Nursing salaries canada: Registered Nurse Salary Canada – Living in Canada

Registered Nurse Salary Canada – Living in Canada

See table for salaries.

The table below details the hourly wages for Registered Nurses.

The Canadian national occupation classification code (NOC) for this role is 3012.

Job titles and exact duties vary in this occupation and examples of some job titles are: registered nurse (R.N.), registered psychiatric nurse (R.P.N.), community health nurse and occupational health nurse.

According to the latest figures, the highest hourly average (median) wages are earned in Calgary – Alberta at $46.39 per hour and the lowest average (median) wages are earned in Montreal, Quebec at $33.50 per hour.

A typical full-time annual salary for this occupation is in the region of $75,000 – $95,000.

Employment prospects for registered nurses are very good in Canada. The government forecasts that as the Canadian population ages, demand for health services will increase substantially, increasing demand for health professionals in general. Slightly over 50% of job vacancies will be due to expansion demand.

Average (Median) Hourly Wages for Registered Nurses in Canada

Location	Low Wage $ per hr	Average Wage $ per hr	High Wage $ per hr	Year
Calgary – Alberta*	42.54	46.39	48.15	2019
Edmonton – Alberta*	25.00	46.26	46.38	2019
Vancouver / Lower Mainland – British Columbia	23.12	40.00	45.00	2018
Winnipeg – Manitoba	27.30	40.00	45.00	2018
Fredericton / Oromocto – New Brunswick	24.65	38.00	43.59	2018
Halifax – Nova Scotia	24.00	38.00	41.00	2018
Toronto – Ontario	21. 00	35.00	46.00	2018
Ottawa – Ontario	23.00	38.00	46.00	2018
Windsor / Sarnia – Ontario	22.00	35.00	45.31	2018
Hamilton/ Niagara Peninsula – Ontario	22.38	39.68	46.00	2018
Prince Edward Island	25.54	38.00	41.37	2018
Montreal – Quebec	23.00	33.50	42.20	2018
Saskatoon / Biggar – Saskatchewan	35.00	43.00	48.00	2018

Methodology

Examples of registered nurses’ duties:

›› Assessing patients to identify appropriate nursing interventions

›› Administering medications and treatments

›› Operating or monitoring medical apparatus or equipment

›› Assisting in surgery and other medical procedures

Visa

Currently, this occupation is an eligible occupation to apply for express entry immigration with the federal skilled worker permanent resident visa.

Comparison with employment unit

The 2020 full-time average hourly wage rate for professional occupations in nursing, which includes registered nurses, is $39.22. The 2020 corresponding median weekly wage rate is $1,492, giving an approximate full-time annual salary for this employment sector of $78,000.

Licensing

Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories for this occupation.

Number in employment

There are over 300,000 registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses working in Canada.

These occupations may also be of interest:

Head Nurses and Supervisors
Licensed Practical Nurses
Midwives/Natural Healing
Nurse Practitioners

How Much is the Average Nursing Salary in Canada?

Many jobs in health care, including nursing, are regulated provincially or territorially. This means that things like standards for working conditions, hours, licensing, and nurse salaries can vary depending on where you live.

So, how much do nurses make in Canada? While it largely depends on their career level or specialty, location plays an important factor too. You can expect to make a different salary in Ontario than you would in, say, New Brunswick. Many things determine nursing salaries, for example the type of nurse you are, your years of experience, and your qualifications.

Whether you’re just starting out, midway through your career, or considering retirement in a few years, you may be wondering ‘exactly how much does a nurse make in Canada?’

Maybe you’re considering a move and need to know what kind of income you can reasonably expect to make in your new city or town. There are many sources with slightly different stats on this question (such as Neuvoo and Narcity), so we’ve compiled a list for you with some approximate average figures (keep in mind, these stats can change daily and are accurate as of the time of writing).

Nurse Salaries

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. 

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.

