{
  "id": "median-wages",
  "parent": "consumer-prices-victoria",
  "category": "Work and income",
  "title": "Median wages after inflation, Greater Victoria",
  "geography": "Victoria census metropolitan area (Greater Victoria)",
  "scope": "region",
  "levels": [
    "Employers and workers",
    "Provincial minimum wage"
  ],
  "plain_question": "Are typical earnings from work keeping up with prices?",
  "value": 53720.0,
  "display_value": "$53,720",
  "unit": "median wages and salaries, 2023",
  "period": "Calendar year 2023",
  "period_start": "2023-01-01",
  "period_end": "2023-12-31",
  "comparison": {
    "previous_period": "Calendar year 2022",
    "previous_value": 51854,
    "change_percent": 3.6,
    "change_basis": "in 2023 dollars"
  },
  "trend": "roughly_flat",
  "direction_good": "up",
  "right_direction": "Higher wages after inflation mean typical earnings buy more.",
  "trend_basis": "$53,720 in 2023 against $50,000 in 2022 as reported, or $51,854 in 2023 dollars (+3.6% after inflation). B.C.: $49,300. Canada: $47,650.",
  "since_text": "B.C. $49,300, Canada $47,650 in 2023.",
  "compare_text": "B.C. $49,300, Canada $47,650",
  "caveats": [
    "Calculated here. Wages are Statistics Canada’s median wages, salaries and commissions of tax filers aged 15 and over who had any, from tax returns. Prices are the annual average consumer price index for Victoria.",
    "It is yearly pay, so it moves with hours worked as well as with hourly pay. Part-time and part-year workers are included.",
    "Self-employment income and government transfers are not included."
  ],
  "charts": [
    {
      "title": "Median wages, as reported and in 2023 dollars",
      "fmt": "money",
      "unit": "a year",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "As reported",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 36760.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 38440.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 39720.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 44520.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 48120.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 50000.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 53720.0
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "In 2023 dollars (after inflation)",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 44291
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 45249
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 45632
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 50597
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 53379
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 51854
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 53720
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "title": "Median wages: Greater Victoria, B.C. and Canada (as reported)",
      "fmt": "money",
      "unit": "a year",
      "lines": [
        {
          "name": "Greater Victoria",
          "area": "cma",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 36760.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 38440.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 39720.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 44520.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 48120.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 50000.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 53720.0
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "British Columbia",
          "area": "bc",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 35300.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 36530.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 37600.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 40450.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 44820.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 46730.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 49300.0
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "name": "Canada",
          "area": "canada",
          "series": [
            {
              "period": "2017",
              "value": 36980.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2018",
              "value": 38350.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2019",
              "value": 39290.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2020",
              "value": 39880.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2021",
              "value": 43190.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2022",
              "value": 45380.0
            },
            {
              "period": "2023",
              "value": 47650.0
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "calc": {
    "formula": "Wages in 2023 dollars = wages in year × (price index 2023 ÷ price index in that year). Change after inflation = 2023 wages ÷ 2022 wages in 2023 dollars − 1.",
    "steps": [
      "Price index for Victoria (2002 = 100): 142.9 in 2022, 148.2 in 2023.",
      "Median wages: $50,000 in 2022, $53,720 in 2023.",
      "2022 wages in 2023 dollars: $50,000 × 148.2 ÷ 142.9 = $51,854.",
      "$53,720 ÷ $51,854 − 1 = +3.6%.",
      "Five years: price index 125.9 in 2018; $38,440 × 148.2 ÷ 125.9 = $45,249; $53,720 ÷ $45,249 − 1 = +18.7%."
    ],
    "inputs": [
      {
        "name": "Median wages, salaries and commissions, tax filers 15 and over, Victoria",
        "agency": "Statistics Canada",
        "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110007201",
        "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/3d7c0d1f-e940-4612-827f-13147d857a51",
        "table": "11-10-0072-01",
        "period": "2017 to 2023",
        "data_published": "2025-04-01",
        "licence": {
          "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
          "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
        },
        "attribution": "Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 11-10-0072-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product."
      },
      {
        "name": "Consumer Price Index, all items, annual average, Victoria",
        "agency": "Statistics Canada",
        "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1810000501",
        "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/4be5f92b-8546-4e76-ad98-bcf9d4b8aeed",
        "table": "18-10-0005-01",
        "period": "2017 to 2023",
        "data_published": "2026-01-19",
        "licence": {
          "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
          "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
        },
        "attribution": "Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 18-10-0005-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product."
