How Much Do Nurses Make in Canada 2026: RN $75K–$85K, NP $100K–$125K + Overtime
Updated
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
$78,800
$78,100
Nurse practitioners
$118,000
$146,300
$142,600
Registered nurses
$90,000
$111,600
$109,100
Registered Nurse Income by Province (StatCan Verified)
Province
Median (2020 Census)
Median (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Average (Today, Inflation-Adjusted)
Canada
$90,000
$111,600
$109,100
Newfoundland and Labrador
$93,000
$115,300
$112,300
PEI
$81,000
$100,400
$94,000
Nova Scotia
$89,000
$110,300
$103,800
New Brunswick
$81,000
$100,400
$96,700
Quebec
$86,000
$106,600
$105,100
Ontario
$89,000
$110,300
$107,600
Manitoba
$91,000
$112,800
$111,200
Saskatchewan
$95,000
$117,800
$116,500
Alberta
$95,000
$117,800
$114,200
British Columbia
$97,000
$120,300
$116,300
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.
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:
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.