Nurse Average Salary in Canada 2020
How much money does a Nurse make in Canada?
LOW
50,600
CAD AVERAGE
95,500
CAD HIGH
145,000
CAD
A person working as a Nurse in Canada typically earns around 95,500 CAD per year. Salaries range from 50,600 CAD (lowest) to 145,000 CAD (highest).
This is the average yearly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. Nurse salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
Nurse Salary Distribution in Canada
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
Salary Range
Nurse salaries in Canada range from 50,600 CAD per year (minimum salary) to 145,000 CAD per year (maximum salary).
Median Salary
The median salary is 89,700 CAD per year, which means that half (50%) of people working as Nurse(s) are earning less than 89,700 CAD while the other half are earning more than 89,700 CAD. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
Percentiles
Closely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of Nurse(s) are earning less than 63,200 CAD while 75% of them are earning more than 63,200 CAD. Also from the diagram, 75% of Nurse(s) are earning less than 110,000 CAD while 25% are earning more than 110,000 CAD.
What is the difference between the median and the average salary?
Both are indicators. If your salary is higher than both of the average and the median then you are doing very well. If your salary is lower than both, then many people are earning more than you and there is plenty of room for improvement. If your wage is between the average and the median, then things can be a bit complicated. We wrote a guide to explain all about the different scenarios. How to compare your salary
Nurse Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down Nurse salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
A Nurse with less than two years of experience makes approximately 58,200 CAD per year.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 71,400 CAD per year, 23% more than someone with less than two year's experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 101,000 CAD per year, 42% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, Nurse(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 118,000 CAD per year, 17% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 130,000 CAD per year, 10% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 138,000 CAD per year, 6% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
Nurse average salary change by experience in Canada
| 0 - 2 Years | 58,200 CAD | |
| 2 - 5 Years | +23% | 71,400 CAD |
| 5 - 10 Years | +42% | 101,000 CAD |
| 10 - 15 Years | +17% | 118,000 CAD |
| 15 - 20 Years | +10% | 130,000 CAD |
| 20+ Years | +6% | 138,000 CAD |
Typical Salary Progress for Most Careers
Nurse Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
Displayed below is the average salary difference between different Nurse(s) who have the same experience but different education levels.
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down Nurse salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor's Degree, the average salary of a Nurse is 65,700 CAD per year.
While someone with a Master's Degree gets a salary of 127,000 CAD per year, 93% more than someone having a Bachelor's Degree degree.
Nurse average salary difference by education level in Canada
| Bachelor's Degree | 65,700 CAD | |
| Master's Degree | +93% | 127,000 CAD |
Is a Master's degree or an MBA worth it? Should you pursue higher education?
A Master's degree program or any post-graduate program in Canada costs anywhere from 49,800 Canadian Dollar(s) to 149,000 Canadian Dollar(s) and lasts approximately two years. That is quite an investment.
You can't really expect any salary increases during the study period, assuming you already have a job. In most cases, a salary review is conducted once education is completed and the degree has been attained.
Many people pursue higher education as a tactic to switch into a higher paying job. The numbers seem to support the thoery. The average increase in compensation while changing jobs is approximately 10% more than the customary salary increment.
If you can afford the costs of higher education, the return on investment is definitely worth it. You should be able to recover the costs in roughly a year or so.
Typical Salary Difference by Education for Most Careers
Nurse Salary Comparison By Gender
Though gender should not have an effect on pay, in reality, it does. So who gets paid more: men or women? Male Nurse employees in Canada earn 5% less than their female counterparts on average.
| Male | 93,100 CAD | |
| Female | +5% | 97,600 CAD |
Salary Comparison By Gender in Canada for all Careers
Nurse Average Annual Salary Increment Percentage in Canada
How much are annual salary increments in Canada for Nurse(s)? How often do employees get salary raises?
Nurse
Nurse(s) in Canada are likely to observe a salary increase of approximately 10% every 17 months. The national average annual increment for all professions combined is 9% granted to employees every 15 months.
