Pay by Role
Healthcare · Canada

Psychologist Salary in Ottawa, ON

The average psychologist in Ottawa, ON earns $96,716 per year — about $6,777 /mo after a simplified national tax estimate. Psychologists study behavior and help clients manage mental and emotional challenges.

Showing amounts in USD (USD default; source data is CAD). FX as of Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:02:31 +0000. Convert currencies

After tax?

$80,960/yr

~16% effective national income tax on the median. Excludes most payroll/social levies and local taxes.

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Afford rent?

$1,652/mo 1BR

About 24% of estimated take-home — ~$3,247 leftover /mo after modeled costs. Modeled, not a listing.

Cost of living calculator →

Compared with…?

% vs Ottawa median (FX-adjusted abroad).

Average salary
$96,716
gross / year
Est. take-home
$80,960
~16% effective tax
Hourly equivalent
$47.30
based on 2,080 hrs/yr
vs. Canada avg
-28%
below average

Gross salary figures come from public labour-market data. Take-home, rent, savings, inflation, and trends are simplified models for research — not payroll, listings, or immigration advice. Methodology.

Psychologist salary range in Ottawa

Pay varies with experience, employer, and specialization. Here is the typical distribution for this role in Ottawa, ON.

$68,54810TH$80,47925TH$96,716MEDIAN$116,48375TH$136,95590TH
Estimated pay distribution — the curve peaks at the median and widens with the pay range.
PercentileAnnual salary
10th percentile (entry)$68,548
25th percentile$80,479
Median (50th)typical$96,716
75th percentile$116,483
90th percentile (senior)$136,955

How does your salary compare?

Enter what you earn (or an offer) to see where it ranks for a psychologist in Ottawa, ON.

Your percentile
50th

$96,716 puts you in the 50th percentile. You earn more than about 50% of psychologists in Ottawa, ON. That’s right around the typical pay for this role.

$68,548$96,716$136,955

Salary insights

A typical psychologist in Ottawa, ON earns about $137,000 a year and pays about 28% below the Canada average. Living costs sit near the global baseline (COL index 100). After a simplified tax estimate, typical rent, and everyday costs, a median earner might keep around $4,600 per month. Relative to the national median (a common remote/location-flexible benchmark), this city pays less by about 28%. An illustrative model tied to local inflation and the role’s outlook suggests pay has risen about 13% over the last few years. Treat every figure as an estimate for research — not a personal offer or immigration advice.

Data-grounded summary from this page’s pay, COL, tax, and trend models — not a generative essay unrelated to the figures.

Cost of living, rent & savings

Ottawa’s cost of living is 100 vs. a baseline of 100 (US national average). After adjusting for local prices, the median psychologist salary is worth about $96,716 in baseline-priced terms.

Est. rent (1BR)
$1,652/mo
Other living costs
$1,850/mo
Savings potential
$3,247/mo after tax & costs

Rent and leftover use a COL-scaled single-adult model and the same simplified tax estimate as above (Canada federal income tax only; excludes provincial tax and CPP/EI.). Adjust assumptions in the COL calculator.

Inflation

Approximate recent consumer-price inflation in Canada is about 2.4% per year. Use the inflation calculator to adjust a past salary or offer for purchasing power.

Remote equivalent

The Canada national median for this role is about $134,837— a common benchmark for remote or location-flexible offers. Local Ottawa pay is 28% lower.

Historical trend

Illustrative median pay over the last few years — about +13% across the window.

$85,915
2022
$88,527
2023
$91,139
2024
$93,892
2025
$96,716
2026

Illustrative model based on approximate inflation and the role’s long-term outlook — not a surveyed year-by-year history.

Visa information

Express Entry / work permit

Skilled workers often use Express Entry (CRS points) or an employer-supported work permit; many tech roles score well when language and education criteria are met.

Difficulty for typical skilled hires: moderate. General orientation only — confirm on the official Canada immigration site before relocating or accepting an offer.

Compare Psychologist pay

See how a psychologist stacks up against similar healthcare roles in Canada.

What’s your take-home?

Calculator opens with this page’s median ($96,716) and Canada tax model — tweak hours, period, or offer amount.

Psychologist salary in other Canada cities

Same role, different city — % gap is vs Ottawa.

CityMedian
Winnipeg, MB$134,837/yr
Québec, QC$134,837/yr
Halifax, NS$134,837/yr
Victoria, BC$134,837/yr
Kitchener, ON$134,837/yr
Burnaby, BC$134,837/yr
Longueuil, QC$134,837/yr
Regina, SK$134,837/yr

Psychologist salary in other countries

Capital/largest city sample for each market. % gap converts foreign medians into CAD before comparing with Ottawa.

CountryLocal median
Indonesia flagIndonesiae.g. Jakarta$14,586/yr
Vietnam flagVietname.g. Hanoi$14,896/yr
Argentina flagArgentinae.g. Buenos Aires$14,515/yr
Switzerland flagSwitzerlande.g. Zürich$176,698/yr
India flagIndiae.g. Mumbai$18,221/yr
Philippines flagPhilippinese.g. Quezon$18,521/yr
South Africa flagSouth Africae.g. Johannesburg$26,846/yr
Thailand flagThailande.g. Bangkok$28,614/yr
Colombia flagColombiae.g. Bogotá$28,647/yr
Norway flagNorwaye.g. Oslo$157,483/yr

Related Healthcare jobs in Ottawa

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Browse live job openings for this role, or close the skills gap that separates the median from the top percentiles.

Calculators and comparisons to dig into take-home pay, living costs, and period conversions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average psychologist salary in Ottawa, ON?
The average psychologist salary in Ottawa, ON is about $137,000 per year, or roughly $67.00 per hour.
What is the salary range for a psychologist in Ottawa, ON?
Most psychologist salaries in Ottawa, ON fall between $97,100 (entry level) and $194,000 (senior level). The 25th–75th percentile band is $114,000 to $165,000.
How much does a psychologist make per month in Ottawa, ON?
A typical psychologist in Ottawa, ON earns about $11,400 per month before tax, based on the annual median of $137,000.
How does Ottawa, ON pay compare to the Canada average?
Ottawa, ON pays about 28% below the Canada average for a psychologist.
What is the cost-of-living-adjusted psychologist salary in Ottawa, ON?
After adjusting for local prices (cost-of-living index 100, where 100 is the US baseline), the median psychologist salary in Ottawa, ON is worth roughly $137,000 in US-baseline terms.
What skills do psychologists need?
Common skills for a psychologist include Assessment, Therapy, Research, Empathy, Diagnosis. Actual requirements vary by employer and seniority.
Is psychologist a growing career?
Employment for psychologist roles is projected to change by about +6% over the next decade. Local demand in Ottawa, ON can differ from the national outlook.
What is take-home pay for a psychologist in Ottawa, ON?
A simplified national income-tax estimate puts median take-home near $114,681 per year (about $9,600 per month), or roughly 16% effective tax on the gross median. Real net pay varies with local taxes, benefits, and filing status.
How much rent might a psychologist pay in Ottawa, ON?
A modeled modest 1-bedroom runs about $2,340 per month in Ottawa, ON, scaled from a US baseline by the local cost-of-living index (100). Actual listings vary by neighborhood and size.
Where do these Ottawa, ON salary figures come from?
Figures on Pay by Role are aggregated from public labour-market salary APIs, shown in CAD, and refreshed periodically. They are estimates for informational purposes only and are not a guarantee of individual pay.