Average Psychologist Salaries?
When thinking careers in psychology you may be curious about the potential earnings of a Psychologist in Canada. This can hold quite a wide range of statistics and can vary depending on your location within Canada.
- According to PayScale Canada the average National Psychologist Salary in Canada is in the range of $44 510 to $148 188 as of March 25, 2011.
- According to the Alberta Occupational Profiles OCCinfo: A Psychologist in Alberta earned from $14.08 to $53.28 an hour with an average of $39.19 an hourin the 2009 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey.
- Here is a chart from the Living in Canada Website that divides the different Psychologist Salaries based on your location in Canada.These are based on the Psychologist Career Classification code – The National Occupational Classification (NOC) for a Psychologist is 4151 which can be found at the Canadian NOC website
Table: Average Psychologist Salaries Throughout Canada
| Location | Low Wage $ per hr |
Average $ per hr |
High Wage $ per hr |
Year |
| Calgary / Banff / Jasper / Rocky Mountain House – Alberta | 15.31 | 37.28 | 54.69 | 2011 |
| Edmonton – Alberta | 13.81 | 36.62 | 49.81 | 2008 |
| Vancouver / Lower Mainland Southwest – British Columbia | 15.00 | 29.67 | 50.00 | 2011 |
| Winnipeg – Manitoba | 14.42 | 32.21 | 50.25 | 2004 |
| Fredericton – New Brunswick | 11.00 | 29.99 | 40.72 | 2007/8 |
| Halifax – Nova Scotia | 24.70 | 36.50 | 47.00 | 2010 |
| Toronto – Ontario | 18.00 | 32.11 | 46.79 | 2010 |
| Hamilton – Ontario | 19.64 | 28.46 | 46.16 | 2007 |
| Ontario | 17.44 | 29.75 | 47.66 | 2010 |
| Waterloo Region / Huron / Perth / Wellington / Dufferin – Ontario | 18.37 | 24.78 | 36.00 | 2007 |
| Prince Edward Island | – | – | – | – |
| Montreal – Quebec | 14.23 | 21.03 | 27.95 | – |
| Saskatoon and Rural West – Saskatchewan | 20.00 | 35.68 | 37.31 | 2006 |
Careers in Psychology Options
There are many options available when in comes to choosing a career as a Psychologist, as well as careers related to Psychology. If you are interested in a neat little quiz to get a general sense on what Psychologist you may be a best fit for you may find Which Psychology Career Is Right for You to be entertaining. It all depends on what education you have (Undergraduate, Masters, PhD) and what areas of Psychology you choose to specialize in. Remember to research your interests as well as the options available to you at the University you choose to attend. If you are interested in practicing as a Psychologist there are many sub fields including but not limited to these options:
- Clinical Psychologist
- Counselling Psychologist
- Developmental Psychologist
- Educational Psychologist
- Forensic Psychologist
- Health Psychologist
- Industrial / Organizational Psychologist
- Neuropsychologist
- School Psychologist
- Social Psychologist
- Social Psychologist
- Sports Psychologist
When deciding what career as a Psychologist you may want to pursue it may be a good idea to do allot of research into the specifics of each subfield as there are many. Different Universities provide graduate work that usually focussing more in one of these categories than others.
For example: The University of Alberta offers MA, MSc and PhD programs in all five of these research areas:
- Behaviour, Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience
- Cognition
- Comparative Cognition and Behaviour
- Developmental Science
- Social and Cultural Psychology
As well provides options for a MEd and PhD programs in these subject areas:
- Psychological Studies in Education
- Counselling Psychology
- Measurement, Evaluation and Cognition
- Special Education
- School Counselling
- Teaching English as a Second Language
- Technology in Education Specialization
- Health Sciences Education
As you can see even under a singular University you have many choices of what to study after undergraduate studies in Psychology. If you are currently in an Undergraduate program and are still wondering what type of psychologist career you would like to pursue, then I would recommend asking yourself what courses you have enjoyed the most so far. Cognitive Psychology? Abnormal Psychology? Social Psychology? etc. Then from there research what related careers may be available in that subject matter. Determine how competitive that field is, and then research alternatives as a back up.
But what if you only have an Undergraduate in Psychology?
There are still many careers available depending on your interests and other skill sets. Always think about what you could supplement with your degree, and what other interests you may have. Some career could be in:
- Personnel
- Social Services
- Technical Writing
- Corrections Officer: Parole, Probation
- Labout Releations
- Gerontology
- Health Services
- Marketing and Public Relations
- Fundraising
- Mental Health
When planning your career or education as a Psychologist or in a Psychology related role, always plan, plan and plan! Psychology is a very diverse and open stream of study and work and the more you know on how to achieve your goals of interest and work the more success you will have!
