Employers often see a Job Bank wage report showing low, median and high hourly wages and assume the median number answers every immigration question. It does not. Wage analysis for a Labour Market Impact Assessment involves at least two distinct comparisons, and confusing them can send an application into the wrong stream or produce a wage that does not meet program requirements.
Prevailing wage versus stream threshold
The prevailing wage is tied to the occupation and work location. Employers generally need to offer a wage consistent with what Canadians and permanent residents earn for comparable work, skills and experience. Job Bank’s low, median and high figures provide labour-market context, but the applicable program instructions determine how the required wage is assessed.
The high-wage or low-wage stream is determined separately. Since July 17, 2026, the federal threshold is generally the provincial or territorial median hourly wage plus 20 percent. An offer at or above that threshold is processed under the high-wage stream; one below it is processed under the low-wage stream. In Ontario, for example, the published threshold for applications received from that date is $36.92 per hour. The thresholds can change, so the filing date matters.
Wage affects more than salary
The selected stream changes the employer’s obligations. High-wage applications generally require a transition plan, while low-wage applications can face workforce caps, transportation and housing-related duties, and refusal-to-process rules in certain metropolitan areas. The offered wage must also remain consistent across the advertisement, employment contract, LMIA forms and work-permit application.
Before advertising, employers should confirm the correct NOC code, work location, current prevailing wage and current provincial threshold. They should also test whether the business can sustain the wage for the requested period. The right number is not the one that makes the application look best; it is the one that is accurate, compliant and commercially real.
Important: This article provides general information, not legal advice. Immigration rules, policies and program availability can change without notice. Advice should be based on your specific facts and the law in effect when you apply.