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IT Consulting in Canada - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Dmitry Diment Dmitry Diment New York, United States Last Updated: October 2024 NAICS 54151CA

Revenue

$92.7bn

2024

$92.7bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XX.Xbn

Employees

359k

Businesses

96,094

Wages

$XX.Xbn

IT Consulting in Canada industry analysis

The IT Consulting industry in Canada is composed of companies that help private businesses and public sector agencies design, implement and manage information technology (IT) systems. Demand for industry services is positively affected by growth in corporate profit and business sentiment. As these drivers strengthen, companies increase expenditure on industry services. There has been a significant degree of technological change due to the increasing prevalence of cloud-based services, mobile apps and other cutting-edge software. These technological changes have been a significant driver of growth in the industry, while also responsible for declining industry-relevant revenue among larger operators. The industry managed to weather the COVID-19 pandemic during the latter half of the period, benefiting from the strong economic recovery in 2021 as disruptions eased. Overall, industry revenue is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% to $91.6 billion over the five years to 2023, including a decrease of 0.9% in 2023 alone as economic growth slows.Following robust sales performance during most of the period, industry profit is expected to slightly expand. This is primarily due to stronger demand for higher-margin services, such as cloud-based systems integration and mobile apps design, being tempered by increased internal competition among existing operators. Furthermore, wages' share of revenue is expected to grow over the past five years due to increased demand for labour and investment in human capital.Overall, industry revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 1.7% to $99.7 billion over the five years to 2028. Increasing private investment in computer and networking infrastructure will likely be the key economic factor driving industry performance. In particular, private investment in computers and software is expected to increase at a CAGR of 3.1% through the end of 2028. The professional services sector will likely help sustain demand for industry services as companies incorporate newer technologies to gain a leg up on the competition and increase operating efficiency. Strong demand for IT services and relatively low barriers to entry will likely continue to attract new entrants into the industry, but larger operators may continue expanding their workforces, acquiring smaller businesses and increasing their share of the market.

Trends and Insights

  • The industry is flourishing as technological advancements are adopted by downstream markets. These new technologies need IT consultants to set up and maintain.
  • IT consultants provide advice and procurement of hardware and software for business use. IT tech consulting is the bread and butter for the industry.
  • Proximity to downstream markets is the main driver for business locations. IT consultants attempt to maximize their visibility by staying close to the institutions they serve.
  • IT consultants compete domestically for local business. Companies increasingly advertise as one-stop shops, boasting an ability to provide insight and implementation to meet all of their clients' IT needs.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.2 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $92.7bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Product innovation

  • Trends in product innovation, such as cloud computing, have contributed to growth for IT consultants.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
IT Consulting in Canada
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Rising business investment

  • More businesses are expected to take advantage of cloud-computing technology, which will require IT consultants to set up, manage and maintain.

Biggest companies in the IT Consulting in Canada

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($short_0)
2024
Profit ($short_0)
2024
Profit Margin (%)
2024

There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the IT Consulting in Canada industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.

Products & Services Segmentation

IT Consulting in Canada
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including IT technical consulting services, Nonconsulting computer systems design services and Data processing, hosting and related services. IT technical consulting services is the largest segment of the IT Consulting in Canada.

Trends and Insights

IT technical consulting services

  • Information technology (IT) consultants provide advice or expert opinion on technical matters related to the use of information technology.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The IT Consulting industry in Canada provides the services to client companies such as writing, testing and supporting custom software; planning and designing integrated hardware, software and communication infrastructure; and on-site management of computer systems and data processing facilities. This industry excludes packaged software publishers, transaction processing software, off-site data processing and cloud hosting services.

What's included in this industry?

Providing information technology expertise for consumersWriting, modifying, testing and supporting softwarePlanning and designing systemsOn-site management and operation of IT functions

Companies

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)SERVEROUTSOURCE CLOUD COMPUTINGSOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (SAAS)COMMODITIZATIONINTEGRATED SYSTEM / ENGINEERED SYSTEMBIG DATA ANALYTICS

Industry Code

NAICS 2007

NAICS 54151 - IT Consulting in Canada

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

The industry is flourishing as technological advancements are adopted by downstream markets. These new technologies need IT consultants to set up and maintain.

