Updated Checked by the Tax-Services.ca editorial team How we check
On a $60,000 salary, the best place in Canada for take-home pay is Nunavut at $48,773 a year, and the lowest is Nova Scotia at $44,726. The gap is $4,047 a year, or $337 a month. Ontario lands sixth of 13 at $47,340. All figures are 2026 estimates for a single employee with basic credits only.
Which province or territory pays the most take-home on $60,000?
The table ranks all 13 from best to worst after income tax, CPP or QPP, EI and QPIP. The last column compares each place with Ontario.
| Rank | Province or territory | Take-home per year | Biweekly paycheque | Income tax | Tax as a share of pay | Compared with Ontario |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nunavut | $48,773 | $1,876 | $6,887 | 11.5% | $1,433 more |
| 2 | Northwest Territories | $47,938 | $1,844 | $7,722 | 12.9% | $598 more |
| 3 | Yukon | $47,789 | $1,838 | $7,871 | 13.1% | $449 more |
| 4 | British Columbia | $47,755 | $1,837 | $7,906 | 13.2% | $415 more |
| 5 | Alberta | $47,691 | $1,834 | $7,970 | 13.3% | $351 more |
| 6 | Ontario | $47,340 | $1,821 | $8,320 | 13.9% | Same |
| 7 | Saskatchewan | $46,520 | $1,789 | $9,141 | 15.2% | $820 less |
| 8 | New Brunswick | $46,048 | $1,771 | $9,613 | 16.0% | $1,292 less |
| 9 | Quebec | $45,893 | $1,765 | $9,509 | 15.8% | $1,447 less |
| 10 | Manitoba | $45,772 | $1,760 | $9,888 | 16.5% | $1,567 less |
| 11 | Newfoundland and Labrador | $45,763 | $1,760 | $9,897 | 16.5% | $1,577 less |
| 12 | Prince Edward Island | $45,447 | $1,748 | $10,214 | 17.0% | $1,893 less |
| 13 | Nova Scotia | $44,726 | $1,720 | $10,934 | 18.2% | $2,613 less |
Why do the provinces and territories differ?
The federal part of the tax is worked out the same way everywhere outside Quebec, so the difference comes from the provincial or territorial side. Each one sets its own brackets, rates and credits. Income tax runs from $6,887 at the top of the list to $10,934 at the bottom, the same $4,047 spread.
CPP and EI take $4,340 in every place except Quebec. Quebec has its own pension plan, the QPP, plus QPIP for parental benefits, and the payroll lines there come to $4,598: QPP of $3,560, EI of $780 and QPIP of $258. That is $258 more than elsewhere. That is why Quebec ranks ninth: its income tax of $9,509 is lower than New Brunswick’s $9,613 by $103, yet its take-home of $45,893 is lower too.
What would a move between provinces mean on $60,000?
Take someone who earns $60,000 in Ontario and could earn the same in Alberta. Alberta pays $47,691 against Ontario’s $47,340, which is $351 more a year, or $29 a month. The same pay in Saskatchewan would be $820 a year less, about $68 a month. Nunavut is $1,433 a year ahead of Ontario, which is $119 a month, and Nova Scotia is $218 a month behind it.
Per biweekly paycheque, Nunavut pays $1,876 and Nova Scotia pays $1,720, a difference of $156 every two weeks. Ontario is at $1,821. These totals count pay only. Rent, groceries, utilities and sales taxes differ from place to place and none of that is in the table.
Does the order stay the same at other salaries?
The two ends hold steady and the middle moves. The next table shows the best and lowest places at four salaries, with where Ontario, Alberta and Quebec fall.
| Salary | Best place | Lowest place | Ontario | Alberta | Quebec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | Nunavut $33,784 | Nova Scotia $31,734 | 6th | 4th | 9th |
| $60,000 | Nunavut $48,773 | Nova Scotia $44,726 | 6th | 5th | 9th |
| $100,000 | Nunavut $76,654 | Nova Scotia $68,867 | 6th | 5th | 11th |
| $150,000 | Nunavut $110,408 | Nova Scotia $98,117 | 6th | 3rd | 12th |
Ontario is 6th at every salary shown, while Quebec slides toward the bottom as pay rises and Alberta moves up. Your own rank can shift once an RRSP deduction, a bonus or other income changes your taxable amount.
What could change this ranking?
An RRSP contribution lowers taxable income, and it saves more in a province with a higher rate. The 2026 RRSP dollar limit is $33,810, and the 2027 limit is $35,390. Credits that depend on your situation, such as tuition or the disability amount, are not counted here. Neither are provincial benefits that depend on income, family or where you rent. The 2027 brackets and TFSA limit have not been published yet (checked 13 November 2026), so nothing for 2027 is in the table.
For a closer look at one place, see take-home pay by province, the Ontario tax page, and the Ontario pages on $60,000 after tax and $62,000. Tax slices for every province are on tax brackets by year and province, and you can run your own pay in the take-home pay calculator. The official rates are on the Canada Revenue Agency: Canadian income tax rates for individuals page, and the payroll rates are on the Canada Revenue Agency: EI premium rates and maximums page.
Where does this information come from?
Rates come from the Canada Revenue Agency pages on income tax rates and EI premiums, and the take-home figures are estimates from this site’s own pay engine for a single employee with basic credits only, as of October 2026. Checked on 31 October 2026. This is an independent information site: we provide no services, we do not represent the CRA or any organization, we collect information from open sources, and we do not guarantee that anything here is accurate or current. We accept no liability for decisions based on it. Check the official source before you rely on it. See the full disclaimer.
Frequently asked questions
Which province has the highest take-home pay on $60,000?
In our 2026 estimate it is Nunavut, at $48,773 a year. Among the ten provinces, British Columbia is highest at $47,755, followed by Alberta at $47,691. Nova Scotia is lowest at $44,726, so the gap between the best and lowest place is $4,047 a year, or $337 a month.
Why does Quebec rank lower even though its income tax is lower than some provinces?
Quebec residents pay QPP and QPIP, and the payroll deductions come to $4,598 against $4,340 for CPP and EI elsewhere. On $60,000 that extra $258 outweighs the lower income tax of $9,509, so take-home is $45,893 and Quebec ranks ninth of 13.
How much more would I keep in Alberta than in Ontario on $60,000?
About $351 a year, or $29 a month, in our estimate. Alberta take-home is $47,691 and Ontario's is $47,340. A real move also changes housing, sales tax and other costs that are not in this comparison, so treat the figure as one input to a decision, not the whole answer.
Do these numbers include an RRSP or any credits?
No. They use the basic personal amount and the standard CPP and EI credits only, for a single employee. An RRSP contribution, tuition, medical costs, the disability amount or benefits from your employer would change the result, and your tax return settles the final amount.
Is the ranking the same for 2027?
We do not know yet. The 2027 federal brackets and TFSA limit had not been published when this page was checked on 13 November 2026, so the table uses 2026 rules only. The 2027 RRSP dollar limit of $35,390 is published, but it does not change the take-home ranking.
All payroll and salary calculators
- How Canadian income tax works: brackets and credits
How federal and provincial Canadian income tax stack up, what marginal and average rates mean, and how credits and deductions change your bill