Toronto residents.
What is the median income in Toronto?
The median employment income among Toronto-region residents with employment income was $49,500 in 2024. Among full-year, full-time workers, it was $74,600. These are individual employment-income figures, not household income.
Is $100,000 a good salary in Toronto?
It is higher than the income of most workers, but comfort depends on housing, debt, family size and a second household income. It can support a comfortable renter and still leave a single-income family tight.
Which Toronto jobs pay more than $100,000?
Six figures is possible in law, finance, management, technology, medicine, some nursing roles, senior education, policing, specialized trades, sales and business ownership. Pay varies widely within every field, and the high end is never guaranteed.
Does the Sunshine List show everyone who earns over $100,000?
No. It covers employees at Ontario public-sector organizations that fall under the disclosure law. It does not list private-sector employees and is not a complete Toronto income database.
Is household income the same as salary?
No. Household income can combine the earnings and other income of several people. Two $60,000 earners can make a $120,000 household even though neither earns six figures.
How much is $100,000 after tax in Toronto?
There is no one exact amount for everyone. Ontario and federal tax, CPP, EI, pension, credits and other deductions matter. Use the Canada Revenue Agency payroll calculator with your actual pay period and situation.
Is the Toronto region the same as the City of Toronto?
No. The Toronto census metropolitan area includes the City and many surrounding communities. Always check the geography before comparing an income percentage.