CR Group Salary in the Federal Government (CR-01 to CR-07, 2026)

The CR group is often the first government paycheque people ever receive. It's the most accessible entry point into the federal public service — many positions don't require a degree, and IRCC, ESDC, and Service Canada hire CR employees at scale. I know people who started at CR-02 processing EI claims straight out of high school and ended up as AS-05 managers a decade later. The CR-to-AS pipeline is real, and it's one of the few genuine internal mobility paths in government.

Here's the full CR salary breakdown for 2026 — all seven levels, what the work actually looks like at each level, and a take-home example at CR-04.

CR Group Pay Scale — 2026

CR pay rates shown are from the most recent economic increase under the 2021–2025 PA (Program and Administrative Services) collective agreement between Treasury Board and PSAC (signed June 2023, expired June 20, 2025), effective June 21, 2024. A successor agreement is currently being negotiated — Treasury Board tabled an initial wage offer on May 1, 2026. Until ratification, the June 2024 rates remain in force. CR salaries are governed by the same agreement as AS, PM, IS, and several other administrative groups.

The CR group spans $41,947 (CR-01, Step 1) at the entry level to $85,533 (CR-07, maximum) at the senior regulatory officer level. The most common CR levels in large client-service departments like ESDC and IRCC are CR-04 and CR-05, where most benefits processors and case officers work.

CR vs AS vs PM: What's the Difference?

CR, AS, and PM are three separate classification groups that often appear in similar work environments. Here's how they differ:

• CR (Clerical and Regulatory): Front-line service delivery, data processing, document management, client-facing clerks. Often found at Service Canada centres, call centres, and immigration processing units. CR-04 and CR-05 are typical for experienced front-line workers.
• AS (Administrative Services): More internal-facing administrative work — budget tracking, HR support, office management, executive assistant functions. AS-02 and AS-03 often overlap in pay with CR-04/CR-05, but AS work tends to be more varied. AS pay is identical to PM pay (same collective agreement).
• PM (Programme Administration): Policy implementation, program delivery, grant processing. PM salaries are numerically identical to AS at each level but the work profile emphasizes program-facing over purely administrative tasks.

Notably, CR rates are slightly lower than AS/PM rates at comparable levels. A CR-04 maximum is $61,761 while an AS-01 maximum is $69,106 — the AS/PM classification effectively starts where CR caps out for most career progression purposes. Many experienced CR employees pursue reclassification to AS to access higher salary ceilings.

CR-04 Take-Home Pay Example — Nova Scotia, 2026

Many CR positions are based in Atlantic Canada — DND in Halifax, Veterans Affairs in Charlottetown, and CRA processing centres across the region. Here's what a CR-04 at minimum salary takes home in Nova Scotia:

A CR-04 at minimum in Nova Scotia takes home approximately $39,474 per year. At this income level, the PSPP pension contribution is calculated at 8.00% (the 2026 Group 2 rate below the Year's Maximum Pensionable Earnings of $74,600). The rate jumps to 10.58% on earnings above YMPE. CPP2 contributions do not apply below the YMPE threshold.

For CR-05 at $62,533, take-home would be approximately $1,698 per biweekly pay period. Use the take-home pay calculator for your specific level and province.

CR Step Progression

CR levels have 4 to 6 pay steps. Employees advance one step per year on their anniversary date, provided they receive a satisfactory performance rating:

• CR-01: 6 steps — takes 5 years to reach maximum
• CR-02 through CR-07: 4 steps — takes 3 years to reach maximum from step 1

Once at the maximum step for your level, there is no further automatic increase unless you are promoted to a higher level or receive an economic increase through collective bargaining.

CR Career Path and Common Departments

The CR group is particularly concentrated in departments with large client-service mandates:

• ESDC / Service Canada: Employment Insurance processing officers, Old Age Security and CPP processors, Service Canada centre staff. Most start at CR-04 or CR-05.
• IRCC: Citizenship and immigration application processing officers. CR-04 to CR-05 is the typical entry band for processing roles.
• CRA (Canada Revenue Agency): CRA is a separate employer under the Canada Revenue Agency Act with its own classification system — front-line processing officers are SP-classified, not CR — but pay levels are broadly comparable.
• Veterans Affairs Canada: Case officers, benefits processors.
• DND (National Defence): Administrative support roles at bases and headquarters.

Career progression for CR employees typically moves upward within the CR group (e.g., CR-04 → CR-05 → CR-06) or across into the AS group for roles with more administrative responsibility, or the PM group for program-delivery work. Some experienced CR-06/CR-07 employees move into IS (Information Services) or PE (Personnel Administration) roles through internal competitions.

CR Salary History: Recent Pay Increases

Under the 2021–2025 PA collective agreement, CR employees received the following increases:

• June 21, 2021: 1.5% increase
• June 21, 2022: 4.8% increase
• June 21, 2023: 3.5% increase
• June 21, 2024: 2.25% increase (current 2026 rates)

A CR-04 Step 1 earned $50,821 in June 2020 and earns $57,217 today — a cumulative increase of about 12.6% from the four economic increases in the 2021–2025 agreement, with no further raises since June 2024 and none expected until the successor agreement is ratified. Compared to CPI inflation of roughly 20%+ over the same period, CR purchasing power declined in real terms through the early 2020s; the 2022–2023 increases helped partially close the gap.

For complete step-by-step rates and salary history for each CR level, see:

• CR-01 salary scale — $41,947 to $46,342
• CR-02 salary scale — $45,531 to $48,654
• CR-03 salary scale — $51,642 to $55,707
• CR-04 salary scale — $57,217 to $61,761
• CR-05 salary scale — $62,533 to $67,699
• CR-06 salary scale — $71,176 to $76,779
• CR-07 salary scale — $78,952 to $85,533

See also: AS group salary guide, PM group salary guide, or compare CR with other classifications.