Canada is one country that requires certain professionals to come in and fill the workforce shortage in the country. If there is any profession that is in high demand in Canada as of today, the nursing profession should be top on the list. Nurses from all over the world are welcome to work in Canada.
Nurses and healthcare workers, in general, are very important to Canada as a country, and if for nothing, the COVID19 pandemic has shown the importance of nurses and other healthcare workers not just in Canada, but all across the globe.
It might interest you to know that Canada is rated as one of the best countries to work as a nurse. Experienced nurses working in Canada often make on average about $78,546, while entry-level positions earn close to $41,396 annually.
Although, you stand the chance to earn a good income in all the provinces in Canada as a nurse, here are the best provinces to work as a nurse in Canada.
5 Best Provinces to Work as a Nurse in Canada
Nova Scotia
Top on our list as it relates to the best province to work as a nurse in Canada is Nova Scotia. The reason why we chose Nova Scotia is that the province is recognized as the number one province in Canada that offers nursing graduates more than the average salary.
There are loads of job openings for nurses in Canada and anyone who has a bachelor’s degree in nursing stands a chance to earn a higher salary of $38.13 per hour, which when put together accumulates to an average of $78,600 per year, that is 4.5 percent higher than the national average of Canada.
Aside from the good salary package that nurses get in Nova Scotia, the province is known to give nurses some of the best benefits and opportunities.
Another reason why Nova Scotia is one the best places for nurses to work is because the province has one of the highest age groups and aging populations compared to other provinces. So, if you are looking for the best province to work in Canada, then you should consider Nova Scotia.
Manitoba
Manitoba is yet another province in Canada that pays and treats nurses pretty well. As a nurse in Manitoba, even if you work in a hospital or nursing facility, you are going to earn a good income when compared to some other provinces in Canada.
Manitoba can boast of having one of the well-paid hourly wages for nurses in Canada, with $67.13 per hour as the high percentile for nurses that work on weekends and Class Five nurses with over 20 years of experience.
New Brunswick
Another province that is highly suitable for nurses to work in Canada is New Brunswick. New Brunswick is known for taking care of its healthcare workers and nurses pretty well.
In New Brunswick, nurses are known to earn up to $35,46 per hour and over $77,445 per year when they work in hospitals. The work schedules for nurses and other healthcare workers in New Brunswick typically involve working 4 shifts at a time and taking four shifts off.
Another important reason why nurses from other countries prefer New Brunswick is because the province is known to welcome immigrants faster because the province is in need of more working professionals, particularly healthcare workers.
Alberta
Alberta is yet another province that is known to pay nurses one of the highest wages in Canada. The latest available data shows that the basic hourly pay rate for well-experienced registered nurses in Alberta is $48.37 per hr, this amount to approximately $92,900 per year and it is the highest hourly rate in Canada.
Aside from the fact that there are about 28,000 Registered Nurses (RNs) that are under the payroll of Alberta Health Services, there are still vacancies for nurses to fill in Alberta. As a matter of fact, Nurses (a combination of RPNs, NPs, LPNs, and RNs) are the dominant clinical profession in Alberta and they represent over half of the clinical workforce in the province.
British Columbia
Lastly, British Columbia is among the provinces that pay good remuneration to nurses and other healthcare workers in Canada. Available data shows that registered nurses and psychiatric nurses (NOC 3012) usually earn between $30.00 per hour and $47.00 per hr in British Columbia.
The highest hourly wage for any nurse in B.C. is $53.14 per hr for a Level 6 nurse, and the lowest hourly wage is $27.20 per hr for a Level 1, LPN with a maximum of one year of working experience.
Despite the fact that there are approximately 40,000 registered nurses working in British Columbia and the province has around 650 registered nurses per 100,000 population, nurses are still getting recruited on a regular basis.
In conclusion,
Aside from the provinces listed above, there are other provinces not listed here that are known to pay nurses pretty high salaries. For example, a nurse anesthetist can earn over $157,690 per year in Ontario and the average earning of a Psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner is $102,000 all across Canada.