Best Cities in Canada for IT Workers

Are you an IT worker who would like to relocate to Canada and work there?

Canada is certainly the go-to destination for numerous foreign workers from all over the world. Annual immigration to the Land of the Maple Leaf currently amounts to around 300,000 new immigrants annually, perhaps the highest rate per population of any country in the world. As of 2020, there were just above eight million immigrants with permanent residency living in Canada – roughly 21.5 per cent of the total Canadian population.

There are many positive reasons why a tech or IT worker would love to join this thronging mass, including the fact that demand for skilled tech talent continues to grow exponentially during the pandemic and beyond. The top in-demand skill is Java, with Linux and JavaScript following it. If you know to code, you’re in a strong position in the job market.

The best cities in Canada for IT workers should mostly be chosen based on salary range and the availability of work in the city. So, if you’re planning on moving to Canada and you’re thinking about where you’re most likely to get a job and where you’ll get the most competitive salary, here is a list of cities for you.

Best cities in Canada for IT workers

Toronto

Toronto is the business and financial capital of Canada and contains a lot of multi-millionaires. The city takes the top spot among Canadian cities based on the quality of labour, strong presence of the tech industry, and increase in the technology workforce.

The main drawback is the high cost of living. However, pay rates are some of the highest in Canada. In a study by Expert Market, Toronto ranked first for tech jobs in Canada, fourth in average salary and second in diversity in the workforce (that is, difference in background of workers).

Toronto is home to notable companies such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, LG, Samsung and many more major brands that have invested in the city.

Waterloo

Waterloo is among the fastest-growing communities in Canada. It has the second-highest density of start-ups in the world, along with the headquarters or development offices of some of the world’s largest high-tech companies.

As a result, Waterloo has a high concentration of tech jobs, but without Toronto’s traffic, high cost of living and high population density. In Expert Market’s ranking, the city ranked ninth for tech jobs in Canada, sixth in average wage and sixth in diversity.

Montreal

With all the cultural activities going on in Montreal and the fast-growing technology sector, it is the top choice for many foreign workers.

Montreal has the second-highest number of tech workers in Canada with over 141,000. However, the city’s official language is French, meaning that most tech jobs require workers to speak and write French. Needless to say, this city is not the best option for you if you cannot speak French.

In Expert Market’s study, Montreal ranked third for IT jobs in Canada but seventh for average wage.

Ottawa

Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The city ranks third in the Expert Market rankings for tech jobs in Canada, and it is no surprise, given that over 76,000 workers (10% of the city’s workforce) work in technology.

That is one of the highest rates of job concentration in North America.

Ottawa ranks second for average salary in Canada and first for job diversity.

Vancouver

Vancouver has about 75,000 technology workers with a host of major tech firms situated in the city and also branch offices of huge companies like Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft. It ranked fourth for tech jobs in Canada and fifth for highest average salary in the Expert Market rankings.

Calgary

Known to Canadians as Canada’s oil-rich city, it employs around 40,000 technology workers and has a high score in labour quality. It is one of the best cities in Canada for IT workers, although Calgary experienced a nearly 7% decline from 2013-2018.

Calgary is ranked fifth for IT jobs in Canada and first for highest average salary.

Edmonton

A sister city to Calgary, Edmonton has about 28,000 tech workers with a 25.7 % growth rate and a high score in the quality of workers, it is ranked sixth in Canada for tech jobs.

Edmonton is experiencing a high growth rate in tech, with the city ranking as the fastest-growing tech sector in North America. Its tech labour force grew by 50% over the past five years. Despite that, the city features low crime rates as well as less population density than most other cities on this list.

Tech jobs in demand in 2022

One of the brighter results of coronavirus and lockdown is that technology has become integrated into every aspect of our lives and economies. Most meetings are now conducted online. Social media, email and websites have become even more important.

Add to this the new drive towards a digital economy, and it will come as no surprise that tech-based companies are now at the centre of global business.

Similarly, IT personnel have the enviable position of being perhaps the most sought-after professionals in the world currently.

If you are a developer, IT project manager, IT business analyst, security analyst, business system analyst, network engineer, et cetera, you are very much in demand all over the world.

Here are some of the in-demand tech skills that could take you to Canada, the US or Europe:

• Java
• Linux
• Python
• Javascript
• C# / .NET
• SQL
• C / C++
• Cloud technolgies

If you are an expert in any of these, you are all but guaranteed a job in Canada’s hot IT job market.

Final words…

We have listed the best cities in Canada for IT workers. The tech sector has risen to the top of the business world, making IT professionals some of the most in-demand workers in the world. With Canada having emerged as a top immigrant destination, many of these workers are heading to the Land of the Maple Leaf to take advantage of the opportunities. If you are planning on moving to Canada as well, this guide will help you choose the best Canadian city to reside in.