Best Canadian Cities for Accounting Jobs

How can you identify the best cities for accounting jobs in Canada? Look no further. It’s all here.

Of course, it’s always important to conduct market research. To help you begin your research, we’ll look at four factors to consider:

Good jobs outside of Toronto

Because the finance sector is largely concentrated in Toronto, accountants may gravitate to Toronto. But did you know that great accounting jobs are available in many large and small cities in Canada? And, if you work in sectors other than finance such as technology, or health care, you can explore many cities.

Also, you may want to consider whether you prefer living in a large, bustling city, or a small and more relaxed city. Small cities can provide a great advantage because the job market may be less competitive.

Now, let’s look at four factors that will help you to determine the best cities for accounting jobs in Canada:

1. What’s happening in the accounting environment

It’s helpful to research developments in the accounting environment. For example, you need to know:

Job market projections that identify the number of job seekers and job openings in Canada. You can start your research using Government of Canada information.
Provinces or territories that have a strong demand for accountants.
Regions and cities within the province have a strong demand. And, when you know this information you can identify cities that provide the best job prospects before you arrive.

2. Provincial and regional job prospects

While accountants are in demand in Canada, you need to know the market conditions. Labour market conditions vary across Canada. However, with an ageing workforce expected to retire within the next decade, Canadian employers will need to fill those positions. And this demographic reality is creating the demand for accountants in cities across Canada.

So, if you have the right skills and designations, you’ll likely find great jobs in many cities.

For more information and resources about working in accounting in Canada, download our free e-book!

Labour market rating

You can find out what the labour market is like for accounting jobs in Canada by looking at the Government of Canada’s Labour Market Information (LMI) site. Here you’ll find information for jobs based on the National Occupational Classification (NOC 1111).

As well, you can research labour market information for various accounting titles by using either:

A job title, or;
The four-digit National Occupational Code (NOC)

Here are a few job titles related to NOC 1111:

Accounting Controller

Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), Certified General Accountant (CGA)

3. Know how the accounting job market is rated

Using a 3-star rating system, you can determine if the job market is:

Good: compared to other occupations, the job outlook in the short- to medium-term is better than average in the region.

Fair: the job outlook for the short- to medium-term is comparable to other professions. The demand for labour may be average or greater than average, and the supply of workers is similar to the labour demand.

Limited: the job outlook for the short- to medium-term is below average compared to other professions.

And so, when you conduct research, you can use the rating system to:

Identify what provinces have fair or good job prospects for accountants.
Learn what regions and cities within the province have a good outlook.

Explore job potential by province to discover the best cities for accounting jobs in Canada

It’s important to look at labour market conditions at the provincial level first. Then you can assess the job outlook at the regional level. Using this approach, you’ll get a clear picture of which cities have the jobs you’re searching for.

For example, you may find the provincial job outlook is fair or Limited. However, you may find regions within the province where the outlook is good. And that means you can find more job opportunities by looking at both the provincial and regional outlook.

To better understand how to use the Labour Market Information (LMI), let’s take a closer look at the labour market conditions for an Accountant. You can click on the links to find information about the role and labour market needs.

Job outlook for Accountant (NOC: 1111)

Job Description and Summary: Accountant

Opportunities across Canada: Varies (Good, Fair)

Based on this information, the job opportunities for an Accountant vary from Fair to Good across Canada. And, even where the outlook is rated as fair, you need to dig deeper.

Provincial Labour Market Outlook: Ontario (Fair)

While the job outlook for Accountants is Fair in Ontario, there are several regions within Ontario where the outlook is Good.

And when you dig deeper this research can give you an advantage in your job search, so it’s important to consider both the provincial and the regional outlook.

Regional Labour Market Outlook:

There are several regions within Ontario that have a Good job outlook. You can explore jobs in many Ontario cities such as:

Average salary for accounting jobs in Canada

Working in Canada: A 5-Step Approach

4. Factors that influence the job outlook for accountants

Many factors contribute to the number of accounting jobs available in Canadian cities such as the:

Projected employment growth for the city or region
Number of jobs that are available due to changing demographics (for example, Canada’s ageing population means more accountants will retire within the next decade).
Number of people that are available to work
Supply of available and experienced accountants with relevant designations.

As you can see, it’s important to consider all of this information. This knowledge will make your job search much easier when you arrive. Use the information and links provided here to conduct further research.

Key takeaways

It’s important to know where accounting jobs are in demand to identify the best cities for accounting jobs.
You can search for information about accounting labour needs by using the National Occupational Classification (NOC: 1111)

3. The Government of Canada provides important labour market information that will help you to understand accounting job market conditions. And, this is a great starting point to find out what provinces have a good, or fair job outlook.

With a rapidly ageing population in Canada, job vacancies will likely increase as many in the workforce plan to retire over the next decade. And, with the right skills, designations, and experience you can land your dream job in many cities in Canada.

For more information, tools, resources, and free webinars visit finding a job in Canada. Get the help you need to achieve your career goals in Canada