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

IT consultants provide advice and procurement of hardware and software for business use. IT tech consulting is the bread and butter for the industry.

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Proximity to downstream markets is the main driver for business locations. IT consultants attempt to maximize their visibility by staying close to the institutions they serve...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each province
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each province in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each province accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each province accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each province in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

IT consultants compete domestically for local business. Companies increasingly advertise as one-stop shops, boasting an ability to provide insight and implementation to meet ...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

IBM Canada is the largest company in the industry. Still, because of the sheer volume of nonemployers in the industry, IBM Canada holds less than a 5.0% market share.

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024

Detailed analysis

    External Environment

    Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

    Analyst insights

    There is little direct regulation for the industry. However, umbrella regulations imposed on all business in Canada. IT consultants must ensure they are not encroaching on th...

    In this chapter

    • External Drivers
    • Regulation & Policy
    • Assistance

    Key metrics

    • Regulation & policy level and trend
    • Assistance level and trend

    Charts

    • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
    • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

    Detailed analysis

    • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
    • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
    • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

    Financial Benchmarks

    View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

    Analyst insights

    Wages are the largest expense for the industry. IT consultants are experienced, with extensive training and knowledge in the latest technologies available on the market.

    In this chapter

    • Cost Structure
    • Financial Ratios
    • Key Ratios

    Key metrics

    • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
    • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
    • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
    • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

    Charts

    • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
    • Investment vs. share of economy

    Data tables

    • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
    • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
    • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
    • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
    • Assets (2017-2022)
    • Liabilities (2017-2022)
    • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
    • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
    • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • Average Wage (2014-2029)
    • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
    • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
    • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
    • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

    Detailed analysis

    • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

    Key Statistics

    Industry Data

    Data Tables

    Including values and annual change:

    • Revenue (2014-2029)
    • IVA (2014-2029)
    • Establishments (2014-2029)
    • Enterprises (2014-2029)
    • Employment (2014-2029)
    • Exports (2014-2029)
    • Imports (2014-2029)
    • Wages (2014-2029)

    Top Questions Answered

    Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

    What is the market size of the IT Consulting industry in Canada in 2024?

    The market size of the IT Consulting industry in Canada is $92.7bn in 2024.

    How many businesses are there in the IT Consulting in Canada industry in 2024?

    There are 96,094 businesses in the IT Consulting industry in Canada, which has grown at a CAGR of 2.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

    Has the IT Consulting industry in Canada grown or declined over the past 5 years?

    The market size of the IT Consulting industry in Canada has been growing at a CAGR of 3.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

    What is the forecast growth of the IT Consulting industry in Canada over the next 5 years?

    Over the next five years, the IT Consulting industry in Canada is expected to grow.

    What does the IT Consulting in Canada include?

    Providing information technology expertise for consumers and Writing, modifying, testing and supporting software are part of the IT Consulting industry.

    How competitive is the IT Consulting industry in Canada?

    The level of competition is high and increasing in the IT Consulting industry in Canada.

    Related Industries

    Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

    Competitors

    • Software Publishing in Canada

    Complementors

    • Computer & Packaged Software Wholesaling in Canada
    • Consumer Electronics Stores in Canada
    • Data Processing & Hosting Services in Canada
    • Management Consulting in Canada

    International industries

    • IT Consulting in the US
    • IT Security Consulting in the US
    • Web Design Services in the US
    • Software Testing Services in the US
    • e-Discovery Consulting Services in the US

    View all industries in Canada

    Methodology

    How are IBISWorld reports created?

    IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

    Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

    IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

    What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

    Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

    Key data sources in Canada include:

    • Statistics Canada
    • Industry Canada
    • Canadian Business Patterns

    Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

    These sources include:

    • Industry and trade associations
    • Industry federations or regulators
    • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

    Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

    How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

    IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

    IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

    Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.