Canada / All Professions
The term 'Annual Salary Increase' usually refers to the increase in 12 calendar month period, but because it is rarely that people get their salaries reviewed exactly on the one year mark, it is more meaningful to know the frequency and the rate at the time of the increase.
How to calculate the salary increment percentage?
The annual salary Increase in a calendar year (12 months) can be easily calculated as follows: Annual Salary Increase = Increase Rate x 12 ÷ Increase Frequency
Annual Increment Rate By Industry 2019
| Banking | 2% | |
| Energy | 4% | |
| Information Technology | 6% | |
| Healthcare | 8% | |
| Travel | 1% | |
| Construction | 3% | |
| Education | 5% |
Listed above are the average annual increase rates for each industry in Canada for the year 2019. Companies within thriving industries tend to provide higher and more frequent raises. Exceptions do exist, but generally speaking, the situation of any company is closely related to the economic situation in the country or region. These figures tend to change frequently.
Worldwide Salary Raises: All Countries and All Jobs
Nurse Bonus and Incentive Rates in Canada
How much and how often are bonuses being awarded?
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A Nurse is considered to be a low bonus-based job due to the generally limited involvement in direct revenue generation, with exceptions of course. The people who get the highest bonuses are usually somehow involved in the revenue generation cycle.
71% of surveyed staff reported that they haven't received any bonuses or incentives in the previous year while 29% said that they received at least one form of monetary bonus.
Those who got bonuses reported rates ranging from 1% to 3% of their annual salary.
| Received Bonus | 29% | |
| No Bonus | 71% |
Types of Bonuses Considered
Individual Performance-Based BonusesThe most standard form of bonus where the employee is awarded based on their exceptional performance.
Company Performance BonusesOccasionally, some companies like to celebrate excess earnings and profits with their staff collectively in the form of bonuses that are granted to everyone. The amount of the bonus will probably be different from person to person depending on their role within the organization.
Goal-Based BonusesGranted upon achieving an important goal or milestone.
Holiday / End of Year BonusesThese types of bonuses are given without a reason and usually resemble an appreciation token.
Bonuses Are Not Commissions!
People tend to confuse bonuses with commissions. A commission is a prefixed rate at which someone gets paid for items sold or deals completed while a bonus is in most cases arbitrary and unplanned.
What makes a position worthy of good bonuses and a high salary?
The main two types of jobs | |
| Revenue Generators | Supporting Cast |
Employees that are directly involved in generating revenue or profit for the organization. Their field of expertise usually matches the type of business. | Employees that support and facilitate the work of revenue generators. Their expertise is usually different from that of the core business operations. |
Example: | Example: |
Revenue generators usually get more and higher bonuses, higher salaries, and more frequent salary increments. The reason is quite simple: it is easier to quantify your value to the company in monetary terms when you participate in revenue generation.
Bonus Comparison by Seniority Level
Top management personnel and senior employees naturally exhibit higher bonus rates and frequencies than juniors. This is very predictable due to the inherent responsibilities of being higher in the hierarchy. People in top positions can easily get double or triple bonus rates than employees down the pyramid.
Nurse Average Hourly Wage in Canada
46 CAD per hourThe average hourly wage (pay per hour) in Canada is 46 CAD. This means that the average Nurse in Canada earns approximately 46 CAD for every worked hour.
The hourly wage is the salary paid in one worked hour. Usually jobs are classified into two categories: salaried jobs and hourly jobs. Salaried jobs pay a fix amount regardless of the hours worked. Hourly jobs pay per worked hour. To convert salary into hourly wage the above formula is used (assuming 5 working days in a week and 8 working hours per day which is the standard for most jobs). The hourly wage calculation may differ slightly depending on the worked hours per week and the annual vacation allowance. The figures mentioned above are good approximations and are considered to be the standard. One major difference between salaried employees and hourly paid employees is overtime eligibility. Salaried employees are usually exempt from overtime as opposed to hourly paid staff.
