Is C$120,000 a good income in Canada?
Yes, it is well above the typical adult. An income of C$120,000 a year puts you ahead of about 79% of adults in Canada — roughly 24.9 million people have less.
Source: WealthPercentile model for adults aged 20+ in Canada (World Inequality Database 2026 update).
How C$120,000 compares in Canada
Thresholds for income per year, per adult. The last column shows C$120,000 relative to each level.
| Group | Starts at | C$120,000 is |
|---|---|---|
| Median adult | C$65,700 | 1.8× this level |
| Top 25% | C$109,000 | 1.1× this level |
| Top 10% | C$170,000 | 70% of this level |
| Top 5% | C$232,000 | 52% of this level |
| Top 1% | C$448,000 | 27% of this level |
C$120,000 by global standards
Compared with all 5.5 billion adults in the world, C$120,000 is in the top 3.8%. The world median income is about C$5,970, and the global top 1% starts near C$254,000. Living costs differ a lot between countries, so a global rank says more about purchasing power abroad than about comfort at home.
The same C$120,000 in other countries
Ranks within each country, converted at ECB exchange rates. Countries with official person-level statistics use those; the rest use the model.
| Country | Rank | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| India | top 0.2% | model |
| China | top 1.3% | model |
| South Africa | top 1.9% | model |
| Brazil | top 2.5% | model |
| Sweden | top 5% | national statistics |
| Japan | top 5.7% | model |
| United Kingdom | top 7.7% | national statistics |
| France | top 14% | model |
| Germany | top 17% | model |
| Norway | top 21% | Statistics Norway |
| United States | top 22% | national statistics |
| Australia | top 33% | model |
| Switzerland | bottom 45% | model |
Other amounts in Canada
- C$40,000 — bottom 32%
- C$50,000 — bottom 39%
- C$60,000 — bottom 46%
- C$75,000 — top 43%
- C$80,000 — top 40%
- C$100,000 — top 29%
- C$120,000 — top 21%
- C$150,000 — top 13%
- C$200,000 — top 7%
- C$250,000 — top 4.3%
Frequently asked questions
What percentile is C$120,000 income in Canada?
C$120,000 is in the top 21% of adults in Canada: about 79% have less.
What income puts you in the top 1% in Canada?
About C$448,000 a year per adult.
How is this calculated?
WealthPercentile model for adults aged 20+ in Canada (World Inequality Database 2026 update). Amounts are per adult; couples’ wealth is split equally. Exchange rates are ECB reference rates of 2026-10-09.
Estimates for education and curiosity, not financial advice. Read the methodology.