What is the average doctor salary in Canada?

The average gross billing for physicians in Canada is approximately $350,000–$400,000 per year, but take-home pay varies significantly. Family physicians gross $250,000–$350,000, while specialists gross $350,000–$700,000+. After overhead (20–40%), taxes, and incorporation expenses, net take-home is typically 45–60% of gross billings.

Which type of doctor makes the most money in Canada?

Ophthalmologists and orthopedic surgeons are consistently the highest-paid physicians in Canada, with average gross billings of $700,000–$900,000+. Cardiologists, radiologists, and plastic surgeons also rank among the top earners at $500,000–$750,000+ in gross billings.

Do doctors in Canada make less than doctors in the US?

Yes, on average. Canadian physicians earn roughly 30–50% less than their US counterparts, depending on specialty. A US family physician averages $250,000–$300,000 USD (~$340,000–$410,000 CAD), while a Canadian family physician grosses $280,000–$350,000 CAD before overhead. However, Canadian doctors have lower malpractice insurance costs, no student debt burden (in many cases), and universal healthcare for themselves and their families.

How Much Do Doctors Make in Canada in 2026?

Doctor salaries in Canada require more nuance than most professions because physicians are typically self-employed and bill their provincial health plan directly. The gross billing number that appears in public reports can be misleading — it includes overhead expenses like clinic rent, staff salaries, equipment, and insurance, which consume 20-40% of revenue before the doctor takes any income. After overhead and taxes, a family physician’s take-home pay is much closer to $120,000-$180,000 than the $300,000+ gross figure that makes headlines.

Verified Against Statistics Canada Data

The figures below come directly from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census (employment income reported for 2020), the most detailed occupation-level income data StatCan publishes. Because the Census figures are from 2020, they are shown alongside an inflation-adjusted equivalent so the numbers reflect today’s purchasing power. These are employment income figures net of practice overhead, not the gross billing figures discussed elsewhere on this page.

Occupation	Median (2020 Census)	Median (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)	Average (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
General practitioners and family physicians	$126,000	$156,300	$186,600
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine	$150,000	$186,100	$226,000
Specialists in surgery	$150,000	$186,100	$228,300

Family Physicians Income by Province (StatCan Verified)

Province	Median (2020 Census)	Median (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)	Average (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Canada	$126,000	$156,300	$186,600
Newfoundland and Labrador	$150,000	$186,100	$215,800
PEI	$266,000	$330,000	$317,600
Nova Scotia	$113,000	$140,200	$171,700
New Brunswick	$126,000	$156,300	$163,300
Quebec	$147,000	$182,400	$211,100
Ontario	$120,000	$148,900	$178,900
Manitoba	$112,000	$138,900	$186,100
Saskatchewan	$96,000	$119,100	$169,700
Alberta	$127,000	$157,500	$181,400
British Columbia	$120,000	$148,900	$170,900

Specialists in Surgery Income by Province (StatCan Verified)

Province	Median (2020 Census)	Median (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)	Average (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Canada	$150,000	$186,100	$228,300
Newfoundland and Labrador	$206,000	$255,500	$297,700
PEI	$300,000	$372,200	$322,500
Nova Scotia	$125,000	$155,100	$201,000
New Brunswick	$150,000	$186,100	$186,100
Quebec	$200,000	$248,100	$291,800
Ontario	$131,000	$162,500	$198,500
Manitoba	$210,000	$260,500	$270,400
Saskatchewan	$106,000	$131,500	$169,900
Alberta	$151,000	$187,300	$224,500
British Columbia	$166,000	$205,900	$256,000

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Table 98-10-0586-01. Figures are for those who worked full year, full time in 2020, and are inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars using the Consumer Price Index. *Some province/occupation combinations show “too few workers to report” because StatCan suppresses Census income cells with too few respondents to protect individual privacy — the data isn’t missing, it’s withheld for confidentiality.

