Ontario Job Market Overview
Across Ontario, the construction sector is experiencing uneven but sustained activity, driven by a slowdown in private development, increased public-sector investment, and persistent labour shortages. Employers continue to favour professionals with full-cycle project experience, particularly those who have delivered large-scale or complex builds. These candidates remain in high demand and are commanding competitive compensation, as many organizations lack sufficient internal depth at the senior level.
Conversely, professionals who have not yet worked on major projects are facing greater salary pressure—especially when stepping into larger scopes for the first time. Over the next two years, the industry is also expected to see a peak in retirements, further widening the skills gap. In response, employers are increasingly adopting “hire for attitude, train for aptitude” strategies, focusing on succession planning and the development of junior and mid-level talent.
While these trends are consistent province-wide, Toronto and Ottawa are being shaped by very different market forces, which is reflected in hiring priorities and compensation dynamics.
Toronto Market Snapshot
High Rise Residential
Toronto’s high-rise residential sector has experienced a marked slowdown, with many developers slowing or pausing projects due to reduced sales, and development costs straining profitability/feasibility in an already costly housing market. This has created a unique compensation environment: while top-performing professionals are still able to command strong wages where they are needed, there is a large pool of available candidates competing for fewer roles. Employers feel the pressure to reduce costs where possible, yet top talent is reluctant to accept reduced remuneration, given their experience and the complexity of the projects they have previously delivered. The result is an inconsistent salary landscape with significant variability between companies, dependent on their financial capacity and project pipelines. Although the sector has declined considerably, some well-established developers and GCs continue to operate “business as usual” for the work they do have, reinforcing the divide between stable firms with ongoing work and those facing sharper slowdowns.
ICI
The ICI market in Toronto is divided between private-sector work and the large public-sector programs that are dominating current hiring trends. Small and mid-sized contractors supporting commercial and industrial projects remain steady but are not experiencing the same growth seen in prior years. In contrast, large general contractors participating in major public infrastructure projects, such as healthcare, aviation, transit, long-term care, education, and other institutional builds, are driving strong demand for candidates with mega-project experience. Compensation increases in this market segment reflect competition for talent capable of managing multi-billion-dollar programs. Many firms have begun recruiting more internationally in some capacity due to the limits and requirements for more recent mega-project expertise in Canada. While smaller ICI projects remain active, compensation in those areas has been largely stagnant, with most salary movement and hiring urgency concentrated at the top end of the project scale.
Civil
Civil construction hiring activity in the Greater Toronto Area has eased slightly compared to the intense hiring period of the last 18-24 months, with a number of major schemes still currently in design or early works (or at least not at a peak hiring phase currently). This has created a temporary calm in hiring velocity and bargaining power for some candidates; however, demand continues to outpace supply for experienced civil professionals and there is plenty more demand to follow. Salaries are still trending upward, though more modestly of late. Employers remain focused on building their teams in anticipation of projects moving into more critical execution phases, but there may be another peak in 2026 as additional projects and scopes of work come to fruition.
Ottawa Market Snapshot
High Rise Residential
Ottawa’s high-rise residential sector is experiencing a significant slowdown, with many private-sector developments paused or shelved due to escalating construction costs, higher interest rates, and broader market uncertainty. The reduced project pipeline has created an inconsistent compensation landscape, as salaries now reflect the limited volume of active work and the ongoing pressure on developers’ budgets. While some established firms continue to move forward with projects, many others have scaled back, contributing to a competitive environment where candidates may face downward pressure on wages as they compete for fewer available roles. Overall, the sector is characterized by reduced momentum, making stability, long-term planning, and clear project outlooks increasingly important for attracting and retaining strong talent.
ICI
Ottawa’s ICI sector is poised for significant activity driven by major institutional projects, including the new super hospital and several government-related research and infrastructure facilities. These initiatives are already creating strong demand for professionals with large project backgrounds. A major differentiator in this market is the requirement for Secret-level government clearance on many of these builds. Candidates who already hold clearance or can obtain it are at a substantial advantage, and employers are prioritizing these profiles. This clearance-driven demand is shaping the hiring landscape more aggressively than in other Ontario markets and will continue to influence recruitment strategies over the next several years.
Civil
Civil construction in Ottawa remains consistent, though the market is divided between steady municipal infrastructure work and the fewer, higher-value major infrastructure programs. With limited large transit or heavy-civil projects currently active, many available roles fall within municipal or NCC-driven programs, which typically offer lower compensation. The worker pool in Ottawa has also shrunk, contributing to relatively stagnant wages for roles tied to smaller civil projects. Looking ahead, the most significant activity for Ottawa will come from institutional and major building programs rather than large civil or transit undertakings.
See the Salary Data Behind the Trends
For additional job market insights and detailed salary ranges by role and sector, download the Parker Huggett 2026 Salary Guides—your trusted resource for navigating Ontario’s construction and development talent landscape.
