Although I would not have great sympathy for an MD whose take-home was $500 000 (and to be fair, this is not most MD's take home or anywhere close but yes, some...e.g. plastic surgeons, radiologists do obtain this) your take-home is not $75 000 or you are very bad at doing your taxes.  The highest combined marginal rates in Canada are just over 50% and apply only to income over a high threshold (typically $200 000). Even in a province like Nova Scotia, where the highest marginal rate is very high a person, assuming no deductibles (unlikely), making $150 000 would take home $98 000 of that....Moreover most professionals employed by a hospital or university or government have pretty nice benefits and pension plans that are worth a fair sum...and there are many healthcare bureaucrats making 6-figure salaries - many of them with considerably less than a PHD. I don't begrudge them - many earn it doing important work, but if we are going to point fingers we had best point in all directions.