Average Front Desk Receptionist Salary in Canada for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Front Desk Receptionist salary for 2024 in Canada and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Canadian dollar. To keep things simple, we are using the CAD currency code instead of the currency symbol $.

How Much Does a Front Desk Receptionist Make in Canada?

A Front Desk Receptionist working in Canada will typically earn around 60,100 CAD per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 27,400 CAD to the highest average salary of 93,600 CAD.

Average Annual Salary
60,100 CAD
Average Monthly Salary
5,008 CAD

Lowest Annual Salary
27,400 CAD
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,283 CAD

Highest Annual Salary
93,600 CAD
Highest Monthly Salary
7,800 CAD

These are average salaries for a Front Desk Receptionist in Canada and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for a Front Desk Receptionist to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Front Desk Receptionist salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Front Desk Receptionist Salaries in Canada

So we've looked at the average salaries a Front Desk Receptionist will earn in Canada. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that a Front Desk Receptionist can earn between 27,400 CAD and 93,600 CAD on average in Canada. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for a Front Desk Receptionist in Canada is 61,200 CAD. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 61,200 CAD, and 50% of the population earn more than 61,200 CAD.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Front Desk Receptionist salary in Canada, 25% of the population are earning less than 40,700 CAD while 75% of the population earn more than 40,700 CAD.

75% of the population earn less than 83,700 CAD, and 25% of the population earn more than 83,700 CAD.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Front Desk Receptionist Salary by Experience Level in Canada

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average front desk receptionist salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. A Front Desk Receptionist in Canada that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 33,000 CAD.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Front Desk Receptionist salary would increase to 48,600 CAD.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Front Desk Receptionist, the average salary would be 64,100 CAD.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 78,100 CAD.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Front Desk Receptionist with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 84,200 CAD.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Front Desk Receptionist with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 88,700 CAD.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
33,000 CAD
2-5 Years +42%
48,600 CAD
5-10 Years +31%
64,100 CAD
10-15 Years +23%
78,100 CAD
15-20 Years +6%
84,200 CAD
20+ Years +10%
88,700 CAD

Front Desk Receptionist Salary by Education Level in Canada

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for a Front Desk Receptionist in Canada based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • High School. A Front Desk Receptionist in Canada with a high school education can earn an average salary of 40,300 CAD.

  • Certificate or Diploma. A Front Desk Receptionist in Canada with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 61,700 CAD.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Front Desk Receptionist in Canada with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 82,200 CAD.

Average Salary by Education Chart

High School
40,300 CAD
Certificate or Diploma +47%
61,700 CAD
Bachelor's Degree +34%
82,200 CAD

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in Canada is around 49,800 to 149,000 CAD and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Front Desk Receptionist Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In Canada, a male front desk receptionist will earn an average of 59,500 CAD, while a female front desk receptionist will earn around 60,600 CAD.

This means that a male front desk receptionist earns approximately 2% less than a female front desk receptionist for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Canada

Male
59,500 CAD
Female +2%
60,600 CAD

Front Desk Receptionist Average Pay Raise in Canada

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for a Front Desk Receptionist in Canada is around 9% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Canada is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 9 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 6%

What this means is that a Front Desk Receptionist in Canada can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 6% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Canada for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Canada.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
2%
Energy
4%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
8%
Travel
1%
Construction
3%
Education
5%

Front Desk Receptionist Bonus and Incentive Rates in Canada

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

A Front Desk Receptionist is a low bonus based job, with 33% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

67% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 0% to 4%.

Received Bonus
33%
No Bonus
67%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in Canada earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
123,000 CAD
Private Sector -6%
115,600 CAD

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Front Desk Receptionist

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Front Desk Receptionist in Canada.