Nurse VS Other Jobs
The average salary for Nurse is 17% less than that of Nursing. Also, Nursing salaries are 35% less than those of Health and Medical.
Salary comparison with similar jobs
| Job Title | Average Salary |
| Acute Care Nurse | 104,000 CAD |  +9% |
| Assistant Director of Nursing | 166,000 CAD | +74% |
| Case Manager | 132,000 CAD | +38% |
| Company Nurse | 81,100 CAD |  -15% |
| Critical Care Nurse | 108,000 CAD | +13% |
| District Nurse | 98,100 CAD | +3% |
| Head Nurse | 112,000 CAD | +17% |
| Home Nurse | 94,000 CAD | -2% |
| ICU Registered Nurse | 103,000 CAD | +8% |
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 104,000 CAD | +9% |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | 97,100 CAD | +2% |
| MDS Coordinator | 108,000 CAD | +13% |
| Mental Health Nurse | 98,100 CAD | +3% |
| Neonatal Nurse Practitioner | 139,000 CAD | +46% |
| Nurse | 95,500 CAD | +0% |
| Nurse Midwife | 108,000 CAD | +13% |
| Nurse Practitioner | 117,000 CAD | +23% |
| Nursing Assistant | 88,400 CAD | -7% |
| Nursing Coordinator | 108,000 CAD | +13% |
| Nursing Director | 227,000 CAD | +140% |
| Nursing Services Instructor | 113,000 CAD | +18% |
| Nursing Supervisor | 142,000 CAD | +49% |
| Occupational Health Advisor | 177,000 CAD | +85% |
| Occupational Therapist | 158,000 CAD | +65% |
| Personal Support Worker | 77,300 CAD | -19% |
| Psychiatric Nurse | 90,500 CAD | -5% |
| Registered Nurse | 99,600 CAD | +4% |
| Respiratory Manager | 186,000 CAD | +95% |
| School Nurse | 88,500 CAD | -7% |
| Staff Nurse | 90,000 CAD | -6% |
| Theatre Manager | 154,000 CAD | +61% |
| Utilization Review Nurse | 105,000 CAD | +10% |
Salary Comparison By City
| City | Average Salary |
| Brampton | 91,700 CAD |
| Calgary | 101,000 CAD |
| Edmonton | 96,700 CAD |
| Gatineau | 86,600 CAD |
| Halifax | 89,000 CAD |
| Hamilton | 96,000 CAD |
| Kitchener | 92,200 CAD |
| Markham | 91,700 CAD |
| Mississauga | 92,500 CAD |
| Montreal | 102,000 CAD |
| Ottawa | 96,800 CAD |
| Quebec | 92,100 CAD |
| Regina | 86,500 CAD |
| Richmond | 80,400 CAD |
| Saskatoon | 81,800 CAD |
| Surrey | 95,000 CAD |
| Toronto | 105,000 CAD |
| Vancouver | 97,000 CAD |
| Vaughan | 86,700 CAD |
| Windsor | 91,500 CAD |
| Winnipeg | 93,500 CAD |
Salary Comparison By State
| State | Average Salary |
| Alberta | 97,000 CAD |
| British Columbia | 102,000 CAD |
| Manitoba | 100,000 CAD |
| New Brunswick | 89,700 CAD |
| Newfoundland-Labrador | 84,800 CAD |
| Northwest Territories | 90,700 CAD |
| Nova Scotia | 91,200 CAD |
| Nunavut | 97,200 CAD |
| Ontario | 112,000 CAD |
| Prince Edward Island | 83,200 CAD |
| Quebec | 102,000 CAD |
| Saskatchewan | 95,400 CAD |
| Yukon | 84,700 CAD |
Government vs Private Sector Salary Comparison
Where can you get paid more, working for a private company or for the government? Public sector employees in Canada earn 4% more than their private sector counterparts on average across all sectors.
| Private Sector | 117,000 CAD | |
| Public Sector | +4% | 122,000 CAD |
