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Ophthalmology mortgages, done right.

Ophthalmology carries one of the highest projected incomes in medicine. The qualification story is reading high corporate income, not the modest salary you draw.

The short answer

On the physician program's projected income of $379,000 for ophthalmologists in the final year of training and the first 36 months of practice, the debt-service ratios allow roughly $2,170,000 with 20% down and no student debt, or about $1,770,000 with 10% down and $150,000 of student debt. Established ophthalmologists qualify on actual income, and incorporated ophthalmologists on corporate income, which is usually higher.

$379K
Projected income
Program chart, final year and 36 months after
$3M+
Incorporated qualification
On corporate income plus dividends
50-80%
Incorporation uplift
Versus personal T4 alone
01

How ophthalmologists earn.

Ophthalmologists combine surgical and clinic fee-for-service billing, often with strong margins, and almost all attendings incorporate. Income is among the highest in medicine.

Projected income$379,000 projected income, final year and first 36 months of practice (program chart)
Typical qualificationRoughly $2,170,000 on projected income with 20% down
02

The numbers, with sources.

Nothing on this page is a guess. The projected income comes from the program chart, the qualification figures are computed from it with the same ratios a lender applies, and the income data comes from public reporting.

$379,000Projected income the program uses
Program specialty chart, "Ophthalmology", final year of training and first 36 months of practice
Source: Physician projected-income program factsheet, September 2023 edition. Full schedule and rules
5 yearsResidency length
The final-year window, where the specialty figure applies, opens in the last of these years and runs 36 months past completion.
Source: Royal College, Ophthalmology specialty training requirements. Source
$956,197Average gross clinical payment per ophthalmologist, 2023-2024
Gross billings before overhead, counting every physician equally whether full time or not, so take-home is lower. This is what an established practice earns; a lender uses it only once you are past the projected-income window.
Source: CIHI, National Physician Database, Payments Data 2023-2024, Table A.3.2, average gross clinical payment per physician, Canada total (released October 30, 2025). CIHI table
1,403ophthalmologists in Canada, 2024
Active physicians, excluding residents and retired physicians.
Source: CIHI, Supply, Distribution and Migration of Physicians in Canada 2024, Table 1.0, physicians by specialty, Canada, as of December 31, 2024. CIHI table
What $379,000 qualifies for
20% down, no student debt$2,170,000
10% down, $150,000 student debt$1,770,000
Contract rate 4.49%, qualifying rate 6.49%, 39% GDS and 44% TDS, property tax 0.75% of price, heating $100 a month, student debt counted at 5.25% over 15 years, program insurance tiers when insured. Rounded to the nearest $10,000. Illustration, not a pre-approval.
03

What matters for your mortgage.

Top-tier income
One of the highest projected incomes in medicine, which supports large purchases and the best conventional pricing.
Surgical + clinic billing
Income blends surgical and clinic fee-for-service. A physician-friendly lender reads the combined billing.
Incorporation is near-universal
Almost all ophthalmologists incorporate; corporate-income qualification is essential to capture the real number.
04

Incorporation and your qualification.

Ophthalmology corporations hold significant income beyond the T4 salary drawn. Corporate-income programs read corporate revenue and dividends, typically lifting capacity by 50-80% or more.

FAQ

Ophthalmology mortgage questions.

How much mortgage can an ophthalmologist qualify for in Canada?01

On the physician program's projected income of $379,000 for ophthalmologists in the final year of training and the first 36 months of practice, the debt-service ratios allow roughly $2,170,000 with 20% down and no student debt, or about $1,770,000 with 10% down and $150,000 of student debt. Established ophthalmologists qualify on actual income, and incorporated ophthalmologists on corporate income, which is usually higher.

Why do ophthalmologists qualify for such large mortgages?02

Ophthalmology has one of the highest projected attending incomes in medicine, and almost all attendings incorporate. Corporate-income qualification captures that high income, supporting large, often conventional, purchases.

Keep reading
Incorporated physician mortgages
How much can a physician qualify for
Comparing physician mortgage programs

Prices and payment examples are estimates for planning only. Your actual numbers depend on income, down payment, debt, credit, location, and current lender pricing.

Ophthalmology

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