Kingston vs Waterloo
In 2025, the median salary for Waterloo was $19,995 (15.5%) higher than for Kingston: $148,804 against $128,808. Kingston had 3,943 people on the list, Waterloo 3,622.
At a glance
| Kingston | Waterloo | |
|---|---|---|
| People on the 2025 list | 3,943 | 3,622 |
| Median salary | $128,808 | $148,804 |
| Middle half | $112,508–$166,532 | $117,996–$197,332 |
| Highest salary | $606,171 | $515,000 |
| Total salaries | $573,884,505 | $586,040,012 |
| People, change | +5.1% vs 2024 | +8.7% vs 2024 |
| Median, change | +1.6% vs 2024 | +0.1% vs 2024 |
| Employers | 5 | 4 |
Median salary by year
Show as a table
| Year | Kingston | Waterloo |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $108,788 | $105,015 |
| 1997 | $114,051 | $114,874 |
| 1998 | $111,227 | $106,249 |
| 1999 | $112,088 | $107,522 |
| 2000 | $111,219 | $107,151 |
| 2001 | $112,616 | $108,368 |
| 2002 | $112,794 | $111,370 |
| 2003 | $112,486 | $114,068 |
| 2004 | $115,150 | $116,925 |
| 2005 | $115,891 | $120,100 |
| 2006 | $118,142 | $122,513 |
| 2007 | $120,009 | $124,266 |
| 2008 | $122,544 | $126,364 |
| 2009 | $124,399 | $130,225 |
| 2010 | $127,531 | $131,545 |
| 2011 | $128,854 | $131,309 |
| 2012 | $133,455 | $133,818 |
| 2013 | $133,113 | $135,639 |
| 2014 | $136,075 | $136,369 |
| 2015 | $134,324 | $138,973 |
| 2016 | $135,017 | $139,435 |
| 2017 | $133,238 | $140,666 |
| 2018 | $132,533 | $142,024 |
| 2019 | $130,588 | $145,336 |
| 2020 | $128,810 | $148,508 |
| 2021 | $130,168 | $147,146 |
| 2022 | $128,087 | $148,231 |
| 2023 | $129,688 | $147,701 |
| 2024 | $126,834 | $148,625 |
| 2025 | $128,808 | $148,804 |
People on the list by year
Show as a table
| Year | Kingston | Waterloo |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 12 | 81 |
| 1997 | 13 | 1 |
| 1998 | 104 | 153 |
| 1999 | 128 | 217 |
| 2000 | 165 | 278 |
| 2001 | 229 | 339 |
| 2002 | 286 | 418 |
| 2003 | 364 | 502 |
| 2004 | 448 | 603 |
| 2005 | 570 | 699 |
| 2006 | 665 | 798 |
| 2007 | 833 | 956 |
| 2008 | 993 | 1,067 |
| 2009 | 1,036 | 1,230 |
| 2010 | 1,136 | 1,298 |
| 2011 | 1,212 | 1,390 |
| 2012 | 1,089 | 1,554 |
| 2013 | 1,266 | 1,692 |
| 2014 | 1,317 | 1,836 |
| 2015 | 1,454 | 1,963 |
| 2016 | 1,556 | 2,054 |
| 2017 | 1,708 | 2,240 |
| 2018 | 1,884 | 2,374 |
| 2019 | 2,035 | 2,524 |
| 2020 | 2,334 | 2,648 |
| 2021 | 2,467 | 2,751 |
| 2022 | 2,809 | 2,819 |
| 2023 | 3,431 | 3,126 |
| 2024 | 3,752 | 3,331 |
| 2025 | 3,943 | 3,622 |
Highest paid in 2025
Kingston
| # | Name | Employer | Salary | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David PichoraPresident and Chief Executive Officer \ Président-directeur Générale | Kingston Health Sciences Centre | $606,171 | $6 |
| 2 | Jane PhilpottChair, Connecting Every Ontarian to Primary Health Care Initiative | Queen's University | $556,520 | $272 |
| 3 | Shai DubeyLecturer | Queen's University | $517,422 | $0 |
| 4 | Dr. Renate IlseExecutive Vice-President Corporate Services and Chief Operating Officer\Vice-Présidente Administrative, Services Généraux et Chef des Opérations | Kingston Health Sciences Centre | $474,797 | $568 |
| 5 | Elspeth MurrayDirector (Centre for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Social Impact), Academic Director (Master of Management Innovation and Entrepreneurship), Associate Professor | Queen's University | $425,762 | $272 |
Waterloo
| # | Name | Employer | Salary | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vivek GoelPresident | University Of Waterloo | $515,000 | $11,302 |
| 2 | Deborah MaclatchyPresident | Wilfrid Laurier University | $457,380 | $1,418 |
| 3 | Renee MillerProfessor | University Of Waterloo | $407,658 | $644 |
| 4 | James RushProfessor | University Of Waterloo | $400,000 | $11,552 |
| 5 | Raouf BoutabaProfessor | University Of Waterloo | $396,821 | $1,436 |
More comparisons
Questions and answers
Which pays more, Kingston or Waterloo?
By median salary in 2025, Waterloo: $148,804 against $128,808.
Which has more people on the list?
Kingston: 3,943 against 3,622 in 2025.
How has the gap changed since 1996?
In 1996 the median for Kingston was $108,788 and for Waterloo $105,015, a gap of $3,773; in 2025 the gap was $19,995.
What do these figures cover?
Only people paid $100,000 or more are on the list, so medians and counts describe them, not everyone working for public employers in each place. Employers are placed where they are based.
What does “salary paid” include?
What the employer paid in the calendar year, so it can include overtime, retroactive pay, vacation payouts, severance or a partial year. Taxable benefits are listed separately. How the lists work