What is the average nurse salary in Canada?

The average Registered Nurse (RN) salary in Canada is approximately $75,000-$85,000 per year. Nurse Practitioners (NPs) earn $100,000-$125,000. Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) earn $50,000-$65,000. Salaries vary significantly by province, experience, and overtime.

Which province pays nurses the most in Canada?

The Northern territories pay the highest base salaries ($95,000-$130,000 for RNs). Among provinces, Alberta and Ontario have the highest RN pay. However, British Columbia and Ontario offer the most overtime opportunities due to staffing shortages.

Do nurses get a pension in Canada?

Yes. Nurses working in public healthcare have defined benefit pension plans through HOOPP (Ontario), the Municipal Pension Plan (BC), LAPP (Alberta), or equivalent plans. These provide retirement income based on years of service and salary, similar to teacher pensions.

How much do nurses make with overtime in Canada?

Many nurses earn $90,000-$120,000+ with overtime. Overtime is typically paid at 1.5× or 2× regular hourly rate. With chronic staffing shortages, overtime opportunities are abundant. An RN earning $45/hour at base can earn $67.50-$90/hour on overtime shifts.

Is nursing a good career in Canada in 2026?

Yes. Nursing offers job security (chronic shortages across all provinces), competitive pay ($75K–$125K depending on role), excellent pension and benefits, flexible schedules, and multiple career paths (bedside, management, NP, education, research). The main challenges are demanding work conditions, mandatory overtime in many settings, and emotional toll. NPs in particular are in extremely high demand as primary care providers.

How Much Do Nurses Make in Canada 2026: RN $75K–$85K, NP $100K

Nursing is one of the most in-demand and financially stable careers in Canada. Chronic staffing shortages across every province mean that nurses have strong bargaining power, abundant overtime opportunities, and exceptional job security. The profession offers multiple pathways — from a 2-year LPN diploma to a Nurse Practitioner role with independent prescribing authority — each with different earning potential. With overtime, many registered nurses comfortably exceed $100,000 per year.

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 base employment income figures and do not include overtime, which many nurses use to boost their take-home pay well beyond these numbers.

Occupation	Median (2020 Census)	Median (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)	Average (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Licensed practical nurses	$63,600	$78,900	$78,200
Nurse practitioners	$118,000	$146,400	$142,700
Registered nurses	$90,000	$111,600	$109,200

Registered Nurse Income by Province (StatCan Verified)

Province	Median (2020 Census)	Median (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)	Average (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Canada	$90,000	$111,600	$109,200
Newfoundland and Labrador	$93,000	$115,400	$112,400
PEI	$81,000	$100,500	$94,000
Nova Scotia	$89,000	$110,400	$103,800
New Brunswick	$81,000	$100,500	$96,800
Quebec	$86,000	$106,700	$105,200
Ontario	$89,000	$110,400	$107,700
Manitoba	$91,000	$112,900	$111,300
Saskatchewan	$95,000	$117,800	$116,600
Alberta	$95,000	$117,800	$114,300
British Columbia	$97,000	$120,300	$116,400

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.

Nurse Salary by Role

Role	Average Salary	Range	Education Required
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)	$52,000-$62,000	$42,000-$75,000	2-year diploma
Registered Practical Nurse (RPN, Ontario)	$52,000-$62,000	$42,000-$75,000	2-year diploma
Registered Nurse (RN)	$75,000-$85,000	$60,000-$110,000	4-year BScN
RN (with overtime)	$85,000-$110,000	$70,000-$130,000	4-year BScN
Nurse Practitioner (NP)	$105,000-$125,000	$95,000-$145,000	MScN + certification
Clinical Nurse Specialist	$90,000-$110,000	$80,000-$125,000	Masters degree
Nurse Manager	$95,000-$120,000	$80,000-$140,000	BScN + management experience
Nurse Educator	$80,000-$100,000	$70,000-$115,000	Masters degree
Travel/Agency Nurse	$90,000-$140,000	$70,000-$180,000	BScN + 2 years experience

RN Salary by Province

Nurse pay varies significantly across provinces. Alberta and the territories consistently pay the most, while Quebec lags behind due to historically lower public-sector wage scales. However, recent contract negotiations in several provinces have pushed wages higher, and signing bonuses of $10,000-$25,000 are increasingly common in underserved areas.