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Registered Nurse Salaries from MAJOR provinces in Canada

Here’s a quick rundown of RN salaries across major provinces:

Other Nursing Salaries  

If you are a Registered Practical Nurse in Canada, you might expect to make an average nurse salary of $56,407. Canadian Licensed Practical Nurses earn around $55,712, on average, and the salary of Personal Support Workers is about $37,949.

All in All 

So, how much do nurses make in Canada? Ultimately this varies across the country – it depends on things like standards for working conditions and hours, licensing, and specialty. How much nurses make, and how much RNs make, in Canada depends on their nursing specialty or type, years of experience, and qualifications.

Location is key as well – as how much nurses and RNs make in Canada can be quite different across each province and territory. Be sure to consider this if you’re looking to make a move or just want to know where you stack up against your fellow Canadian nurses.

If you’re curious about these and aren’t yet sure what piques your interest most, take a look at these 20 nursing specialties and their average salaries

Related Resources  

The Different Types of Nurses in Canada
11 Nursing Interview Questions & How to Answer them
How to Protect Yourself as a Nurse: Reminders to Keep Yourself Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Easily Find Nursing Jobs

Looking for a nursing job? New jobs get posted daily on our nursing job board – you search by keyword or location and sign up for daily alerts. 
 

Author Bio:

Emma Caplan writes and edits client-facing documents and takes pride in making them sales-ready and reader-friendly. She has additional experience in quality control and proofreading. She has written articles and podcast summaries for the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, edited fiction and non-fiction books, and volunteers as a copy editor for Editors BC’s West Coast Editor and Students for High Impact Charities.

Emma has also earned a certificate in editing and a bachelor of management degree. In her free time, Emma enjoys hiking, travelling, and creating jewelry. Connect with her on LinkedIn. 

Work as a nurse in Canada for Ukrainians. Features of working as a nurse

Working as a nurse in Canada for Ukrainians

Unlike Ukraine, where the profession of a nurse is absolutely neither prestigious, nor honorable, nor highly paid, in Canada the situation is quite different. The social status of nurses in Canadian society is an order of magnitude higher than in Ukrainian. The demand for representatives of this profession in Canada is growing from year to year, including from among immigrants. Accordingly, many people are interested in the question, what criteria and requirements must be met in order to get a job as a nurse in Canada?

Nurse in Canada. Work specifics.

Work as a nurse in Canada requires an appropriate license and is divided into three categories:

First level – Personal Support Worker (PSW). Roughly speaking, this is the lowest level of medical workers. Those working in this specialization can be compared with our orderlies. Their main task is to care for the sick and perform a variety of procedures that do not require special medical qualifications. Such work does not require special licensing.

Second step – Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). The responsibilities of a nurse of this qualification include filling out primary documentation, dispensing medicines, performing diagnostic procedures, performing all basic types of injections, and managing lower-level personnel. As the name implies, nurses of this qualification are required to have the appropriate license.

Third step – Registered Nurse (RN). The duties of a nurse of this level, in addition to performing the above procedures, include working with documentation, organizing the work of lower-level nurses, in addition, in some cases, issuing prescriptions and performing simple surgical operations. The qualifications of such medical professionals are very high, the professional license is different from the LPN license, and requires passing a special qualifying exam for the right to obtain a National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Obtaining a license of this type, in many provinces of Canada, gives the right to have a private practice.

Remuneration.

As already mentioned, working as a nurse in Canada is honorable and highly paid. Licensed nurses earn quite a high income, even by Canadian standards. Aspiring nurse with an LPN qualification at the beginning of her career earns from 20 Canadian dollars per hour, and a nurse with an RN qualification from 23 Canadian dollars per hour. With the increase in length and experience, the salary increases, and on average, an experienced nurse in Canada has an income of up to 35 Canadian dollars per hour. If we take into account that the base in Canada is a 40-hour work week, then for the year the income of a nurse can be up to 72,800 Canadian dollars.

In addition, the specifics of work in medical institutions implies the presence of overtime, which is paid additionally and at higher rates.

How do I get a nursing license?

