Like every other business and industry in Canada, the healthcare industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. But now, with the pandemic largely behind us and most industries having returned to a state of relative normalcy, the entire healthcare industry is entering another ‘boom’ period – and salaries are on the rise. The question is – aside from the pandemic winding down and restrictions being relaxed, what are the reasons for healthcare worker salaries being on the rise? Read on to find out why, and be sure to check out our blog daily for new articles and the hottest job postings.
The perfect storm
There are several reasons why healthcare worker salaries are getting higher with each passing month. We’ve discussed these in previous blogs, but here’s a quick rundown of some of the main ones:
- Many healthcare workers are still choosing to not return to work out of an abundance of caution for their health and the health of their families. In many areas of the country, this has led to a shortage of available healthcare workers, and employers – including pharmacies, clinics, nursing homes and hospitals – are raising wages in an effort to entice people back to work
- Healthcare workers who have continued to work throughout the pandemic are now looking to take time off, and relief workers are needed to come in and take over their shifts
RPI Consulting Group has found that average salaries and rate-of-pay for our candidates – which includes healthcare workers such as registered nurses (RN), registered practical nurses (RPN), licensed practical nurses (LPN), nurse practitioners (NP), personal support workers (PSW), pharmacists, registered pharmacy technicians (RPhT) and more – have never been higher. In the last quarter year, RPI has placed candidates for wages as high as:
- RPN/LPN: $33 per hour
- Registered nurse: $50 per hour
- Nurse practitioner: $60 per hour
- Pharmacy assistant: $27 per hour (the highest number we’ve ever seen for this position)
- Registered pharmacy technician: $35 per hour
As you can see, these numbers are much higher than pre-COVID numbers, and while we can’t say for certain whether this rise in wages is going to be permanent, it’s a great time to be in the healthcare job market, as there are tons of options and better wages than ever before.
In closing
It comes down to this: if you’re a healthcare worker who’s been out of work for a while, or you’re looking for a change of scenery, there’s no better time than right now to get back into the game. RPI’s friendly team of Account Managers are eager to share their top job openings with you, so contact us today and let us know what you’re looking for!
