Careers that cost under $5,000 to train for in Canada
The cost is the all-in figure from each career's own page: tuition, fees, exams, licences and required kit, not rent, food or travel. Everything here comes in under $5,000 even on the expensive route. Many are paid apprenticeships or jobs where the employer trains you, so you earn from the first week.
43 careers in Canada
Nothing, or under $1,000
13Canadian Armed Forces MemberHired out of high school, paid from your first day of basic training, and taught a trade for free.Typical pay$71kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodLetter CarrierOne employer, one union, and a route you walk in every kind of weather.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateDelivery DriverThe quickest job to start on this site. Watch for the versions where you pay for the van, the fuel and the insurance.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodCoast Guard OfficerSearch and rescue, icebreaking and buoy tending on a federal ship. The training is four years and the government pays you to do it.Typical pay$86kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandGoodRestaurant ServerThe fastest job in the country to get hired for, where tips decide what you actually take home.Typical pay$38kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodSecurity GuardA licence you can get in weeks, a job you can get at 18, and a way into policing if you want it.Typical pay$44kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateAir Traffic ControllerPaid a salary from the first day of training. Most people who apply never get in.Typical pay$114kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandGoodLocomotive EngineerRun freight and passenger trains across the country. The railway hires you first, then trains you.Typical pay$104kTo qualify3 to 6 yrsDemandModerateRail Traffic ControllerSit in a control centre and decide where every train on your territory goes next.Typical pay$85kTo qualify2 to 6 yrsDemandModerateRailway ConductorRun the train crew, switch the cars and own the paperwork. Hired off a high school diploma and trained on pay.Typical pay$90kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModeratePest Control TechnicianBed bugs, mice, wasps and termites. Licensed in months, hired fast, never boring.Typical pay$54kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodLongshore WorkerLoad and unload the ships that carry almost everything you own. Union work, hard to get into, hard to leave.Typical pay$68kTo qualify1 to 5 yrsDemandModerateBaristaThe easiest real job to get in Canada, and a skilled craft if you stay. Just know the pay ceiling is low.Typical pay$34kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGood
$1,000 to $5,000
30Private InvestigatorSurveillance, background checks and insurance fraud, not car chases. Licensed in every province after a short course.Typical pay$44kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateBartenderRun the bar, control the room, and get paid in wages plus tips. One short certificate is all the law requires.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodLifeguardWatch the water, prevent emergencies, and pull people out when prevention fails. Certified at 15, and one of the best-paid teen jobs in Canada.Typical pay$40kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodFlight AttendantHired and trained by the airline in weeks. You are there for safety first and service second.Typical pay$65kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateOil Rig WorkerStart as a floorhand with no experience and climb to driller. Big money in 12-hour shifts, and no work when the rigs shut down.Typical pay$83kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateInsurance BrokerHelp people and businesses buy home, car and business insurance from many companies. Licensed in months, no degree needed.Typical pay$62kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodDriller and BlasterDrill the holes, load the explosives, fire the shot. A licensed job that breaks rock for quarries, mines and highways.Typical pay$78kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerateScaffolderBuild the temporary steel structures every other trade stands on. Start as a labourer, learn on the job, no licence needed.Typical pay$52kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerateWildland FirefighterSeasonal crew work cutting fireline in the bush. No tuition, hard days, and you can start the spring after high school.Typical pay$55kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodMortgage BrokerFind people the right mortgage from dozens of lenders. A short course to get licensed, then your pay is commission.Typical pay$66kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerateParts TechnicianFind, order, stock and sell the parts that keep vehicles and machines running. A Red Seal trade you can do without getting greasy.Typical pay$54kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandModerateDeckhandThe entry door to working at sea. A short safety course, a medical, and you can be on a boat this season.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateAuto Glass TechnicianWindshields, side glass and the cameras behind them. Trained in months, in demand every winter.Typical pay$56kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateCommercial FisherCatch fish, crab or lobster for a living. High pay in a good season, and one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModeratePlastererSmooth walls, ornate ceilings and exterior stucco. A three-year Red Seal apprenticeship with almost no tuition.Typical pay$69kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandModerateCasino DealerRun the table, pay the winners, count everything twice. Trained in weeks, watched by cameras all shift.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateMetal FabricatorCut, shape and fit steel into bridges, tanks and buildings. A Red Seal trade you earn while you work.Typical pay$60kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandModerateDriving InstructorTeach new drivers in a car with a second set of pedals. Cheap to get into, and the pay depends on how many lessons you fill.Typical pay$42kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerateSolar Panel InstallerPut solar panels on roofs and fields. Fast to start, outdoors, and growing every year.Typical pay$54kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodElevator MechanicInstall and maintain elevators and escalators. One of the best paid trades, and one of the hardest to get into.Typical pay$94kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGoodCabinetmakerBuild custom kitchens, cabinets and furniture in a shop. A 4-year paid apprenticeship, quieter and steadier than site work, with lower pay.Typical pay$50kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandModeratePainter and DecoratorPaint, stain and coat the inside and outside of buildings. A 3-year paid apprenticeship, and no licence is needed to start.Typical pay$54kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandModerateFloor Covering InstallerInstall hardwood, laminate, vinyl and carpet in homes and offices. A 3 to 4 year paid apprenticeship and a fast route to your own business.Typical pay$55kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandModerateInsulatorWrap pipes, ducts, tanks and boilers so heat stays where it belongs. A 3 to 4 year paid apprenticeship with strong union pay in industrial plants.Typical pay$78kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandGoodBicycle MechanicFix, build and tune bikes and e-bikes. No licence, a short course or shop training, and busy summers.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateConcrete FinisherPlace, level and finish concrete floors, sidewalks and slabs. Early mornings, because concrete waits for no one.Typical pay$71kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandGoodBoilermakerBuild and repair the boilers, tanks and pressure vessels inside refineries and power plants. Intense shutdown weeks, big overtime, then time off.Typical pay$102kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandGoodRooferShingle houses and seal flat commercial roofs. Quick to enter, in short supply, hot and high.Typical pay$64kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandGoodButcherBreak down carcasses and cut meat for grocery stores and butcher shops. Learn on the job, unionized at big chains, and Canada is short of you.Typical pay$42kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandGoodUpholstererRe-cover furniture, car seats and boat interiors. No licence, learned in a shop, and a craft with more work than people to do it.Typical pay$47kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandModerate