Law and public safety
Every kind of lawyer, plus courts, police, fire, borders and corrections.
37 careers
Lawyers
12Corporate LawyerDeals, contracts and company law at big firms. The best-paid lawyer path, and the one with the longest hours.Typical pay$150kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodCriminal Defence LawyerDefending people charged with crimes. Mostly solo or in tiny firms, often paid by legal aid, and in court almost every day.Typical pay$95kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandModerateCrown ProsecutorThe lawyer who prosecutes crimes for the public. A salary grid, a pension, and a courtroom nearly every day.Typical pay$140kTo qualify7 to 10 yrsDemandGoodEmployment LawyerFirings, severance, harassment and human rights at work. You pick a side: employers or employees.Typical pay$110kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodEnvironmental LawyerPipelines, mines, water and climate rules. A lawyer path that leads to government, big firms, charities or First Nations.Typical pay$110kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodFamily LawyerDivorce, parenting and support disputes. Small firms, hard conversations, and clients on the worst year of their lives.Typical pay$95kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodImmigration LawyerHelping people and employers move to Canada. Federal rules, mountains of paperwork, and a non-lawyer route into the same field.Typical pay$90kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodIntellectual Property LawyerPatents, trademarks and copyright. The one legal specialty where a science degree matters.Typical pay$140kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodLawyerSeven years of school, a licensing year, then anything from legal aid to Bay Street.Typical pay$115kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodPersonal Injury LawyerSuing for people hurt in crashes, falls and by negligence. Paid a share of the win, and only if there is a win.Typical pay$110kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodReal Estate LawyerThe lawyer who closes house sales. Steady, high-volume work at a flat fee per file, and almost no courtroom.Typical pay$110kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodTax LawyerLaw meets accounting. A long training, a small field, and some of the highest pay in law.Typical pay$160kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGood
Courts and legal support
10Court ClerkRun the courtroom's paperwork: swear in witnesses, track exhibits, keep the record. Hired with high school and trained on the job.Typical pay$62kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateCourt ReporterCapture every word said in court, live on a steno machine or from the recording. Short training, home-based work.Typical pay$54kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerateJudgeNot a job you apply for out of school. Lawyers with 10 or more years of practice apply, and a committee decides.Typical pay$387kTo qualify17 to 25 yrsDemandLimitedLaw ClerkThe person who actually runs the file. A 1 or 2 year diploma, no licence, and lawyers who cannot function without you.Typical pay$55kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodLegal AssistantThe organized person every lawyer depends on. A year of college, then steady office work in any city.Typical pay$57kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodMediatorHelp two sides settle without a trial. Usually a second career built on law, social work or business.Typical pay$85kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodParalegalIn Ontario, a licensed legal professional who argues in small claims court, traffic court and tribunals. Elsewhere, a support role.Typical pay$69kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandGoodPrivate InvestigatorSurveillance, background checks and insurance fraud, not car chases. Licensed in every province after a short course.Typical pay$44kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateProbation OfficerSupervise people serving sentences in the community. A social science degree, then a government job with a pension.Typical pay$84kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGoodSheriffKeep courthouses safe, move prisoners, and in some provinces patrol the highways. A peace officer job with paid training.Typical pay$70kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerate
Police and fire
9911 DispatcherYou are the first first responder. You answer the call, keep the caller alive, and send the right help.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodBorder Services OfficerArmed federal officers at airports and land crossings. High school or college, about 18 weeks of training on an allowance, and a federal pension.Typical pay$85kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandGoodCorrectional OfficerGuarding jails and prisons. High school, a few weeks to a few months of training, shift work, a strong pension, and real stress.Typical pay$75kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodFire InspectorThe fire service job with no burning building. You inspect, investigate and enforce the fire code.Typical pay$95kTo qualify2 to 8 yrsDemandModerateFirefighterVery hard to get hired, very good once you are. Pension, 24-hour shifts, six figures.Typical pay$100kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModeratePolice DetectiveInvestigate serious crimes instead of answering calls. Not an entry job: you become a police officer first, then earn your way in.Typical pay$116kTo qualify6 to 10 yrsDemandGoodPolice OfficerNo degree required. Paid training, a pension, and six figures within a few years of hire.Typical pay$104kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandGoodRCMP OfficerJoin the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police): 26 paid weeks at Depot in Regina, then a posting anywhere in Canada.Typical pay$104kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodWildland 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 yrDemandGood
Military and security
6Bylaw OfficerMunicipal law enforcement without a gun. Parking, noise, property standards, animals and licensing.Typical pay$77kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerateCanadian 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 yrsDemandGoodCanadian Armed Forces OfficerGet your degree paid for, get paid while you study, then lead people. The catch is you owe years of service.Typical pay$114kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGoodConservation OfficerA peace officer for fish, wildlife and the backcountry. Very few jobs, and people wait years for them.Typical pay$75kTo qualify3 to 6 yrsDemandLimitedIntelligence OfficerYou collect and make sense of information about threats. Long hiring process, deep background check, quiet career.Typical pay$91kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateSecurity 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 yrDemandModerate