UNMA Salary 2026: $66,959–$178,023 — Unison Market Allowance (CSE - CS / Engineering) (Government of Canada)
Effective Date: 2025-02-14 · Verified 2026-04-26
UNMA rates of pay for all UNMA (Unison Market Allowance (CSE - CS / Engineering)) levels in the Canadian federal public service, 2026. Salaries range from $66,959 to $178,023 across 8 levels. Category: Technical & IT. Source: Treasury Board collective agreements.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 |
|---|---|---|
| UNMA-04 | $66,959 ~$48K net | $78,572 ~$55K net |
| UNMA-05 | $75,779 ~$54K net | $88,562 ~$61K net |
| UNMA-06 | $90,909 ~$63K net | $105,778 ~$72K net |
| UNMA-07 | $103,114 ~$71K net | $119,613 ~$81K net |
| UNMA-08 | $112,431 ~$76K net | $130,044 ~$87K net |
| UNMA-09 | $120,955 ~$81K net | $139,841 ~$92K net |
| UNMA-10 | $136,348 ~$90K net | $157,608 ~$101K net |
| UNMA-11 | $153,090 ~$98K net | $178,023 ~$111K net |
Net estimates assume Ontario, no dependents, PSPP Group 2 (post-2013 hire). Use the calculator for your full situation including province, marital status, RRSP, union dues, and pension group.
Select a level for full step breakdown
UNMA-04
$66,959 – $78,572
$2,575 – $3,022 biweekly (before deductions)
Rates effective from 2025-02-14 · Last verified 2026-04-26 · methodology
UNMA-04 pay raise history (rates from previous collective agreements)
| Effective Date | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-14 | $66,959 | $78,572 |
UNMA – Unison Market Allowance (CSE - CS / Engineering)
$66,959 – $178,023
$2,575 – $6,847 biweekly (before deductions)
8 levels · Salary data from Treasury Board collective agreements
Rates effective from 2025-02-14 · Last verified 2026-04-26 · methodology
About the UNMA Classification at Communications Security Establishment
The UNMA (Unison Market Allowance) pay scale at the Communications Security Establishment applies to positions whose primary duties involve computer science administration, software engineering, systems engineering, or cryptography. CSE is Canada's signals intelligence agency, responsible for foreign SIGINT collection, foreign cyber operations, and cybersecurity guidance for federal systems. UNMA carries a market premium above CSE's standard pay scale (UNI), reflecting the difficulty of recruiting senior software and security engineering talent into the federal sector. Most CSE software developers, cyber operators, reverse engineers, and senior systems engineers are paid on the UNMA scale rather than UNI.
UNMA-04 ($66,959 to $78,572) is the entry level for junior CS or engineering positions, typically filled by new graduates after security screening. UNMA-05 ($75,779 to $88,562) covers intermediate developers and analysts. UNMA-06 ($90,909 to $105,778) is the senior developer or engineer level. UNMA-07 ($103,114 to $119,613) and UNMA-08 ($112,431 to $130,044) cover lead developers, senior architects, and specialist engineers. UNMA-09 ($120,955 to $139,841), UNMA-10 ($136,348 to $157,608), and UNMA-11 ($153,090 to $178,023) are principal engineer and technical management levels, with UNMA-11 covering the most senior CS and engineering technical leads at the agency.
UNMA falls under the collective agreement between CSE and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents CSE bargaining-unit employees. CSE publishes only minimum and maximum bands per level (no public step structure); pay within a band is set on offer. The market allowance built into UNMA closes some but not all of the gap with private-sector tech compensation. UNMA-08 at $130,044 is still well below what senior software engineers earn at major Canadian tech employers or US firms with Canadian offices, but the gap is much narrower than under the standard UNI scale. CSE positions require Top Secret SIGINT clearance, which typically takes 12 to 24 months to process and significantly narrows the candidate pool, justifying the premium.
UNMA salary — frequently asked questions
What is the UNMA salary range?
The UNMA (Unison Market Allowance (CSE - CS / Engineering)) salary range is $66,959 to $178,023 per year as of 2025-02-14, across 8 levels (UNMA-04, UNMA-05, UNMA-06, UNMA-07, UNMA-08, UNMA-09, UNMA-10, UNMA-11). Rates are sourced from Communications Security Establishment's publicly published pay scales.
What does UNMA stand for at Communications Security Establishment?
UNMA is the classification code for Unison Market Allowance (CSE - CS / Engineering) positions at Communications Security Establishment. It covers 8 levels (UNMA-04, UNMA-05, UNMA-06, UNMA-07, UNMA-08, UNMA-09, UNMA-10, UNMA-11) reflecting different levels of responsibility and seniority.
How much does a UNMA-04 make?
A UNMA-04 earns $66,959 (Step 1) to $78,572 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14.
How much does a UNMA-05 make?
A UNMA-05 earns $75,779 (Step 1) to $88,562 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14.
How much does a UNMA-06 make?
A UNMA-06 earns $90,909 (Step 1) to $105,778 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14.
How much does a UNMA-07 make?
A UNMA-07 earns $103,114 (Step 1) to $119,613 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14.
How much does a UNMA-08 make?
A UNMA-08 earns $112,431 (Step 1) to $130,044 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14.
How much does a UNMA-09 make?
A UNMA-09 earns $120,955 (Step 1) to $139,841 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14.
How much does a UNMA-10 make?
A UNMA-10 earns $136,348 (Step 1) to $157,608 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14.
How much does a UNMA-11 make?
A UNMA-11 earns $153,090 (Step 1) to $178,023 (Step 2) per year as of 2025-02-14. UNMA-11 is the senior-most level in the UNMA group at Communications Security Establishment.
When was the UNMA pay scale last updated?
The current UNMA pay scale on FedPay.ca is effective 2025-02-14, with a total of 16 pay steps across 8 levels. Data is verified against Communications Security Establishment's primary source regularly.
What is the UNMA take-home pay after taxes?
UNMA take-home pay depends on your level, step, province, and pension group. Use the FedPay.ca take-home pay calculator at fedpay.ca/take-home to see your net pay after federal tax, provincial tax, CPP, EI, and pension contributions for any UNMA level and step.