canada ceo salaries

Canada's top CEOs make 246 times more than the average worker

It may come as no surprise, but Canada's 100 highest-paid CEOs raked in even more dough in 2022, making a staggering 246 times more than the average Canadian worker.

This is according to a new report released Tuesday by the Canadian Center for Policy Alternatives (CCPA), which noted that the average pay of Canada's top CEOs jumped from $14.3 million in 2021 to $14.9 million– a new all-time high.

This works out to an average raise of about $623,000 or 4.4 per cent in a year.

As for the regular Canadian worker, they received an average raise of $1,800 (3 per cent) from $58,800 in 2021 to $60,600 in 2022.

Factoring in inflation and prices going up around 6.8 per cent in 2022, workers actually took a four percent pay cut "since their money could buy much less than it did in 2021," notes the CCPA.

The report adds the headline inflation figure is "much less relevant" for CEOs because they aren't purchasing the same goods and services as the average Canadian.

"Inflation presented a once-in-a-lifetime chance for corporate Canada to jack up prices and pad their profit margins," adds the report.

If your jaw hasn't hit the floor yet, you may (or may not) be shocked to learn that the country's top CEOs make an average of $7,162 an hour and $60,600 per day.

By 9:27 am on January 2, 2024, these CEOs had already raked in the average yearly salary of a regular Canadian worker's annual take-home pay.

In 2022, the wealthiest Canadian CEOs were paid about 246 times more than the average Canadian worker, highlights the report.

If you're wondering how these already wealthy CEOs keep getting richer, the CCPA says the main driver for their salary increases over the past two years is mainly due to performance pay.

When companies perform well in revenues, profit, and stock prices, CEOs see more cash flow enter their pockets.

While the salary portion of their pay remained consistent at around $1.2 million a year in 2022, inflation has been "ultimately driving these bonuses" as the corporate sector saw historic profits.

The CCPA also provided a list of the 100 richest CEOs, with J. Patrick Doyle, executive chairman of Restuarant Brands International, topping the list. His total compensation came in at a whopping $151,821,911 in 2022.

Matthew Proud, global CEO of Dye and Durham Ltd., was second on the list, with his 2022 total compensation coming in at $98,864,268.

In a distant third place was Seetarama S. Kotagiri, CEO of Magna International Inc., who made $36,398,662.

Are you surprised by the report's findings? Let us know in the comments.

Lead photo by

eskystudio/Shutterstock


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