There is a shortage of nurses in Canada and Quebec is trying to lower the salaries of nurse clinicians. Maybe what needs to change is the nurses’ collective agreement.
Where a nurse clinician with a bachelor’s degree used to enter the workforce at $32 per hour, a nurse with a master’s degree would enter at $36. It was an incentive to attract people with more education.
The Quebec government wants all new nurse clinicians to start at a $27 hourly salary. The government is also trying to table a health sector bill that would let the government limit the time an organization can use a private agency or independent workers.
This is actually a demand of the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) for its upcoming collective agreement talks.
However, salary is important and Quebec has the lowest in the country amid a labour shortage. Lowering the incentive doesn’t encourage nursing students to stay in Quebec after they graduate.
There’s A Shortage Of Nurses In Canada. So Why Is Quebec Lowering The Salary For New Nurse Clinicians?
At the time of writing, the collective agreement for Quebec nurse clinicians states that the starting salary is $27 per hour for no less than 7 hours per shift. That didn’t stop the healthcare system from paying more. Now they want to remove the incentive.
Quebec is the second most populated province in Canada. According to the FIQ, a first year licensed practical nurse earns $24.21 an hour. That is the lowest hourly rate for a nurse in Canada.
Nurse clinicians who obtained their license after December 2022 will now be receiving $6.44 per hour less than those who started working before that date. This marks a 20% decrease in pay for some prospective nurse clinicians. Such a drop in pay is one reason Quebec healthcare workers seek positions in other parts of the country, further weakening the nursing sector in the province.
In order to meet the growing demand for health services in Quebec, the province must hire more nurses. And if retention efforts continue to lag, even more new hires will be needed.
Nurse Salary By Province: How Quebec Nurse Median Salaries Stack Up Compared To The Rest of Canada
So, how does Quebec’s nursing salary compare to the rest of Canada? The following chart displays the median salaries for nurses in each province according to the national Job Bank as of January 23rd, 2024 (the latest data collected).
| Median Hourly Wage | Annual Salary | Annual Salary Difference Compared to Quebec | |
| Canada | $40.39 | $84,011 | $3,931 |
| Quebec | $38.50 | $80,080 | – |
| Ontario | $38.05 | $79.144 | -936 |
| Nova Scotia | $40 | $83,200 | $3,120 |
| New Brunswick | $40 | $83,200 | $3,120 |
| Prince Edward Island | $40 | $83,200 | $3,120 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $41.24 | $85,779 | $5,699 |
| Manitoba | $42 | $87,360 | $7,280 |
| British Columbia | $43 | $89,440 | $9,360 |
| Alberta | $46.62 | $96,969 | $16,889 |
| Saskatchewan | $46 | $95,680 | $15,600 |
| Yukon | $48.14 | $100,131 | $20,051 |
| NW Territories | $51 | $106,080 | $26,000 |
| Nunavut | $64.69 | $134,555 | $54,475 |
Keep in mind that these numbers do not reflect the $6.44 deduction in starting pay that new nurse clinicians graduates will earn. For new nurse clinicians, the starting pay will be $27/hour instead of $32/hour. With this reduction in pay, the annual net salary for these nurses in Quebec would be ~41,243 instead of ~$47,674. This dip in income will effectively widen the pay gap between nurses in Quebec and those in other provinces and territories.
How Much Will A Nurse Clinician Make After Tax In Quebec?
Canadians must pay federal and provincial income taxes on their gross salaries, which shaves off a big chunk off their earnings. While the federal income tax brackets are the same across Canada, each province has its own income tax rates. A person’s income level will also determine the exact tax rate they’ll have to pay.
Based on the federal and provincial (Quebec) income tax rates and the median annual salary before the wage cut, the take-home pay for Quebec nurses is ~$53,523.
Given the rapid rise in inflation and cost of living, it can be very difficult to live off of just under $53,000 per year, especially for those with dependents to support.
