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In Canada, published freelance rates for are CA$0.10–CA$1 a word.

Role

ColumnistCA$330–CA$1,250 a piece Feature writerCA$0.30–CA$2 a word JournalistCA$35–CA$300 an hour PhotographerCA$250 a day ReporterCA$0.10–CA$1 a word Sub-editorCA$30–CA$60 an hour TranslatorCA$0.30 a word Video journalistCA$350–CA$600 a piece
Freelance CA$0.10–CA$1 a word7 freelance figures
Sources 4 documents11 figures from 4 bodies · latest 1 Jan 2018
Reporter in Canada, every figure → 11 published sources · 34 figures · updated 1 Nov 2026 Open market: 50 job ads with pay

Pay rates for journalists in Canada, as published by unions, governments and surveys, each quoted as printed and turned into a day's pay to compare. How the pay guide works →

Each published rate as a day's pay

US$ a day at the ECB rate for the month. A month is 12 payments over 260 working days, or 13 or 14 where the agreement says so; a year is 260 days; a shift counts as a day.

Type of workWhatAs printedUS$ a daySource
On staffCanada, median hourly wageCA$36.92 an hour$210.92ESDC · Official statistics
On staffOntario, median hourly wageCA$38.46 an hour$219.72ESDC · Official statistics
On staffToronto region, median hourly wageCA$40.73 an hour$232.68ESDC · Official statistics
On staffCanada, low to high hourly wageCA$20.19–CA$62.50 an hour$236.17ESDC · Official statistics
FreelanceAverage annual income of freelance journalistsCA$31,336 a year$86.06FNCC-CSN · Survey
FreelancePhoto assignment, full day, outlet circulation under 50,000CA$250 a day$178.53AJIQ · Recommended minimums · 1 Jan 2018
FreelanceEditing, per hourCA$30–CA$60 an hour$257.08CFG · Recommended rates
FreelanceRange members charge, depending on taskCA$35–CA$250 an hour$814.09CFU · Survey
FreelanceCommon general hourly rateCA$150–CA$300 an hour$1,285.41CFU · Survey

Advertised pay in Canada

Open market

What employers offered in public job ads over the last 12 months, from 50 job ads with pay. These figures come from the open job market, not from journalist.net, and we do not check them.

ReporterOn staff CA$60,000 a year middle half CA$48,350–CA$67,071.04 · 24 ads
Desk editorOn staff CA$70,000 a year middle half CA$65,730–CA$93,692.50 · 11 ads
ReporterOther or not stated CA$70,305 a year middle half CA$52,500–CA$77,886.90 · 5 ads
ReporterOn staff CA$23.94 an hour middle half CA$23.68–CA$24.31 · 4 ads
JournalistOther or not stated CA$117,500 a year middle half CA$114,750–CA$118,750 · 3 ads
JournalistOn staff CA$70,000 a year middle half CA$55,500–CA$91,000 · 3 ads
Journalism jobs in Canada → The middle figure of the ads for each job, with the middle half of them. Shown only where at least 3 employers posted ads with pay and none posted more than half of them.

Journalism in Canada

Leading news outlets

ScreenRantscreenrant.com CBCIts journalists on journalist.net The Weather Networktheweathernetwork.com La PresseIts journalists on journalist.net Sportsnetsportsnet.ca Le Journal de Montréaljournaldemontreal.com Global Newsglobalnews.ca Yahoo Sports Canadaca.sports.yahoo.com open.canada.caopen.canada.ca

The highest-ranked news sites based in Canada in EventRegistry's news-source ranking, most important first. Updated monthly.

Press freedom
20 / 180 Satisfactory

In the 2026 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Canada ranks 20 of 180, with a score of 78.8 out of 100. Up 1 place on the year before.

RSF World Press Freedom Index ↗

By job type

AJIQ · National dailies, print and web, per feuilletCA$120 Feuillet (1,500 characters)
AJIQ · Regional dailies or weeklies, print or web, per feuilletCA$100 Feuillet (1,500 characters)
CFG · Large daily newspapers, per wordCA$0.30–CA$1 Word
CFG · Large daily newspapers, per articleCA$250–CA$2,500 Article
Reporter in Canada, every figure →
AJIQ · Magazines, per feuilletCA$150 Feuillet (1,500 characters)
AJIQ · Trade and specialised magazines, per feuilletCA$180 Feuillet (1,500 characters)
CFG · General interest / consumer magazines, per wordCA$1–CA$2 Word
CFG · Trade / special interest magazines, per wordCA$0.30–CA$2 Word
Feature writer in Canada, every figure →
CFU · Common general hourly rateCA$150–CA$300 Hour
CFU · Range members charge, depending on taskCA$35–CA$250 Hour
FNCC-CSN · Average annual income of freelance journalistsCA$31,336 Year
Journalist in Canada, every figure →
AJIQ · Edited report for the web, under 3 minutesCA$350 Piece or item
AJIQ · Edited report for a TV newscast, under 2 minutesCA$600 Piece or item
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
CFG · Editing, per hourCA$30–CA$60 Hour
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
AJIQ · Translation, per wordCA$0.30 Word
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
AJIQ · Photo assignment, full day, outlet circulation under 50,000CA$250 Day
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.
CFG · Large daily newspapers, per columnCA$330–CA$1,250 Piece or item
Fewer than 3 figures, so this job stays as a row here.

Rates documents 11

AJIQ recommended minimum rates for Quebec freelance journalists, 1 Jan 2018 · AJIQ1 Jan 2018 · 8 Canadian Freelance Union rate sheet (member survey, from 2018) · CFU · 2 Job Bank wages for journalists (NOC 51113), updated 19 Nov 2025 · ESDC · 4 Negotech: federal collective agreements library · ESDC · 0 Ontario Collective Agreements e-Library (registry of filed agreements) · Ontario Ministry of Labour · 0 Quebec freelance journalists survey (FNCC-CSN and AJIQ), Dec 2022 · FNCC-CSN · 2 What to pay a writer: CFG freelance rate guidelines (PWAC era, undated) · CFG · 8

Unions and bodies in Canada

CMG · union3 documents Unifor 87-M · union1 document CFG · union1 document CFU · union1 document FNCC-CSN · federation1 document ESDC · government2 documents Ontario Ministry of Labour · government1 document AJIQ · professional body1 document

Nearby

Lowest staff minimum in each country's agreements, as US$ a day.

United States of America$192.30Mexico$37.83
Journalism jobs in Canada Find journalists

About this data. These rates are compiled from publicly available sources and quoted as printed, with their date. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any figure. For information only: Journalist.net does not recommend or set rates. How we count

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