Income and Wages

In November 2011, British Columbians earned an average weekly wage of $847.57, comparable to the national average of $851.35. The average hourly wage in the province was $23.43. Hourly wages in the province remain slightly ahead of the national level.

British Columbia’s Real Personal Disposable Income—the amount of money you have left over after paying deductions, social insurance and other fees—is on the rise as well. Between 2003 and 2009, B.C.’s Real Personal Disposable Income per capita grew 15.9%, slightly higher than the national average of 15.7%. In 2009, British Columbians had an average disposable income of $25, 3374.

Visit the Government of British Columbia website for up-to-date information on economic indicators like income and wages.

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What does this mean for you?

When you accept a job, you will sign a contract or agreement with your employer. Your contract will tell you if you will be paid an hourly, daily, weekly or monthly rate. It will tell you how many hours you are expected to work.

It will also tell you how much money you will be paid. This is your “gross” pay. It does not include any of the deductions that your employer will be required to make. You may be surprised to find out how much money is deducted from your gross pay—deductions can be 25 per cent or more.

Payroll deductions include standard deductions like federal and provincial income taxes, Employment Insurance (EI) and the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) as well as non-standard deductions like union dues and charitable donations.

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