LI Rates of Pay – Lightkeepers (Government of Canada)

LI rates of pay for all LI (Lightkeepers) levels in the Canadian federal public service, 2026. Salaries range from $46,061 to $85,274 across 9 levels. Category: Operational. Source: Treasury Board collective agreements.

LI – Lightkeepers

$46,061 – $85,274

$1,772 – $3,280 biweekly (before deductions)

9 levels · Salary data from Treasury Board collective agreements

Rates effective from 2024-08-05 · Last verified 2026-04-16 · methodology

All LI Levels

LevelStepsStep 1Max Step
LI-015$46,061$51,126
LI-025$46,575$53,450
LI-034$50,936$55,918
LI-044$54,748$59,519
LI-054$58,632$63,472
LI-064$62,651$68,349
LI-074$67,927$73,427
LI-084$73,672$79,099
LI-094$79,082$85,274

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About the LI Classification

The LI (Lightkeepers) group covers the operators of Canada's remaining staffed lighthouses, primarily on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. LI employees maintain lighthouse equipment, monitor weather and marine conditions, report vessel movements, and provide emergency assistance to mariners. The group is one of the most distinctive classifications in the federal public service — lightkeepers live and work at remote coastal stations, often accessible only by boat or helicopter.

LI positions are concentrated in British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, where the Canadian Coast Guard maintains staffed light stations. The work involves operating fog signals, maintaining marine navigation lights, recording meteorological observations, and monitoring radio communications. Many stations are staffed by two-person teams (often couples) who live on-site for extended periods. The LI scale spans multiple levels reflecting the varying complexity and remoteness of different light stations.

The LI group has been the subject of ongoing political debate about whether to automate or destaf remaining lighthouses. Advocates for maintaining staffed stations argue that lightkeepers provide irreplaceable eyes-on-the-water capability for search and rescue, weather observation, and maritime safety that automated systems cannot replicate. The group is represented by PSAC and, despite its small size, has attracted significant public attention due to the romantic and historically significant nature of lighthouse keeping.

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