How Will Nurses Cope With This Financial Gap?
Nurses in Quebec have some resources available to them that are designed to help minimize the cost of education and training.
There are also products and programs that provide financial assistance to help cover some of life’s biggest expenses that the current Quebec nurse’s salary may not adequately support.
Quebec Solidarity Tax Credit
It is true: a new nurse clinician earning $27 per hour might qualify for the Quebec Solidarity Tax Credit. The same goes for a new licensed practical nurse earning $24.21 an hour. A single person or single parent earning up to $58,179 is eligible. These nurses’ salaries fall below that mark.
Of course, if you owe the Quebec government any tax debt, then the Solidarity Tax Credit goes toward paying it.
Canadian Nurses Foundation
The Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF) offers scholarships to nursing students and nurses who show promise in their studies and career endeavours. This support can help alleviate the financial pressures that come with pursuing a career as a nurse.
Marie Marques Certification Award
The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) will soon reward eligible nurses with the Marie Marques Certification Award, which provides financial assistance to Canadian nurses looking to get certified with the CNA in various areas of specialty. The award will reimburse nurses for fees associated with exams or continuous learning.
Fondation de l’Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ)
The OIIQ offers financial support to nurses wanting to gain in-depth knowledge in nursing sciences. They offer $7,000 scholarships for those wanting to complete their bachelor’s program in nursing sciences.
They also offer $10,000 scholarships for those pursuing graduate-level training in nursing or other related fields. Under the OIIQ, exists the Nolette Drouin Scholarship. This scholarship is worth $10,000 and is provided to students who are graduating from an undergraduate nursing program.
Other Ways Nurses Can Financially Cope
Besides nurses improving their credentials for better pay, they can also rely on personal loans and government benefits to help supplement their income.
Personal Loans
There may be times when it can be difficult to pay some of the more expensive bills in life, like rent, mortgage payments, and car payments. In this case, you may want to consider taking out a personal loan to help cover these costs.
Rather than having to come up with the funds in one lump sum to pay for these bills, you can use the money from a personal loan to cover the payment. Then, you can spread your personal loan payments over a long term to repay your debt.
Loan applicants with good credit scores are more likely to secure a lower interest rate on their personal loans, which can help make loans more affordable. But even with bad credit, you can apply for a personal loan with an alternative lender that works specifically with bad credit borrowers. That said, bad credit loans typically come with higher rates, making the loan more expensive.
It’s best to apply for a loan with good credit, as this can help you qualify for the lowest interest rate. Before you apply for a loan, you’d be well-advised to check your credit score to see where you stand. You can check your credit score for free with CompareHub. If you sign up, you can also compare lenders and loan products to see where you can get the best rates.
Shortage Of Nurses In Canada: Not Just A Problem In Quebec
The shortage of nurses in Canada is anticipated to continue for years to come. Despite the job opportunities for nurses in Quebec and Canada as a whole, there simply aren’t enough workers to fill these roles.
According to Canada’s Job Bank, about 191,000 new job openings for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses are expected between 2019 and 2028, but there will only be 154,600 new job seekers looking to fill these positions. This will leave tens of thousands of open positions, which will continue to compromise the state of nursing in Canada.
Nurses played a crucial role during the recent health crisis, and yet, they’re still not being effectively compensated. Instead, nurses are exhausted, burned out, and many are leaving the profession as a result. Without some form of retention strategy in place, Canada’s nursing shortage could worsen and put the healthcare sector in an even worse position than it already is.
Final Thoughts On The Shortage Of Nurses In Canada And Quebec
When it comes to nurse salaries, Quebec has some catching up to do. Not only does Quebec have the lowest income for nurses in Canada, but the province is also reducing the starting pay for newly-graduated nurses just starting their careers. In a time when Quebec is already struggling to hold on to its nursing staff, the province may want to reassess its retention strategies, including the pay structure for this vital workforce.