Province	Starting RN	Experienced RN (10+ yr)	Nurse Practitioner
Alberta	$38-$48/hr ($75K-$96K)	$48-$55/hr ($96K-$110K)	$55-$68/hr ($110K-$136K)
Ontario	$35-$44/hr ($70K-$88K)	$44-$52/hr ($88K-$104K)	$52-$63/hr ($104K-$126K)
British Columbia	$36-$45/hr ($72K-$90K)	$45-$52/hr ($90K-$104K)	$52-$64/hr ($104K-$128K)
Saskatchewan	$38-$46/hr ($76K-$92K)	$46-$50/hr ($92K-$100K)	$50-$60/hr ($100K-$120K)
Manitoba	$35-$42/hr ($70K-$84K)	$42-$49/hr ($84K-$98K)	$49-$58/hr ($98K-$116K)
Quebec	$30-$38/hr ($60K-$76K)	$38-$46/hr ($76K-$92K)	$46-$55/hr ($92K-$110K)
Nova Scotia	$34-$40/hr ($68K-$80K)	$40-$47/hr ($80K-$94K)	$47-$57/hr ($94K-$114K)
New Brunswick	$33-$39/hr ($66K-$78K)	$39-$46/hr ($78K-$92K)	$46-$55/hr ($92K-$110K)
Newfoundland	$34-$41/hr ($68K-$82K)	$41-$47/hr ($82K-$94K)	$47-$56/hr ($94K-$112K)
PEI	$33-$39/hr ($66K-$78K)	$39-$45/hr ($78K-$90K)	$45-$55/hr ($90K-$110K)
NWT/Nunavut	$45-$55/hr ($90K-$110K)	$55-$65/hr ($110K-$130K)	$65-$75/hr ($130K-$150K)

LPN/RPN Salary by Province

Province	Starting LPN	Experienced LPN (10+ yr)
Alberta	$26-$33/hr ($52K-$66K)	$33-$38/hr ($66K-$76K)
Ontario (RPN)	$25-$31/hr ($50K-$62K)	$31-$36/hr ($62K-$72K)
British Columbia	$27-$33/hr ($54K-$66K)	$33-$37/hr ($66K-$74K)
Saskatchewan	$27-$32/hr ($54K-$64K)	$32-$36/hr ($64K-$72K)
Manitoba	$24-$30/hr ($48K-$60K)	$30-$34/hr ($60K-$68K)
Quebec	$23-$29/hr ($46K-$58K)	$29-$34/hr ($58K-$68K)
Nova Scotia	$24-$29/hr ($48K-$58K)	$29-$33/hr ($58K-$66K)

Nursing Specialties and Pay

Specialty	Average Salary	Demand Level
Emergency/trauma	$80,000-$100,000	Very high
ICU/critical care	$82,000-$105,000	Very high
Operating room	$80,000-$100,000	High
Labour and delivery	$78,000-$98,000	High
Oncology	$78,000-$95,000	High
Mental health	$75,000-$95,000	Very high
Public health	$72,000-$90,000	Moderate
Home care	$60,000-$80,000	Very high
Long-term care	$65,000-$85,000	Very high
Community health	$70,000-$88,000	Moderate
Surgical	$78,000-$98,000	High
Pediatrics	$75,000-$95,000	Moderate
Dialysis	$77,000-$95,000	High

Overtime and Shift Premiums

Overtime is where many nurses significantly boost their income. With chronic understaffing across Canadian hospitals, overtime shifts are readily available — some nurses add $15,000-$40,000+ to their annual earnings through extra shifts alone. Night and weekend premiums add another $3-$6/hour, making less desirable shifts financially attractive.

Premium	Typical Rate
Regular hourly (RN)	$38-$52/hour
Overtime (1.5×)	$57-$78/hour
Double time (2×)	$76-$104/hour
Weekend premium	+$3-$5/hour
Night shift premium	+$3-$6/hour
Holiday premium	1.5-2× regular rate
On-call premium	$3-$5/hour + callback rate

Overtime Impact on Annual Earnings

Base Salary	OT Hours/Month	OT Rate (1.5×)	Annual with OT
$80,000 ($41/hr)	0	—	$80,000
$80,000 ($41/hr)	16 (2 shifts)	$61.50/hr	$91,808
$80,000 ($41/hr)	32 (4 shifts)	$61.50/hr	$103,616
$80,000 ($41/hr)	48 (6 shifts)	$61.50/hr	$115,424

Benefits and Total Compensation

Beyond the base salary, nurses working in public healthcare receive some of the best benefits packages in Canada. Defined benefit pensions (HOOPP, MPP, LAPP) are a massive long-term advantage — a nurse contributing to HOOPP for 30 years could receive $50,000-$60,000/year in inflation-indexed retirement income for life. When you factor in the pension, benefits, and job security, nursing’s total compensation often exceeds professions with higher base salaries.

