Nurses Salary In Canada
The average salary for a nurse in Canada is about $65,000 per year. Nurses with over ten years of experience can earn an average of $80,000 per year. The highest-paid nurses in the country are those who work in specialized areas such as critical care, emergency rooms or intensive care units (ICUs). They can earn up to $100,000 per year.
Nurses in Canada must have a college diploma and certification from their provincial regulatory body before they can take the National Council Licensing Examination (NCLEX) exam. Once they pass this exam, they are legally allowed to practice nursing in Canada. After completing their education program and passing the NCLEX exam, nurses will need to work for at least one year under the supervision of a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse before becoming eligible for licensure on their own without supervision from another professional nurse.
Nurses Salary In Canada
In Canada, nurses make an average of $78,546 per year or $40.28 per hour. Entry level positions start at around $41,396 per year and students make anywhere from $20-30 per hour.
While most experienced workers make up to about $95,704 per year, the most qualified and experienced nurses in Canada can make $100,000 or more annually.
Here’s a general overview of the highest paying nurse professions out there:
While this video isn’t specific to Canada, it is accurate in that all the specialties listed pay well in Canada too.
Nurses Salary in Canada
Here’s a breakdown of the highest and lowest hourly nursing salaries, along with average nurses salary for each Canadian province and territory.*
You’ll notice Alberta and the Northwest Territories generally offer the highest-paid wages, while Manitoba, PEI, and Nunavut offer the lowest.
Additionally, for a more specific breakdown check out our article on the Average Nurse Practitioner Salary in Canada.
| Province | Highest hourly wage | Lowest hourly wage | Average nursing salary |
| AB | $55.93 (Clinical Nurse Specialist with 9 years’ experience) | $27.68 (undergraduate nurse) | $94,322 |
| BC | $53.14 (Level 6, or an RN or RPN working for over 9 years) | $27.20 (Level 1, or an LPN working for 1 year or less) | $78,546 |
| MB | $67.13 (weekend worker, Class 5 with over 20 years’ experience) | $30.58 (LPN in early career) | $41,396 |
| NB | $52.21 (Class D Registered Nurse with experience level F) | $31.32 (Class A RN starting out or a graduate nurse) | $69,030 |
| NL | $56.50 (class 37 Nurse Specialist with Level 6 experience) | $31.82 (unregistered or student nurse) | $78,059 |
| NS | $55.47 (specialty or primary health NPs with over 25 years’ experience) | $20.15 (LPN or Graduate Practical Nurse starting out) | $81,670 |
| ON | $46.11 (nurses working for over 25 years) | $32.21 (RNs just starting out; excluding overtime/weekend/ holiday premiums) | $76,362 |
| PEI | $56.38 (NP with over 25 years’ experience) | $32.48 (Level 1 RN in early career) | $65,228 |
| QC | $53.49 (specialty NP with at least 18 years’ experience) | $20.73 (child or baby nurses just starting out) | $67,694 |
| SK | $58.69 (Step 5 Nurse Practitioner) | $31.07 (unlicensed grads) | $78,390 |
| NT | data not available | data not available | $103,467 |
| NU | data not available | data not available | $24,736 |
| YT | data not available | data not available | $88,834 |
Nursing Salaries for RNs
According to the Canadian Nurses Association, of the 430,000 nurses in Canada, the vast majority (about 70%) are registered nurses (RNs). This could very well be you, whether you’re already an RN (you have passed either the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination or the Quebec examination and have registered with your provincial or territorial regulatory body), or you’re considering becoming this type of nurse.
So, how much does a Canadian RN make?
RNs in Canada make an average of $80,122 per year or $41.09 per hour. Salaries for entry level positions start at around $41,396 per year while more experienced workers can make up to about $94,322 per year.
Here is a breakdown of the average nursing salary for RNs, for each Canadian province and territory.* You’ll generally find the highest paid RNs are in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, while the lowest paid RNs are in Manitoba and PEI.
| AB | $94,322 |
| BC | $78,546 |
| ON | $76,362 |
| MB | $41,396 |
| NB | $72,053 |
| NL | $78,059 |
| NS | $81,896 |
| PEI | $69,713 |
| SK | $91,640 |
| NT | $94,107 |
| NU | $94,322 |
| YT | $88,869 |
