Total Compensation
As a Health and Social Services professional your base salary accounts for approximately 70% of the total compensation you earn on a yearly basis. As an employee you’ll receive exceptional benefits and enjoy substantial territorial tax incentives while working and living in the north.
These benefits include a pension plan (superannuation), insurance, extended health care, dental plan, relocation assistance, northern living allowance and extended vacation time.
Base Salary | Pension and Benefits | Wages | General Allowances | Additional Benefits
Northwest Territories Tax Incentives
Base Salary
The Government of the Northwest Territories provides its employees with a competitive salary. The average salary within the GNWT is $73,589 and approximately 15% of this is made up of paid leave, such as annual, sick and special leave.
Pension and Health Care Benefits
The Government of the Northwest Territories cost-shares with the employee contributions and premiums required for federally regulated income protection programs including the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance. The Government of the Northwest Territories fully funds Workers Safety and Compensation Board premiums.
Additionally, the Government of the Northwest Territories participates in benefit plans to supplement these federally regulated programs. Some of these plans include:
- A pension plan which provides employees with income after retirement
- Disability Insurance and Long-term Disability Insurance
- Dental Plan
- Public Service Health Care Plan, which provides coverage for specified services and products that are not covered under provincial/territorial health insurance plans
- Maternity and Parental leave
- Employee Assistance Program
Pension Plan
The GNWT participates in the Federal Public Service Superannuation Plan.
An employee contributes up to 8.6% of salary to the superannuation plan, even if their pensionable earnings exceed the Revenue Canada salary threshold. The Government contributes 1.74 times the employee's contribution up to the Revenue Canada salary threshold and 8.95 times the employee’s contribution over the threshold.
Yearly Pension Contributions
| Average Salary |
Employee Contributions |
Employer Contributions |
| $73,589 | $5,126 | $8,919 |
Transfer Value
Employees with at least 2 years of service may be entitled to a variety of options, depending on age and when they leave, including a Transfer Value. A Transfer Value is a lump sum amount (a one-time payment rather than a monthly allowance) that is transferred to a locked-in registered retirement savings plan, a registered pension plan or to a financial institution to buy a life annuity.
| Years of Service |
Total Transfer Value* |
| 2 | $25,190 |
| 5 | $62,924 |
| 10 | $125,814 |
| 15 | $188,704 |
*Based on a Male, 35 years old at transfer date with average salary of $73,589
Disability Insurance
Disability insurance provides an employee with up to 70% of salary if the employee becomes disabled. The benefits are reduced by 100% of any other payments the employee receives for a disability.
Premiums are cost-shared with the employee paying 15% and the employer, 85%.
Dental Plan
Dental benefits are available at no premium to the employee.
All eligible employees and their eligible dependant(s) are provided with a Green Shield Dental Plan that provides 100% reimbursement of all covered basic dental services subject to a yearly maximum; 50% reimbursement of all covered major dental services subject to a yearly maximum; and 50% of all covered orthodontic services for eligible children under the age of 19 subject to a lifetime maximum. Employees pay a deductible of $25 for singles or $50 per family. Dental coverage continues during disability and leave without pay.
Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP)
The GNWT provides an optional supplementary health care plan to Provincial/Territorial Health Care coverage.
The Extended Health Provision is comprised of the following benefits:
- Drug Benefit
- Vision Care Benefit
- Medical Practitioners Benefit
- Miscellaneous Expense Benefit
- Out-of-Province Benefit (for members with Supplementary Coverage only)
For most benefits, the employer will pay 80% of the approved costs. Employees must pay a deductible of $60 for single and $100 for family.
Wages
Wages include all additional income received apart from the employee base salary. Such wages include: overtime, standby and callback wages as well as shift premiums.
General Allowances
The GNWT provides special allowances for health care workers. These help offset job related expenses or compensate for special working conditions.
Health care workers may be eligible for three types of allowances:
- Responsibility Allowance - Employees assuming more responsibility than normal may be eligible for an allowance, for example being placed in charge of a ward.
- Uniform Allowance - Special wearing apparel required by the Employer to be worn by employees while on duty will be provided and laundered by the Employer free of charge to the employee.
- Annual Special Allowance - Nurses working at a nursing station get a special allowance. The annual amounts listed below, are paid to each nurse, according to the size of the nursing station.
- One-nurse nursing station: $9,000.00/annum
- Two-nurse nursing station: $6,000.00/annum
- Three-nurse nursing station: $4,500.00/annum
Northern Allowance
The Government of the Northwest Territories pays a northern allowance to offset community differences in cost of living and travel, based upon the community in which the Health and Social Service professional is employed. Northern allowance is paid biweekly and can range from $3,450 - $27,506 per annum.
Northern Allowance Rates (2012/2013)
Additional Benefits
Medical Travel Assistance/Medivacs
The Government of the Northwest Territories provides its employees and their eligible dependants with Medical Travel Assistance (MTA) to the nearest centre where appropriate and necessary insured non-elective medical treatment is available.
Moving Expenses/Transfer
The Government of the Northwest Territories reimburses employees for reasonable expenses for moving themselves and eligible dependants on initial hire or between places of duty with the Government of the Northwest Territories.
Northwest Territories Tax Incentives
Northwest Territories residents enjoy unique income tax incentives that include the following:
- Northern Residence Deductions -$6,022 (max.)
- Northwest Territories non-refundable tax credits including Basic Claim Amounts of $13,280
- Cost of living tax credit -$942 (max.)
- Deduction for taxable travel benefits you received from employment in a prescribed zone allows you to deduct Eligible expenses for vacation or medical travel for a Northwest Territories resident and dependants. The northern allowance amount is recorded as such on your T4.