What nursing specialty in Canada has the highest pay?

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I know the CRNA is the highest paid nursing specialty in the US but since CRNA's are not exactly recognized here in Canada, I am wondering what nursing specialty is paid the highest? Thanks!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

Moved to the Nursing in Canada forum

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Specializes in OR.

RNs across specialties are paid the same, wage is based on years of service and position (e.g. CNL, educator positions pay more). Here in BC, there is also the specialty nursing bonus but it is the same amount regardless of specialty.

I suppose there is potential to make more money in specialties were you can do a lot of OT and take call. For example I work in the OR. If I work a week of evenings, I'm on call for nights after my shifts. That can be an extra $200 for the week, even if I don't get called in. If I get called in, I am paid OT. It's also super easy to get an extra 30 mins to an hour of OT per day if I want to stay late on a day shift. It can add up quickly.

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Pay goes by years worked, not what specialty you are in.

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On 11/10/2019 at 9:34 AM, XRN2020 said:

I know the CRNA is the highest paid nursing specialty in the US but since CRNA's are not exactly recognized here in Canada, I am wondering what nursing specialty is paid the highest? Thanks!

The vast majority of Canadian nurses are unionized. The union along with the employer sets the wage scale so there is no real room for negotiating.

A nurse is a nurse is a nurse. I have friends who work in ICU who make the same as every other RN in the building with same number of service years. They joke that they have it easier due to the cap on the number of patients they take over a general floor nurse who can have up to six.

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On 11/10/2019 at 6:26 PM, Silverdragon102 said:

Moved to the Nursing in Canada forum

On 11/10/2019 at 8:34 AM, XRN2020 said:

I know the CRNA is the highest paid nursing specialty in the US but since CRNA's are not exactly recognized here in Canada, I am wondering what nursing specialty is paid the highest? Thanks!

In Canada it’s the same across the board. I know in BC you get maybe 50 extra dollars per month for being in a specialty unit. Someone that works in a nursing home (government owned) or public health for 9 years will earn more than an ICU nurse with 7 years of experience. Being an NP will probably give you the most pay, but jobs a bit limited depending on where you go

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Specializes in Long-term Care/Acute Medicine.

As mentioned above, if you continue your education and obtain your Master's in Nursing or Nurse Practitioner, your base rate of pay will be higher. So much goes into what your rate of pay is - where you work, whether your place of employment is unionized or non-unionized etc. Public Health and the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) formerly CCAC for example pay more than some hospitals at base rate (LHIN jobs start at around $40/hr). I previously worked for a privately owned LTC home where the RN's were paid on a man-made scale created by them as the RN's were not unionized. I currently work for a government owned LTC home and a hospital and I am getting paid the same at both as they are both under the same union. Being unionized, there are premiums added to your base rate (working nights, weekends etc.) and a % of lieu or benefits based on whether you are casual, PT or FT, which can put you up around $7 or more on top of your base rate. It all depends... do your research

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Tricky question. If you're at the bedside, it's the same across the board according to your union - all union jobs start at the same rate regardless of whether you're in OR or ICU or general medicine. All nurses in inpatient care in a hospital will start at the same and their pay increases with years worked.

Outside of bedside nursing, hourly rates fluctuate. Nurses in family medicine offices don't start very high at all - high $20s/low$30s. Public Health nurses start in the high $30s/low $40s. Occupational Health nurses vary across the $30s depending on place and experience. Infection Control nurses get paid a LOT in Toronto (they don't want another SARS) but less in some other provinces and cities. If you specialize in rural or indigenous nursing that's another ton of money. I believe Wound Care specialists also make a little more green than the rest of us.

Some of the smaller specialities also come with market premiums sometimes that the organization will pay on top of your going rate in order to keep you.

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