Average Doctor Salary by Specialty

Family Medicine & General Practice

Experience Level	Gross Billings	Overhead (25–30%)	Net Before Tax	After-Tax Income
Resident (PGY1–PGY2)	$65,000–$75,000	N/A (salaried)	$65,000–$75,000	$48,000–$55,000
New graduate (1–3 years)	$250,000–$300,000	$62,500–$90,000	$160,000–$237,500	$100,000–$150,000
Mid-career (5–15 years)	$300,000–$380,000	$75,000–$114,000	$186,000–$305,000	$120,000–$180,000
Established (15+ years)	$350,000–$450,000	$87,500–$135,000	$215,000–$365,000	$140,000–$200,000

Specialist Physicians

Specialty	Average Gross Billings	Overhead %	Estimated Net Income	Training Length
Ophthalmology	$700,000–$900,000+	35–45%	$385,000–$585,000	5 years post-MD
Orthopedic surgery	$650,000–$850,000	30–40%	$390,000–$595,000	5 years post-MD
Cardiology	$550,000–$750,000	25–35%	$357,500–$562,500	6 years post-MD
Radiology	$500,000–$650,000	20–30%	$350,000–$520,000	5 years post-MD
Plastic surgery	$500,000–$700,000	35–45%	$275,000–$455,000	5 years post-MD
Urology	$450,000–$600,000	30–35%	$292,500–$420,000	5 years post-MD
Gastroenterology	$450,000–$600,000	25–30%	$315,000–$450,000	6 years post-MD
General surgery	$400,000–$550,000	25–35%	$260,000–$412,500	5 years post-MD
Anesthesiology	$350,000–$500,000	15–25%	$262,500–$425,000	5 years post-MD
Internal medicine	$300,000–$450,000	20–30%	$210,000–$360,000	4 years post-MD
Dermatology	$400,000–$600,000	30–40%	$240,000–$420,000	5 years post-MD
Emergency medicine	$300,000–$400,000	10–15%	$255,000–$360,000	5 years post-MD
Psychiatry	$280,000–$400,000	15–25%	$210,000–$340,000	5 years post-MD
Pediatrics	$250,000–$380,000	20–30%	$175,000–$304,000	4 years post-MD

Doctor Salaries by Province

Alberta is the most lucrative province for physicians by a wide margin. It combines the highest gross billing rates with Canada’s lowest top marginal tax rate (48.0%), compared to over 53% in Ontario, BC, and Nova Scotia. Saskatchewan also pays well for specialists due to rural community demand. Doctors willing to practise in underserved areas often receive additional incentives like signing bonuses, relocation grants, and overhead subsidies.

Province	Family Physician (Gross)	Specialist (Gross Avg)	Overhead Costs	Tax Rate (Top Bracket)
Ontario	$300,000–$380,000	$400,000–$600,000	Higher (real estate)	53.5%
British Columbia	$280,000–$360,000	$380,000–$580,000	Higher	53.5%
Alberta	$320,000–$420,000	$420,000–$650,000	Moderate	48.0%
Quebec	$280,000–$350,000	$350,000–$550,000	Moderate	53.3%
Manitoba	$280,000–$360,000	$350,000–$500,000	Lower	50.4%
Saskatchewan	$300,000–$400,000	$380,000–$550,000	Lower	47.5%
Nova Scotia	$270,000–$340,000	$340,000–$500,000	Lower	54.0%
New Brunswick	$270,000–$340,000	$330,000–$490,000	Lower	52.5%

Alberta offers the highest gross billings AND lowest top tax rate, making it the most lucrative province for physicians.

How Doctors Get Paid in Canada

Payment Model	How It Works	% of Physicians	Typical Income
Fee-for-service	Billed per patient visit/procedure to provincial health plan	~70%	Varies by volume
Salary/contract	Fixed annual salary from hospital or health authority	~15%	$250,000–$400,000 fixed
Capitation/blended	Per-patient payment + fee-for-service components	~10%	Similar to FFS
Academic	University salary + clinical billings	~5%	$200,000–$500,000

Medical Professional Corporation (Tax Planning)

Incorporating through a Medical Professional Corporation (MPC) is one of the most powerful tax planning tools available to Canadian physicians. By paying the small business tax rate (9-12.2%) on the first $500,000 of active income instead of personal rates (up to 53.5%), doctors can defer $80,000-$120,000 per year in taxes. This deferred money can be invested inside the corporation, growing tax-efficiently until it is withdrawn in retirement when the physician is likely in a lower tax bracket.

