YCW Wage Guide
Information about wages for YCW employers and employees
The Canadian Museums Association’s (CMA) efforts on the Young Canada Works (YCW) program support our strategic objective to strengthen the museum workforce today and for the future. The program includes two major streams: YCW in Heritage Organizations (HO), which offers short-term work experiences to students, and YCW at Building Careers in Heritage (BCH), which seeks to create career-building internships for post-secondary graduates. The YCW employer guide notes that wages for participants in the program must be in line with industry standards in the region where they are working and commensurate with their training and work experience. The CMA frequently receives questions from YCW employers looking for guidance or information on wages. Participants are also interested in knowing what they could be paid. This resource assembles information to help YCW employers whose institutions’ capacity is bolstered through the program and to students and interns, in the spirit of having meaningful work experiences.
How much should a YCW employer pay?
The answer to this question is, it depends, however every employer should consider a variety of factors in determining the wage for their YCW employee, including for example the average YCW wage in their province/territory, the type of job, which YCW program is involved and the competitive nature of the program. It is also important to consider inflation when determining a YCW wage — according to the Bank of Canada, $15/hr in 2000 is equivalent to over $21.38/hr today.
Comparing average YCW wages across Canada
In general, average wages in the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector across Canada tend to exceed the provincial minimum wage for even entry positions.1 Wages in both streams of the YCW program strive to be competitive and rewarding in this environment. To illustrate how wages in the sector compare province-by-province, the table below includes average wages for both YCW-HO and YCW-BCH, as well as the legal minimum wage for each province (including scheduled increases).
Average YCW wage in urban centres
Location also plays an important role in informing wages. Cities tend to present more competitive job markets. Employers should consider the following information and the competitive nature of YCW wages in urban centres.
Average wages for different job types and per YCW program
On the next page, employers and participants will find average wages for different types of jobs funded through the YCW. This information can also help an employer see the various business lines that can be supported through YCW.
Average wages per job field for the YCW-HO program2
Average wages per job field for the YCW-BCH program2
Notes
1. For additional information about GLAMs and their contribution to Canadian life, see "Value Study of Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAMS) in Canada" by Oxford Economics, https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/recent-releases/value-study-of-galleries-libraries-archives-and-museums-glams-in-canada
2. This data is only for YCW positions that were funded through the Canadian Museums Association. M
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