Nursing license requires training in Canada. Previous work experience in a specialty in a country other than the United States and some European countries does not allow you to directly obtain a license. Most colleges and universities in Canada offer medical schools that provide training and qualify for the licensing exam. The term of study for obtaining the LPN qualification is 2 years, for obtaining the RN qualification – 4 years.

How do I get a job as a nurse in Canada?

Currently, Canada is experiencing a fairly acute shortage of medical workers of all qualifications. This is due to the adoption of many national programs aimed at improving the medical care of the population. The opening of new and new medical institutions, the expansion and modernization of existing medical centers, requires the availability of high-quality medical personnel. Therefore, the profession of a nurse is one of the most in short supply in the Canadian labor market.

In addition, a licensed nurse has the right to work outside of healthcare facilities. Their experience and qualifications are in demand in nursing homes, various charitable shelters, and so on. In addition, as mentioned above, having an NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) license gives you the right to open a private practice. Therefore, at present in Canada there is no problem to get a job as a nurse.

Jobs as a nurse in Canada – Immigrant today

If you have a nursing education obtained in Ukraine / Russia / Kazakhstan or other countries of the former USSR, experience in this profession, an upper-intermediate level of English, then you can immigrate to Canada very quickly and earn up to $ 100,000 per year, and sometimes more.

In this article we will cover topics:

• nurses in Canada;
• wages;
• educational requirements;
• opportunities for nurses with a foreign diploma;
• how to pass the exam and get a work permit;
• assistance in moving to the nursing profession;
• useful links.

Foreign nurses can move to Canada with their family . Children will attend a Canadian kindergarten, school or college. The spouse will receive a work visa and will be able to legally work in Canada. By improving their qualifications in Canada, a foreign nurse will also be able to legally earn up to 20 hours a week.

Read on to find out what needs to be done.

Categories of nurses in Canada

Canada has the following categories of professional nurses:

– Registered Practical Nurse Practitioner ( Registered Practical Nurse, RPN ) in Ontario and Quebec. RPNs must have a two- or three-year college degree in nursing.

– Licensed Practical Nurses ( Licensed Practical Nurses, LPN ) or licensed vocational nurse ( Licensed vocational nurse, LVN ), in other provinces of Canada.

– Registered Nurses ( Registered Nurses, RN ). RNs must have a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

– Registered Psychiatric Nurses ( Registered Psychiatric Nurses, RPN ) – licensed to practice only in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the territories.

Foreign educated nurses are more likely to start as Licensed Practical Nurse and then upgrade to Registered Nurse .

In most provinces of Canada Licensed Practical Nurse performs the work of caring for the sick, injured, convalescent or disabled. While Registered Nurses work in a wide variety of professional settings and often specialize in an area of ​​practice. They may be in a position to supervise other healthcare professionals, including nurses, licensed practical nurses (LPNs), unlicensed support workers, and less experienced RNs.

Salary

Nursing salaries in Canada vary by province and territory, and by practice.

According to payscale.com, Registered Nurse earns an average of CAD 60,150 per year (CAD 5,000 per month), and Licensed Practical Nurse earns CAD 45,770 per year (CAD 3,820 per month).

According to another source – glassdoor.com, Licensed Practical Nurse earns 53,820 CAD per year, Registered Nurse – 68,460 CAD per year. And in Toronto, RNs earn an even higher salary of 110,608 CAD per year.

The Canadian Federation of Nurses Union has collected detailed information on nurses’ salaries by position.

Education

Nurses undergo rigorous training and practice. To get started as a Licensed Practical Nurse requires a 2- or 3-year Canadian college degree (College Diploma/Advanced Diploma), or equivalent.

Registered Nurse usually requires a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to get started. The exception is the province of Quebec, where a Canadian college diploma (College Diploma) is sufficient.

Especially for Foreign-Educated Nurses ( IENs ), College Georgian in Ontario has developed an accelerated Acute Complex Care for Internationally Educated Nurses program to help them improve their theoretical and practical knowledge and successfully pass the Canadian qualifying exams (see below).