Feature	Unincorporated	Incorporated (MPC)
Tax on first $500K of active income	Personal rate (up to 53.5%)	Small business rate (9–12.2%)
Tax savings on $400K net income	$0	$80,000–$120,000/year deferred
Income splitting	Limited	Dividend to spouse/family (with TOSI rules)
Retirement savings (beyond RRSP)	RRSP only ($31,560 limit)	Corporate investing + RRSP
Setup cost	$0	$2,000–$5,000 initial, $3,000–$5,000/year maintenance
Available provinces	N/A	All provinces allow MPCs

Path to Becoming a Doctor in Canada

Becoming a physician in Canada requires 10-18 years of post-secondary education, the longest training pipeline of any profession in the country. Medical school admission is extremely competitive, with acceptance rates of 5-15% at most Canadian schools. Residents work 60-80 hours per week while earning roughly $65,000-$85,000 per year. The financial trade-off is that doctors start earning significant income much later than most professionals, often carrying $100,000-$250,000 in student debt into their early 30s.

Stage	Duration	Earnings/Costs
Undergraduate degree	4 years	−$30,000 to −$80,000 (tuition)
Medical school (MD)	4 years	−$60,000 to −$100,000 (tuition)
Residency (family medicine)	2 years	$65,000–$75,000/year (salaried)
Residency (specialist)	4–7 years	$65,000–$85,000/year (salaried)
Fellowship (sub-specialist)	1–3 years	$75,000–$90,000/year
Total training after high school	10–18 years	$100,000–$250,000 debt typical
First year as attending (family)	—	$250,000–$300,000 gross
First year as attending (specialist)	—	$350,000–$600,000 gross

Canada vs US Doctor Salary Comparison

Specialty	Canada (Gross CAD)	US (Gross USD)	US (in CAD equiv.)	US Premium
Family medicine	$300,000–$380,000	$250,000–$300,000	$340,000–$410,000	~10–15%
Orthopedic surgery	$650,000–$850,000	$550,000–$700,000	$750,000–$950,000	~15–25%
Cardiology	$550,000–$750,000	$450,000–$600,000	$615,000–$820,000	~10–15%
Anesthesiology	$350,000–$500,000	$350,000–$450,000	$480,000–$615,000	~25–35%
Emergency medicine	$300,000–$400,000	$300,000–$400,000	$410,000–$545,000	~35%
Psychiatry	$280,000–$400,000	$250,000–$350,000	$340,000–$480,000	~20%

US numbers are before malpractice insurance ($10,000–$200,000 USD/year in the US vs $1,000–$6,000 CAD/year in Canada via CMPA).

Overhead Breakdown for Typical Family Physician

Expense	Annual Cost	% of Gross
Clinic rent	$30,000–$60,000	8–16%
Staff salaries (receptionist, nurse)	$40,000–$80,000	11–21%
Medical supplies	$5,000–$15,000	1–4%
EMR/technology	$3,000–$8,000	1–2%
CMPA (insurance)	$1,000–$6,000	<1%
Office expenses/admin	$5,000–$15,000	1–4%
Accounting/legal	$5,000–$10,000	1–3%
Total overhead	$89,000–$194,000	25–40%

Similar-Paying Professions

At a StatCan-verified median of $156,300/year (inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars), family physicians earn about the same as several other professions covered on this site:

Lawyers — $158,800/year
IT Managers — $145,100/year
Pilots — $141,400/year

Based on the same Statistics Canada 2021 Census occupation income data (Table 98-10-0586-01) used throughout this page, inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars.