What our recent searches reveal — and what an employer should budget this year.
Since 2017, Larouche Raymond has conducted executive and specialized technical searches for manufacturing, engineering, construction and technology companies across Québec, Ontario and both sides of the U.S. border. As the 2026 hiring cycles approach, one question surfaces in nearly every mandate: what pay does it take to attract — and keep — a genuinely credible leader?
Rather than cite generic surveys, we looked at our own data. Here are the benchmarks our recent searches point to, expressed as annual base salary.
| Role level | Base salary |
|---|---|
| Specialized technical roles senior engineers, subject-matter experts, team leads |
from $70,000 |
| Mid-level management production, engineering and project managers |
$110,000 – $140,000 |
| Directors and vice-presidents operations, engineering, plant, technology |
$150,000 – $250,000 |
| Median executive mandate the anchor point of our searches |
≈ $125,000 |
Base-salary ranges, excluding bonus, equity and benefits. Based on our recent mandates in Québec and Ontario.
Reading the ranges correctly
These figures describe base salary only. At leadership levels, a performance bonus commonly adds another 10 to 25 percent, and some vice-president mandates carry a form of long-term incentive. An employer comparing an offer against these benchmarks should therefore think in total compensation, not base alone.
What moves the needle
Three factors explain most of the spread we see from one mandate to the next:
• Bilingualism and cross-border reach. A leader who can run teams across Québec, Ontario and the United States almost always lands in the upper part of the range.
• Scarcity of the technical profile. In manufacturing and construction, the shortage of managers who pair shop-floor credibility with business judgment is pushing mid-level pay toward $140,000 faster than it used to.
• Mandate complexity. A turnaround, rapid growth or a new plant start-up justifies the top tranches of the director/VP range.
Planning a leadership hire in 2026?
We can calibrate a precise range for your role, sector and market — and run the search discreetly, backed by a six-month replacement guarantee.