Are you planning to move to Canada to look for tech jobs? If YES, here are 20 best cities in Canada with lots of tech job opportunities for immigrants. Gone are the days when only Silicon Valley used to be the known tech hub in the world. In recent time, tech hubs are springing up in cities all across the countries of the world and cities in Canada are not left out.

The 2016 global report released by Compass and analyzed by Expert Market shows that before only 3 Canadian cities were included in the study, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. But now there are other cities in Canada that are opening up for tech jobs and trust me, loads of qualified tech people from all across the world are heading to these cities to work and live.

In this article, we will look at the 20 best cities in Canada that someone who is interested in tech related jobs should consider visiting and perhaps settling down to work, live and even retire.

20 Best Cities in Canada to Find Tech Jobs as an Immigrant

  1. Ottawa, Ontario

Top on the list of cities with loads of job opportunities for techies in Canada is Ottawa, Ontario. As a matter of fact, if you are a female looking to pursue one of the best careers in tech, you may want to consider Ottawa too. This is because Ottawa is rated as the city with the best tech diversity, with a female to male ratio of 27/73. Interestingly tech related startups are also springing up and creating job opportunities for aspiring techies.

  1. Waterloo, Ontario

Waterloo, Ontario is just another city that is opening up for tech jobs in Canada. Waterloo has been capitalizing on its proximity to Toronto to develop a vibrant tech industry. According to CBRE’s Canada Scoring Tech Talent 2018 report, Waterloo ranks just behind Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal in terms of local tech firms.

Some of the tech companies based in Waterloo include BlackBerry, Descartes Systems Group, Google, Maplesoft, Kik and Sandvine. The University of Waterloo is also home to the Institute for Quantum Computing and these companies and institutions have regular openings for people with tech qualifications.

  1. Kitchener, Ontario

Kitchener might not be a popular city to an outsider, but trust me, some of high paying tech jobs and vibrant tech hubs in Canada can be found in Kitchener. As a matter of fact, and from available statistics, Kitchener, along with Waterloo and Cambridge, are some of the best places in Canada for tech startups, according to Expert Market. The hub for the city’s tech industry is Tannery Building, where tenants include Communitech, Velocity Garage, Google and Desire2Learn.

  1. Cambridge, Ontario

Cambridge, Ontario is one city that attracts highly qualified techies in Canada and North America. The truth is that as a techie who is interested in pursuing one of the highest paying jobs for Generation Z, Cambridge is a good city to get started in.

Not only does Expert Market rank it as one of the best cities in Canada for tech startups, but it’s also home to the Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning’s School of Engineering and Information Technology. It is on record that no matter your experience and qualifications, there will always be openings that suits you when you come over to Cambridge.

  1. Calgary, Alberta

Calgary is becoming a city to reckon with when it comes to tech job openings in Canada. Long known for the many gas and oil companies having their headquarters here, Calgary is now a tech city to watch, according to Expert Market.

Recent statistics show that Calgary, Alberta is a city that offers the highest average salaries and the highest wage growth in the sector and ranks second in terms of tech diversity. It is also one of the best cities to head to if you are interested in searching for tech jobs in Canada.

  1. Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia is yet another known city that has loads of job opportunities for those interested in tech jobs in Canada. As the region’s business, banking and government center, Halifax is also leading the Maritime in terms of tech.

Expert Market ranks the city second for wage growth and joint second for tech diversity. In 2017, Global News reported that the Nova Scotia government’s $2.25 million investment in Volta Labs until 2022 could mean Halifax’s tech industry could triple in size. You might want to consider this city.

  1. Hamilton, Ontario

Hamilton, Ontario is yet another city to head to if you are looking for tech jobs in Canada. Between 2012 and 2017, the city saw a growth rate of 64.8 percent in the sector, with a tech workforce of more than 50,000. With exciting and fast – growing tech startups based in the city, Hamilton is a good option for aspiring app and software developers.

Aside from the fact that Hamilton is a good destination for tech jobs, with its many waterfalls, it is also one of the most beautiful places in Ontario.

  1. Oshawa, Ontario

If you are looking towards schooling and working as a techie in Canada, then Oshawa, Ontario should be top on the list of the destinations to head to. Home to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa is much more than Canada’s automotive capital.

CBRE rates it as the leading small city for tech in Canada, with the fastest growing tech talent market between 2012 and 2017: a whopping 71.4 percent. In Oshawa, you have the opportunity to start with fast growing tech companies.

  1. Edmonton, Alberta

Edmonton is a popular city for outsiders who are looking for tech jobs in Canada. It is one of the cities that ranks among the top 10 in Market Expert’s list of the best Canadian tech cities to live and work in. The city ranks third for average wages in the sector and tech diversity.

According to the Edmonton Journal, even Google executives have praised the city as a mover in the tech industry. In fact, DeepMind, Google’s AI company, now has a research office in Edmonton. So, if you are looking for good paying tech related job opportunities in Canada, Edmonton, Alberta should be included in your bucket list.

  1. Quebec City, Quebec

Aside from the fact that Quebec City is one of the most beautiful Canadian cities to live in, it is also one of the leading tech hubs in Canada. If you are in search of good paying tech jobs, then you should consider relocating to Quebec City: a thriving tech sector, according to CBRE. Some of the tech companies you’ll find here are Ubisoft, Beenox, Frima Studio, Sarbakan, Gearbox Software and the National Optics Institute.