Job Title Category Salary
Accreditation Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 130,500 CAD
Admin Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 41,700 CAD
Admin Executive Administration / Reception / Secretarial 70,100 CAD
Administrative Aide Administration / Reception / Secretarial 51,500 CAD
Administrative Analyst Administration / Reception / Secretarial 89,800 CAD
Administrative Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 64,400 CAD
Administrative Associate Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,700 CAD
Administrative Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,200 CAD
Administrative Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 92,200 CAD
Administrative Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 64,800 CAD
Administrative Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,600 CAD
Administrative Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 56,100 CAD
Administrative Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,800 CAD
Administrative Support Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,600 CAD
Administrative Technician Administration / Reception / Secretarial 49,300 CAD
Board Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,200 CAD
Branch Office Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 102,700 CAD
Business Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 97,200 CAD
Business Office Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 150,100 CAD
Central Office Operator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,400 CAD
Clerical Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 35,600 CAD
Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 42,700 CAD
Commercial Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 90,300 CAD
Commissions Processor Administration / Reception / Secretarial 77,400 CAD
Conveyancing Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 56,100 CAD
Corporate Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 59,800 CAD
Creditors Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,700 CAD
Data Entry Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 40,300 CAD
Data Entry Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 59,100 CAD
Document Controller Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,100 CAD
Document Management Specialist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 81,200 CAD
Executive Administrative Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 68,300 CAD
Executive Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 68,500 CAD
Executive Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 74,900 CAD
Executive Personal Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 76,900 CAD
Executive Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 66,900 CAD
File Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 40,300 CAD
Front Desk Attendant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,400 CAD
Front Desk Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 68,300 CAD
Front Desk Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 95,000 CAD
Front Desk Shift Leader Administration / Reception / Secretarial 75,000 CAD
Front Office Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 54,700 CAD
Front Office Executive Administration / Reception / Secretarial 72,400 CAD
Group Services Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 163,800 CAD
Head Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 66,100 CAD
Inquiry and Admissions Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 39,000 CAD
Key Account Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 66,200 CAD
Keyboard and Data Entry Operator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 41,000 CAD
Leasing Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 72,700 CAD
Legal Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 65,100 CAD
Librarian Administration / Reception / Secretarial 77,100 CAD
Mail Processing Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 35,000 CAD
Mail Sorting Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 36,700 CAD
Mailroom Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 38,700 CAD
Mailroom Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 66,100 CAD
Management Support Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,400 CAD
Master Programme Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 115,600 CAD
Medical Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 67,800 CAD
Meeting and Event Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 68,300 CAD
Meeting and Event Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 142,300 CAD
Night Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 88,300 CAD
Office Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 92,000 CAD
Office Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 40,700 CAD
Office Automation Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 69,100 CAD
Office Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 50,300 CAD
Office Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 61,400 CAD
Office Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 109,000 CAD
Office Services Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 83,700 CAD
Office Supervisor Administration / Reception / Secretarial 73,300 CAD
Operations Analyst Administration / Reception / Secretarial 123,000 CAD
Operations Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 69,600 CAD
Operations Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 160,700 CAD
Personal Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,700 CAD
Planning Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 74,100 CAD
Process Expert Administration / Reception / Secretarial 91,700 CAD
Program Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 89,800 CAD
Programme Assistant Administration / Reception / Secretarial 72,700 CAD
Project Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 105,800 CAD
Project Coordinator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 140,700 CAD
Query Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 75,800 CAD
Reception Team Lead Administration / Reception / Secretarial 80,800 CAD
Receptionist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 55,700 CAD
Records Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 47,200 CAD
Registry Administrator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 62,600 CAD
Registry and Filing Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 41,700 CAD
Rental Clerk Administration / Reception / Secretarial 41,400 CAD
Schedule Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 40,300 CAD
Scheduler Administration / Reception / Secretarial 45,900 CAD
School Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 58,200 CAD
Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 53,600 CAD
Service Reception Head Administration / Reception / Secretarial 70,100 CAD
Switchboard Operator Administration / Reception / Secretarial 51,800 CAD
Technical Program Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 140,200 CAD
Technical Project Manager Administration / Reception / Secretarial 152,900 CAD
Typist Administration / Reception / Secretarial 46,400 CAD
Unit Secretary Administration / Reception / Secretarial 53,600 CAD
Wayleave Officer Administration / Reception / Secretarial 39,000 CAD

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Canada, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Brampton 55,700 CAD
Calgary 60,400 CAD
Edmonton 61,700 CAD
Gatineau 54,700 CAD
Halifax 58,600 CAD
Hamilton 57,200 CAD
Kitchener 58,100 CAD
Markham 54,100 CAD
Mississauga 60,700 CAD
Montreal 65,200 CAD
Ottawa 61,200 CAD
Quebec 59,000 CAD
Regina 53,300 CAD
Richmond 51,300 CAD
Saskatoon 54,700 CAD
Surrey 58,500 CAD
Toronto 59,900 CAD
Vancouver 61,400 CAD
Vaughan 51,800 CAD
Windsor 55,200 CAD
Winnipeg 58,100 CAD

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in Canada.

City Average Salary
Alberta 61,400 CAD
British Columbia 61,400 CAD
Manitoba 62,100 CAD
New Brunswick 54,600 CAD
Newfoundland-Labrador 51,100 CAD
Northwest Territories 57,900 CAD
Nova Scotia 57,800 CAD
Nunavut 60,600 CAD
Ontario 64,600 CAD
Prince Edward Island 47,200 CAD
Quebec 66,700 CAD
Saskatchewan 57,000 CAD
Yukon 49,800 CAD

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