Robert Half's 2026 Canada Salary Guide reveals the latest trends in compensation amid the current labour market
Many hiring managers said that they were willing to increase the salaries of candidates who had specialized skills or certifications, a report by global talent solutions and consulting firm Robert Half found.
In its 2026 Canada Salary Guide, about 54% of hiring managers revealed that they were most willing to increase salaries for candidates that displayed specialized skills or certifications during negotiations if the position supported an important business need or if there was a scarcity in finding qualified talents.
Notably, 83% of hiring managers also believed that working professionals that had specialized skills were paid more than those who did not have any but were in the same role.
"In today's job market, specialized skills are key differentiators, both for businesses seeking the talent they need to drive critical priorities, and for professionals to command salary premiums,” said Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director at Robert Half.
"Organizations need to invest in the expertise that drives business forward, and understanding market value for top talent is a crucial first step. Workers equally need to know what their competition is bringing to the table so they can have informed and effective negotiations around salary and total compensation,” she added.
The report also revealed that payroll management, marketing analytics, digital marketing, and marketing automation, financial reporting, corporate tax, AI, machine learning, and data science, law clerk management, customer support, compliance, cybersecurity, and compensation and benefits were expected to see above-average salary gains in the upcoming year.
On the other hand, about 80% of professionals expressed their confidence in negotiating salary offers. However, about 36% admitted to facing problems in understanding what is negotiable. Around 33% expressed having trouble justifying their pay requests while 32% had a hard time determining their market value.
Apart from that, the report also found that 71% of employers were concerned when it comes to meeting salary expectations of candidates. Competitive perks, benefits, and other rewards were also becoming more important, with 46% of hiring managers predicting that the addition of new benefits and perks will be considered as an effective recruiting strategy in the upcoming year.
About 52% of employees said that a work-life balance offering will make them consider switching employers if their base pay did not change. This was followed by financial benefits, retirement benefits, and health and wellness programs, with 51%, 43%, and 39% of respondents respectively saying that those were benefits that would prompt them to work for another company.