Benefit	Details
Pension (defined benefit)	HOOPP, MPP, LAPP (8-12% contribution, employer matches)
Health/dental	Comprehensive coverage (80-100% employer-paid)
Sick days	10-20 days/year (varies by employer)
Vacation	3-6 weeks (increases with seniority)
Paid education days	3-5 days/year for professional development
Tuition reimbursement	Many employers fund further education
Parental leave top-up	Some employers top up EI to 75-93% of salary
Life insurance	1-2× annual salary
Long-term disability	~70% of salary
Uniform/scrubs allowance	$200-$500/year at some employers

Estimated Total Compensation (RN, Year 10, Ontario)

Component	Value
Base salary	$95,000
Overtime (conservative)	$10,000
Shift premiums	$3,000
Employer pension (12%)	$11,400
Health/dental	$5,000-$8,000
Total compensation	~$124,000-$127,000

How to Become a Nurse in Canada

Registered Nurse (RN)

Step	Details	Duration
1. BScN degree	4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing	4 years
2. NCLEX-RN exam	National licensing exam	1-3 months
3. Provincial registration	Register with provincial nursing college	1-2 months
4. Start working	New grad positions or general units	Immediate
Total		~4.5 years

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Step	Details	Duration
1. LPN diploma	2-year college program	2 years
2. CPNRE exam	National practical nurse exam	1-3 months
3. Provincial registration	Register with provincial college	1-2 months
Total		~2.5 years

Nurse Practitioner (NP)

Step	Details	Duration
1. BScN + RN licence	Must be a practicing RN first	4 years
2. Clinical experience	Usually 2+ years as RN required	2+ years
3. MScN-NP program	Masters with NP specialization	2 years
4. NP certification exam	National NP exam	1-3 months
Total		~8+ years

Cost to Become a Nurse

Path	Tuition + Fees	Total with Living
LPN (2 years)	$12,000-$18,000	$40,000-$60,000
RN/BScN (4 years)	$28,000-$40,000	$80,000-$120,000
NP (BScN + MScN: 8 years)	$45,000-$65,000	$140,000-$200,000

Nursing Demand and Job Outlook

Canada is facing one of its worst nursing shortages in history. More than 17,000 nursing positions are unfilled nationally, and over 20% of the RN workforce is above age 55 and approaching retirement. This structural shortage gives nurses exceptional leverage — whether it is negotiating better schedules, commanding agency premiums, or securing signing bonuses in underserved communities.

Factor	Status
Overall demand	Very high — national shortage
Projected growth	17,000+ nursing positions unfilled
Best prospects	ICU, ER, mental health, home care, LTC
Average time to find work (new RN)	1-3 months
Agency/travel nursing demand	Extremely high
Retirement wave	20%+ of RN workforce over 55
International nurses	Fast-tracked immigration pathways
COVID impact	Burnout has increased turnover; demand is chronic

Tips to Maximize Nurse Salary

Strategy	Impact
Work overtime strategically	$10,000-$40,000+ extra per year
Get ICU/ER certification	Higher demand, better scheduling
Become a Nurse Practitioner	$105,000-$125,000+ base salary
Consider travel/agency nursing	$90,000-$140,000+, flexibility
Move to higher-paying province	Alberta, NWT, Nunavut pay most
Negotiate shift preferences	Night/weekend premiums add up
Take on charge nurse role	Extra $2-$4/hour
Consider nursing management	$95,000-$120,000 base
Work in remote/northern communities	$10,000-$30,000+ more + housing

Similar-Paying Professions

At a StatCan-verified median of $111,600/year (inflation-adjusted to today’s dollars), registered nurses earn about the same as several other professions covered on this site:

Government Program Officers — $107,900/year
Marketing Managers — $107,900/year
Data Scientists — $117,800/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.