Northwest Territories

Everyone move over, the Northwest Territories is here to stay. Coming in at #1 of 13, with top pay, salaried position with vacation, excellent CME with travel pay, and living allowance perks if you want to stay, the NWT is a great option for Family Physicians.

Overview

Northwest Territories

If you are happy in the beauty of the North, with night and light seasonal rotations, deep cold but equally deep beauty, NWT might be the place for you!

Whereas the Yukon has taken a clear-cut fee-for-service approach with excellent overhead support, the NWT have taken a salaried approach to their family doctor offerings. 

The salaries include paid vacation, no overhead, RRSP contributions, benefits, recruitment and retention bonuses, paid parental benefits, and especially awesome paid time off and travel for continuing medical education and expenses.

With all of those benefits and an excellent salary, NWT earns the top ranking in our review!

per hour payment
(avg is $68)
more per hour paid than national average
st
place out of 13
overall rank 100%
Vacations
rrsp contributions
Benefits
bonuses
Red and Green Flags

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly?

We pulled out our magnifying glasses and compared each of the nitty-gritty details between provinces and territories when it comes to compensation packages and lifestyles for Family Physicians and their families. Here are the red and green flags below.

Salaries & Vacations

Salaried positions with included vacation

CME & Travel $

Excellent CME and travel reimbursement

Living Perks

Excellent ROS $ if you are planning on staying

RRSP Info Unclear

Salary may not include RRSP contributions?

Brrrr

Cold climate

Enact Change

Take Action!

Got something to say? Take action now! Grab your elected official’s email from the link below and copy and paste our form letter — or craft your own message! If information is the first step, the second step is to GET LOUD! Share this website and spread the word!

Northwest Territories

Members of the Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly

Copy and Paste this Letter to your Elected Official

Subject: Fix the Family Doctor Crisis

Family doctors are the backbone of Canada’s health care system, yet they’re being undervalued and underpaid. This outdated pay structure is driving doctors out of provinces, out of practice, or out of the country—leaving communities without the care they desperately need.

We need action now:

Pay Fairly: Ensure family physicians are compensated at competitive national levels.

Support More Than Pay: Provide benefits, reduce administrative burdens, and fairly compensate for on-call work.

Get Transparent: Publish clear payment data to hold the system accountable.

The longer we wait, the worse the crisis becomes. Fair compensation isn’t just about attracting talent—it’s about showing the doctors who care for us that we care about them. Let’s stop the brain drain and keep our health care system strong.
I urge you to prioritize this issue now.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

References

Don’t Take Our Word for it!

Brain Drain 2.0 is dedicated to presenting up-to-date, factual information on family physician pay across Canada. Here are the links we’ve used so you can do your own research.

Northwest Territories

Physician Careers | Practice NWT
Example