Nurse take-home pay in Canada after tax, 2026
Provincial collective agreements set nursing pay, and they differ considerably. A nurse in British Columbia grosses more than an Ontario counterpart, though the higher provincial tax rate there closes much of that distance by the time the money arrives. The net position across the major provinces follows.
Registered nurse net pay by province, 2026
| Province | RN Range (Step 1-8) | Monthly Net (Step 1) | Monthly Net (Step 8) |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | C$41-C$50/hr (C$78,000-C$104,000/yr) | C$4,875/mo | C$5,880/mo |
| Ontario | C$37-C$52/hr (C$71,000-C$100,000/yr) | C$4,673/mo | C$5,770/mo |
| Alberta | C$39-C$54/hr (C$75,000-C$104,000/yr) | C$4,913/mo | C$6,150/mo |
| Quebec | C$28-C$43/hr (C$54,000-C$84,000/yr) | C$3,655/mo | C$4,945/mo |
| Manitoba | C$34-C$47/hr (C$65,000-C$90,000/yr) | C$4,210/mo | C$5,280/mo |
| Nova Scotia | C$31-C$45/hr (C$60,000-C$87,000/yr) | C$3,930/mo | C$5,040/mo |
Included are federal and provincial income tax, CPP at 5.95% up to the C$69,700 YMPE and EI at 1.66% up to C$63,200, assuming full-time employment of 37.5 hours a week across 52 weeks. Sources: BCNU 2026, ONA 2026 and AUPE 2026.
Alberta, Ontario and Quebec compared
Across most nursing salaries Alberta comes out ahead, thanks to a flat 10% provincial rate and some of the highest registered nurse wages in the country, both underwritten by oil wealth. Quebec pays less gross and taxes more, which makes it the weakest province for net pay. Ontario sits between the two and offers by far the largest job market.
An experienced Alberta nurse at Step 8, grossing around C$104,000, takes home roughly C$6,150 a month against about C$5,770 for an Ontario counterpart on similar gross. A gap of C$380 is not dramatic on its own, and housing outside Calgary frequently costs less than in Ontario, which widens the practical difference.
Frequently asked questions
A newly registered nurse in Ontario at Step 1 normally earns C$71,000 to C$75,000 and keeps roughly C$4,673 to C$4,870 a month after all deductions. At Step 8, on C$100,000 or more, that becomes around C$5,770 in Ontario. Alberta nurses at the same level keep roughly C$6,150 thanks to lower provincial tax, while Quebec nurses keep considerably less, near C$3,655 at entry level.
It is, sitting well above the Canadian median wage with strong collective agreement protections behind it. Canadian nurses still earn less than American counterparts, Californians above all, less than Australians in absolute terms, and slightly less than British nurses on purchasing power at entry level. What they get instead is universal public healthcare with nothing to pay out of pocket, reasonable job security, and in Alberta particularly high take-home on competitive wages. A nursing shortage running since the pandemic has pushed agency rates and overtime pay up considerably.