Pay differences for Registered Nurses in USA and Canada

Registered Nurses (RN) are the backbone of the health-care industry in North America. They are the individuals who offer patient care in almost every clinical setting. The United States, for instance, has close over three million nurses making it the country with the largest number of health care providers. Despite the high number than other countries can only dream about, there is still a nursing shortage in the US. The high demand for these professionals is the reason they earn a great salary.

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Canada is a much smaller country in size and population but it offers high standard health care like the US. The nurses here also get good salaries and nursing is one of the most respected professions.

RN Pay in the United States

The situation for RNs in the United States is more fluid with a wide variance in the wages that different employers and workplaces pay their nursing staff. The lowest national average hourly wages for RNs is $21.92 while the top earners get a pay of $40.08 hours. The amount is even more in most instances as employers tip an overtime compensation of up to $59.03. The great variance in payment according to the employer is the main difference between nursing pay in the U.S and Canada. For instance, nurses caring patients at a nursing home get up to $5 lower per hour than those working at specialty hospitals. Most RNs in Unites states work for different public and private employers. They assess advice and administer care to patients.

Canadian RN Pay

Canadian health-care system operates on public funds in single payer model. Every province in Canada runs an own system. All citizens hold a provincial medical care card covering most of their basic health care. Nursing unions negotiate contracts directly with the provincial authorities laying standard pay grades for varying degrees, training and experience. The average pay per hour for is C$32.86. There is no much variance like in the US but some jobs pay better. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and Operating Room (OR) are the nursing skills earning the highest pay.

Regional Pay Variance in US and Canada

Although these two countries run extremely different health-care systems, both exhibit considerable regional variations in RN remuneration. Some areas offer higher payments because of their affluence, higher cost of living or there is more demand for qualified caregivers. The US is a good example in a case such as California where nurses earn the highest average wages in the country in the range of $45.25 per hour. The colleagues at Iowa are at the lower part of the scale earning only $25 average wage per hour. In Canada, the average pay for nurses is highest at Newfoundland and Labrador and lowest in Nunavut. Nursing in this region earns an average monthly pay of $52, 500 and $65, 403 respectively. The kind of pay a nurse earns also depends on seniority and experience.

Other Variables Affecting RN Pay

Other factors affect compensation for nurses at each side of the border. For instance, clinical nurse specialists earn a higher income than RNs in general practice. Nurses of all incomes also get significant increases when they perform training duties, work or stay on call past their shift hours. In Canada, contracts for nurses usually include a dollar amount or percentage of seniority usually starting at 20-years milestone.

Employment prospects

Employment prospects and good remuneration for nurses in Canada and US is strong. Both project a growth in demand for nurses by up to 26 percent up to 2020. Over the same period, a significant number of nurses will retire creating a further need for new nurses. The demand for RNs in both countries will be high for a long time and pay will continue to be generous.