  1. Barrie, Ontario

Another little – known city when it comes to the availability of tech job openings is Barrie, Ontario. No doubt, Barrie is one of the best tech hubs in Canada for small markets, according to CBRE. Even though it’s a bedroom community for nearby Toronto, Barrie has a small, but growing tech sector of its own.

The city is also home to the Georgian College of Applied Arts and Tech. So, if you are looking towards studying and working in the tech industry in Canada, then you should consider heading to Barrie in Ontario.

  1. Winnipeg, Manitoba

Experts projected that Winnipeg, Manitoba is one of the fastest growing tech hubs in Canada. Expert Market ranks Winnipeg as one of its top 10 best tech hubs in Canada to live and work in and rates it especially high for the low cost of living, average rent and average commute time.

This should make up for the fact that Winnipeg is also one of the Canadian cities with the worst winters. So, if you are just starting out in the tech industry, you may consider heading to Winnipeg to source for tech jobs.

  1. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Another city in Canada that has loads of tech job openings for both experienced and non – experienced techies is Saskatoon. Saskatoon in Saskatchewan is among the fastest growing tech hubs in Canada, mainly because of the opening of Innovation Place Research Park, one of two of its kind in the province. Some of the tech companies based in Saskatoon are Vendasta Technologies, Coconut Software, Territorial and SafetyTek.

  1. Regina, Saskatchewan

If you are interested in riding on the wave of an emerging tech hub in Canada, then one of your best bets is to head to Regina, Saskatchewan.The hub for Regina’s tech sector is Innovation Place Research Park near the University of Regina, where ISM Canada has its main office. Another notable tech company you’ll find in the city is FrontRunner Technologies.

  1. Windsor, Ontario

Another fast – growing city when it comes to tech job opportunities in Canada is Windsor in Ontario. CRBE rates Windsor as one of the best small cities for tech talent. Home to car manufacturing companies like FCA Canada and Ford Motor Company, the city is especially a hub for tech companies that specialize in automation. So, if you are looking for automation related tech jobs in Canada, then you should consider heading to Windsor, Ontario.

  1. Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria in British Columbia is one of the cities that has loads of job opportunities for techies in Canada. While Vancouver may be more famous as a tech hub, Victoria is home to a booming tech industry too. According to Nearshore Americas, the city is Canada’s new tech hub.

In fact, there are over 880 tech companies in Victoria, employing more than 15,000 people. The great weather and the fact that it’s one of the places with the lowest taxes in Canada may continue to draw top tech talent. So, if you are looking for automation related tech jobs in Canada, then you should consider heading to Victoria, British Columbia.

  1. Montreal, Quebec

Montreal happens to be one of the cities in Canada that attract loads of migrants with tech backgrounds because there are tech job opportunities. Montreal has a great nightlife; affordable rents; and a cornucopia of universities with the lowest tuition in the country. And it’s also home to Ubisoft Montreal, one of the world’s most successful game development studios. In fact, Quebec is the primary producer of video games in Canada.

But in recent years, both federal and municipal governments have been working on plans to heighten Montreal’s reputation as a city where tech know-how is valued, which led to the announcement last June of Capital Intelligent Mtl – a $100-million fund to promote Montreal’s Smart City Action Plan, in partnership with 23 venture capital firms and financial institutions.

  1. Vancouver

Vancouver is yet another city in Canada that someone who is looking for tech job opportunities should consider visiting. Key stakeholders in Canada believe that Vancouver is destined to be a major player in the tech industry. Allegedly 40 percent of downtown Vancouver real estate houses startups.

Microsoft, for instance, sees an expansion in Vancouver as an easy way to access global talent, while for Vancouver it could, with the backing of major American companies, lead to a large-scale expansion of its still relatively small base of tech companies.

  1. Nanaimo, British Columbia

Nanaimo in British Columbia by all standard should be among the 20 best cities in Canada for those looking for tech jobs. Nanaimo may be home to the annual bathtub races, but the city is also home to more modern technology. According to Business Examiner, Nanaimo has the fourth fastest growing tech development in the province.

Tech association Innovation Island gives tech startups access to tools, venture capital and education. Nanaimo is an especially good choice if you are interested in robotics and related tech jobs.

  1. London, Ontario

London, Ontario is one of the hotbeds for tech innovation in Canada and an appreciable number of people in the city are employed in the tech sector. London is not only the birthplace of Ryan Gosling, one of the wealthiest Canadian actors, it is also home to a thriving tech scene, according to the London Free Press.

In fact, the tech industry is one of the main employers in the city, with more than 300 tech companies employing some 3 percent of the city’s workforce. Many tech companies based in London focus on digital media.

As a matter of fact, the low cost of living now attracts more than just people who know that London is one of the best places to work in the tech industry and to retire in Canada. So, if you have background in digital media or in any area in the tech industry and you are looking for a city to work and settle in Canada, then you should consider heading to this beautiful city; London, Ontario.

In conclusion,

Most of the cities listed above have their unique niche in the tech industry and you will do yourself a whole lot of good to look for a city that has more than enough job opportunities in your area of specialization before heading to the city.