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.
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:
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.