8.1: What Does a Marketing Employee Really Cost in Canada? The Math for Shop Owners

Hiring one full-time marketing employee in Canada usually costs a shop owner about $4,000–$6,000 a month once salary and the extras are counted. And one person is rarely good at everything: writing, video, ads and Google Maps. So before you post a job ad, it's worth doing the math.

Many owners I meet think: "I'll hire someone to handle marketing and that's that." It's not a bad idea. But the real number tends to be well above the salary in the job posting.

Let's work through it, then compare four ways of getting marketing done so you can choose. The figures below are estimates to make things concrete. Every shop is different.

Salary is only part of the cost

Say you hire a marketer at $4,000 a month. On top of salary, an Ontario employer also covers:

• •Employer contributions: CPP (pension) and EI (employment insurance). The employee pays a share and you pay your own share on top.
• •Vacation pay: at least 4% of wages under Ontario employment law.
• •Tools: design software, scheduling, video editing, storage. A few dozen dollars each, and it adds up.
• •Equipment: a computer, a phone for filming, lights, a mic.
• •Your own time: hiring, training, reviewing posts, managing.

That last one gets forgotten most. A new hire needs direction. If you're not a marketing person yourself, who gives it?

Adding it up

That's before your own time and before any ad budget. Hire someone more experienced on a higher salary and it easily passes $6,000.

A bigger problem than money: one person can't do it all

Marketing a shop today involves several different trades:

• •Writing content
• •Graphic design
• •Filming and editing video
• •Google Maps optimization
• •Running Facebook and Google ads
• •Setting up booking and customer follow-up software

It's like opening a restaurant with one person who cooks, serves, runs the till and washes dishes. It can be done, but everything ends up just okay.

There's one more risk: they quit. Everything stops, and you start hiring again.

Comparing 4 ways to do marketing

No option is right for everyone. Each suits a different stage.

When to hire in-house

When the business is larger, has several locations, needs someone on site daily, and you have someone experienced to lead them.

When to use a freelancer

When you need one specific thing: a menu design, a single video, a website. And you know exactly what you want.

When to use an agency

When you want a whole team without managing each person. The key question is whether they understand your customers.

What's in The Wizy Stack?

To be upfront: this is Wizy's own package. I'm laying it out so you can compare, and the decision is yours.

For $1,997 a month, it includes:

• •Social media management, 20 posts a month
• •8 short videos a month
• •Google Maps SEO and review management
• •Google and Facebook ads management
• •1-on-1 strategy sessions with Hoan and Loc
• •Wizy CRM and booking system
• •Wizy Check In
• •Plus: an AI chatbot for customer messages and a QR/NFC review stand

Bought separately at Wizy's list prices, that's about $6,000 a month. Longer commitments lower the price: $1,897 for 3 months, $1,797 for 6 months, $1,697 for 12 months.

Two things to know up front: prices exclude HST, and your ad budget is paid separately to Google and Facebook.

Work it out for your shop in 5 minutes

1. •Write down the salary you'd pay.
2. •Add roughly 10–15% for employer costs.
3. •Add tools and equipment.
4. •Estimate the hours a week you'd spend managing, times what an hour of your time is worth.
5. •Compare that total with a freelancer's or agency's quote for the same amount of work.

Step 5 matters. Don't compare prices without comparing the workload.

Quick recap

• •The real cost of a marketing employee is above salary, usually about $4,000–$6,000 a month.
• •One person rarely excels at writing, design, video, ads and Google Maps.
• •In-house, freelancer, agency: each fits a different stage.
• •Compare both the price and the amount of work.

Next up (8.2): a six-stage marketing map for Vietnamese-owned shops in Ontario, so you can see where you stand.

For the full package details, see the pricing page. Not sure your shop needs that much? Book a free 15-minute consultation and I'll tell you honestly if a smaller package is enough.

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✍️ About the author: Do Ngoc Hoan Founder of Wizy.ca, a marketing agency for Vietnamese businesses in Ontario. I write to make marketing simple for busy shop owners — no confusing jargon. More at dongochoan.com.