      }
    ]
  },
  "series": [
    {
      "period": "2017",
      "value": 36760.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2018",
      "value": 38440.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2019",
      "value": 39720.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2020",
      "value": 44520.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2021",
      "value": 48120.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2022",
      "value": 50000.0
    },
    {
      "period": "2023",
      "value": 53720.0
    }
  ],
  "refresh_frequency": "Annually (tax-return data, about 18 months after the year)",
  "real_five": {
    "period": "2018",
    "previous_value": 45249,
    "change_percent": 18.7,
    "basis": "in 2023 dollars"
  },
  "source": {
    "name": "Calculated here from Statistics Canada data",
    "url": "https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1110007201",
    "dataset_url": "https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/3d7c0d1f-e940-4612-827f-13147d857a51"
  },
  "licence": {
    "name": "Open Government Licence - Canada",
    "url": "https://open.canada.ca/en/open-government-licence-canada"
  },
  "derived": true,
  "retrieved_at": "2026-11-13T05:22:20Z",
  "data_published": "2026-01-19",
  "attribution": "Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 11-10-0072-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product. Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 18-10-0005-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.",
  "licence_type": "open",
  "source_tier": 1,
  "measure_kind": "outcome",
  "better_measure": null,
  "status_rule": {
    "rule": "One rule for every measure: a change smaller than 5% of the earlier value, or smaller than the agency's own margin of error, is “About the same”; no change is calculated across a marked break in a series; homelessness estimates, prices, staffing and comparison pages are shown for context without a label.",
    "reason": "The change is 3.6% of the earlier value, below the 5% threshold.",
    "threshold_percent": 5.0
  },
  "changes": {
    "year": {
      "period": "Calendar year 2022",
      "value": 51854,
      "text": "vs 2022: +3.6%"
    },
    "five_year": {
      "period": "2018",
      "years": 5,
      "value": 38440.0,
      "comparable": true,
      "text": "vs 2018: +18.7%"
    }
  },
  "direction": {
    "type": "outcome",
    "rule": "Outcome measures read Better, Worse or About the same; published government targets read Ahead of, On or Behind target; value-judgement measures read Rising, Falling or Steady in a neutral colour. A change smaller than the agency's own margin of error, or otherwise smaller than 5% of the earlier value, is About the same (or Steady). No change is calculated across a marked break in a series.",
    "key": "same",
    "label": "About the same this year. Better over 5 years.",
    "arrow": "▲",
    "rel": 3.6,
    "delta": null,
    "vs": "Calendar year 2022",
    "cur": "Calendar year 2023",
    "why": "The change is 3.6% of the earlier value, below the 5% threshold. Over 5 years (since 2018) the change is 18.7% of the earlier value, at or above the 5% threshold, so the label also says Better over 5 years.",
    "change": "3.6%",
    "one_year": "+3.6%",
    "five": {
      "period": "2018",
      "comparable": true,
      "rel": 18.7,
      "basis": "after inflation",
      "text": "+18.7%",
      "years": 5
    },
    "label_one_year": "About the same",
    "long_key": "better",
    "long_label": "Better over 5 years"
  },
  "benchmark": {
    "rung": 4,
    "rung_name": "Context measure: no target expected",
    "as_of": "2026-11-12",
    "items": [
      {
        "kind": "context",
        "label": "Context measure: no target expected",
        "area": null,
        "source": null,
        "documents_checked": null,
        "text": "Context measure: no target expected. Pay is set by employers and workers. The Province sets the minimum wage, which is a floor for pay, not a target for typical wages."
      },
      {
        "kind": "compare",
        "label": "Comparison, not a goal",
        "area": null,
        "source": null,
        "documents_checked": null,
        "text": "The British Columbia and Canada lines are shown for comparison. They are not a goal."
      }
    ],
    "drawn": [],
    "rule": "Highest rung found is shown; the site never sets a target. Methods, Targets."
  },
  "no_target_expected": "Pay is set by employers and workers. The Province sets the minimum wage, which is a floor for pay, not a target for typical wages.",
  "benchmarks": [
    {
      "rung": 4,
      "kind": "comparison",
      "label": "The British Columbia and Canada lines are shown for comparison. They are not a goal.",
      "fit": "full",
      "drawn": true,
      "area": null,
      "applies_here": false,
      "same_measure": true
    }
  ],
  "highest_rung": 4,
  "decided_by": [
    {
      "body": "NONE",
      "name": "No government decides this directly",
      "note": "Employers and workers decide pay above the minimum wage."
    },
    {
      "body": "BC",
      "name": "Province of B.C.",
      "decides": "Sets the minimum wage that every employer must pay.",
      "laws": [
        {
          "key": "esa16",
          "label": "Employment Standards Act, s. 16",
          "url": "https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96113_01#section16"
        }
      ],
      "last": null,
      "next": null
    }
  ],
  "main_decision_maker": "No government decides this directly",
  "label_1y": {
    "key": "same",
    "label": "About the same"
  },
  "label_long": {
    "key": "better",
    "label": "Better",
    "years": 5,
    "change": "+18.7%"
  },
  "target_line": {
    "form": 7,
    "text": "No target expected · B.C. $49,300",
    "target": null,
    "gap": null,
    "comparison": "B.C. $49,300",
    "applies_here": false,
    "note": "Pay is set by employers and workers. The Province sets the minimum wage, which is a floor for pay, not a target for typical wages."
  }
}