The 2025 Canadian CPA Profession Compensation Study, based on 7,582 voluntary responses from Canadian CPAs regarding their 2024 compensation, is now available. The study shows CPA compensation continues to grow—nationally, CPA compensation has increased more than 47% since 2012, to a median of $150K.
Alberta leading the way in median compensation ($169K). For those Alberta CPAs who were more than three years post-designation, the median compensation was $176K in 2024—14 per cent higher than the national median for that group of $154K.
This “Alberta advantage” was reinforced with Calgary ($186K) posting the highest median compensation of all cities nationally. Notably, 76 per cent of Alberta CPAs reported a compensation increase over 2023.
The following graph shows the top-paying industries across the country. Top-earning sectors in Alberta included construction ($224K), real estate/building management ($205K) and oil and gas ($202K).
The study breaks also down compensation into “owners” and “non-owners”. Non-owner Alberta members, who make up most respondents, earned a median total compensation of $159K: median base compensation is $143K, while the median non-base is $12K. The overwhelming majority of “owners” were those who owned accounting firms. They reported median compensation of $286K, with partners reporting a median compensation of $330K and sole practitioners $175K.
Read the full Alberta compensation report or explore the national report for more insights.