If you are interested in finding Psychologist / and or Psychology related jobs in Canada please visit the Psychology Jobs page here at Psychology Canada. This could also provide a valuable resource when planning a career in Psychology to get a ‘real-world’ perspective on what’s out there currently in the job market.
Have any input on other career opportunities that are available for Psychology majors? Post them below!
HI very interesting information!
I think healthcare careers and also mental health careers are always going to be in great demand. I assume psychologist must be a regulated profession in canada, right?
Hey Ankur,
You are correct. Psychology is a regulated profession in all of Canada, and each province has a governing body responsible for registering an individual as a Psychologist; each with their own specific guidelines and requirements. Thank you for your comment, and I also believe that healthcare careers and mental health careers will always be in a great demand.
Thanks!
I am a psychology major in Zimbabwe, looking for employment and continue with a Masters course obtaining a degree in psychology and a diploma in counselking how can you help me?
Hi! I am from South Africa. I am a qualified clinical psychologist registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). I am currently employed at a hospital where I work with all sorts of patients from neuro to spinal and renal.
After being attacked outside my home, my house broken into twice and my car broken into six times..I just cant handle the crime anymore..and feel very unhappy living here. So, my question I pose to you is.. Am I allowed to apply for Psychology posts in Canada? If so, does anyone know of someone I can contact to get information wrt this?
You could get answers from the Canadian Psychological Association: http://www.cpa.ca/
I believe you would need job offer before you can apply for a work VISA here. Check out Citizenship and Immigration Canada website:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/work.asp
hi,
I am currently pursuing my m.phil in neuropsychology from India and i would like to know if there are possibilities of starting my career in Canada. Do I have to do another course in Canada or is it possible to get a job right away.
thank you
Hello,
I am currently an undergrad at the University of Victoria, starting my first year September, 2013. I am interested in working with children, and working in an office. I am curious to know what me career options in psychology would be?
Thank you,
Karen
Hello Karen! Have you considered an advanced diploma in Child and Youth Work?? Very much needed in today’s society and is an excellent program. I am currently in my second of 3 years of the CYW program at George Brown College in Toronto, ON and have my sights set on a Forensic Psychology Specialist degree from the University of Toronto. Best of luck with your endeavours! 🙂
I come from China and I want to apply for the Master Degree in Sport Psychology.I want to know what is the salary in the sport psychology? Does it is easy to find a sport psychology job in Canada.
Hi,
I am planning to apply in yorkville for masters in counselling psychology. Can someone give me a feedback on how the university is? Also, please help me as to what career options a couselling psychologist has in Canada along with average pay? Please
Hi, did you get into Yorkville? Im applying right now and have same questions. Was your experience good?
Hi, I want to apply for an undergraduate course in psychology in Canada, i don’t know if there is a lot of scope for psychology in Canada though
Hi, I have completed my BA in Psychology(Major) from St,Xaviers College, Bombay. I am also currently studying Msc. in Psychology, in India. I intend to apply to the child and youth care course in GBC. I want to know the job scope in Canada after doing that course, or any other related courses to special children etc.
hi i am currently in my last year of high school and want to work with youth that have anxiety and/or trauma.
i am also interested in working in Neuropsychology. do you have any tips for me for when i am in university and after.
My daughter is finishing up her first yr in BSc. Major in psychology and chemistry with law courses. Her goal is to become a forensic science psychologist. She is attending our local university CBU. She would like to apply to all three in Canada….2 located in BC, one in Ottawa. She wants to get her masters and Ph.D. There are courses not available at our university. She intends to pursue a career in working with serial killers and how the mind works with regards to how and why they participated in such deviant behaviours. Would it be advisable to check with a larger university in Halifax NS for some psychology and forensic courses? Also will she need more than first yr statistics and does she also need to concentrate on Biology as well?
Are there any diploma courses(2 year courses) in Canada ,if so how can we pursue further studies in psychology after diploma courses?
Hie ..i just want to know that which degree will be perfect to have in psychology…Bsc psychology or BA psychology .
Hii
I pursued bsc psychology from Union Christian College, Aluva. Tragically I had lost a paper in 4 th semester. Can I apply to masters degree of Psychology at year of 2018-2019
Hi there,
I’m currently applying for a Master’s program in Clinical Psych in both Canada and the UK (Scotland and Ireland). I’m wondering if there is a website or someone I can contact to make sure that I apply to programs that will allow me to eventually get my licensing in Alberta and or continue on to a Canadian phD program if I so choose.
Hai,
I have done my Masters in General Microbiology from India, could you just tell me if I am eligible for applying for another Masters in Psycology at any university in Canada??
Hi, i have completed a 3 year Bachelor degree in Psychology from India. I want to pursue the master degree in Industrial / Organisation Psychology in Canada. What are the top Colleges or Universites available in Canada for MSc in Industrial / Organization Psychology and what are the job scopes in Canada after completing the Master degree in I/O Psychology.