ML Engineer salary: Toronto vs Vancouver
Toronto leads on finance and senior tech depth; Vancouver leads on creative and gaming clusters and (much) more expensive housing.
ML Engineer median · Toronto
-
CA · live Adzuna
ML Engineer median · Vancouver
-
CA · live Adzuna
Toronto market
Toronto is Canada's largest tech and financial services market, with a strong concentration of US tech satellite offices (Google, Stripe, Shopify HQ). Salaries are quoted in CAD and trail US equivalents by 25-40% - but the market for cross-border remote work has narrowed that gap rapidly since 2022.
Vancouver market
Vancouver hosts Canada's strongest gaming and creative-tech cluster, plus a growing AI and biotech presence. Salaries are slightly below Toronto for tech but cost of housing is the highest in Canada.
ML Engineer salary in Toronto (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
ML Engineer salary in Vancouver (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
Where do you sit on this benchmark?
Hustle Report pulls live medians for your role and postcode every Monday - plus matched side-hustle briefs to close any gap your benchmark exposes.
Compare other cities
More ML Engineer salary comparisons
Same cities, different role
FAQ
Toronto vs Vancouver · FAQ
Does Vancouver actually pay more than Toronto for ML Engineers?
Live medians fluctuate week to week — see the cards above for the latest figures. But headline pay is only half the picture: cost of living, tax band, equity culture and remote norms can swing real take-home parity by 15-30% in either direction.
How is the GBP-equivalent calculated?
We pull each city's local-currency median from Adzuna in its native currency, then convert at the most recent monthly average from our currency reference. We refresh weekly and don't smooth, so a sharp FX move can shift the comparison.
What's the catch with comparing ML Engineer salaries across countries?
Tax is the biggest one. After income tax, payroll/social contributions and (in the US) state tax, headline gaps often shrink. Equity is also undercounted: ML Engineers in the US frequently take 20-40% of total comp in RSUs, which Adzuna doesn't see.
Should I relocate based on this Toronto vs Vancouver comparison?
Almost never on salary alone. Cost of housing, healthcare and visa friction usually dominate the decision. Use this page to set negotiation anchors and to understand whether your current pay is regionally competitive — the Hustle Report Monday brief makes that personal to your CV and postcode.
Worth reading