Law and public safety
Every kind of lawyer, plus courts, police, fire, borders and corrections.
39 careers
Lawyers
12Corporate LawyerDeals, contracts and company law at big firms. Long hours, and a shot at partnership.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandCriminal Defence LawyerDefending people charged with crimes. Mostly solo or in tiny firms, often paid by legal aid, and in court almost every day.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandCrown ProsecutorThe lawyer who prosecutes crimes for the public. A salary grid, a pension, and a courtroom nearly every day.$124kTypical pay7 to 10 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandEmployment LawyerFirings, severance, harassment and human rights at work. You pick a side: employers or employees.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandEnvironmental LawyerPipelines, mines, water and climate rules. A lawyer path that leads to government, big firms, charities or First Nations.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandFamily LawyerDivorce, parenting and support disputes. Small firms, hard conversations, and clients on the worst year of their lives.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandImmigration LawyerHelping people and employers move to Canada. Federal rules, mountains of paperwork, and a non-lawyer route into the same field.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandIntellectual Property LawyerPatents, trademarks and copyright. The one legal specialty where a science degree matters.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandLawyerSeven years of school, a licensing year, then anything from legal aid to Bay Street.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandPersonal Injury LawyerSuing for people hurt in crashes, falls and by negligence (except road crashes in Quebec, where public insurance replaces lawsuits). Paid a share of the win, and only if there is a win.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandReal Estate LawyerThe lawyer who closes house sales. Steady, high-volume work at a flat fee per file, and almost no courtroom.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandTax LawyerLaw meets accounting. A long training and a small, specialized field.$124kTypical pay7 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand
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, except in Quebec, which wants 3 years of court office experience first.$62kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandCourt ReporterCapture every word said in court, live on a steno machine or from the recording. Short training, home-based work.$54kTypical pay1 to 3 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandJudgeNot a job you apply for out of school. Lawyers (and in Quebec, notaries) with 10 or more years of practice apply, and a committee decides.$387kTypical pay17 to 25 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandLaw ClerkThe person who actually runs the file. A 1 or 2 year diploma (3 years in Quebec), no licence, and lawyers who cannot function without you.$69kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandLegal AssistantThe organized person every lawyer depends on. A year of college, then steady office work in any city.$57kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandMediatorHelp two sides settle without a trial. Usually a second career built on law, social work or business.$85kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandParalegalIn Ontario, a licensed legal professional who argues in small claims court, traffic court and tribunals. Elsewhere, a support role.$69kTypical pay2 to 3 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandPrivate InvestigatorSurveillance, background checks and insurance fraud, not car chases. Licensed in every province and Yukon after a short course.$44kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandProbation OfficerSupervise people serving sentences in the community. A social science degree, then a government job with a pension.$84kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandSheriffKeep courthouses safe, move prisoners, and in Alberta patrol the highways. A peace officer job with paid training.$70kTypical pay1 to 3 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand
Police and fire
9911 DispatcherYou are the first first responder. You answer the call, keep the caller alive, and send the right help.$58kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandBorder 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.$87kTypical pay1 to 3 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandCorrectional OfficerGuarding jails and prisons. High school (more for Quebec provincial jobs), a few weeks to a few months of training, shift work, a strong pension, and real stress.$75kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandFire InspectorThe fire service job with no burning building. You inspect, investigate and enforce the fire code.$95kTypical pay2 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandFirefighterVery hard to get hired, very good once you are. Pension, 24-hour shifts, and a Job Bank median of about $95,000 a year.$95kTypical pay1 to 4 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandPolice DetectiveInvestigate serious crimes instead of answering calls. Not an entry job: you become a police officer first, then earn your way in.$116kTypical pay6 to 10 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPolice OfficerNo degree required. Paid training, a pension, and six figures within a few years of hire.$104kTypical pay1 to 3 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandRCMP OfficerJoin the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police): 26 paid weeks at Depot in Regina, then a posting anywhere in Canada.$104kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandWildland FirefighterSeasonal crew work cutting fireline in the bush. No tuition, hard days, and you can start the spring after high school.$52kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemand
Military and security
8Bylaw OfficerMunicipal law enforcement without a gun. Parking, noise, property standards, animals and licensing.$77kTypical pay1 to 3 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandCanadian Armed Forces MemberHired out of high school, paid from your first day of basic training, and taught a trade at no cost to you.$71kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandCanadian Armed Forces OfficerGet your degree paid for, get paid while you study, then lead people. The catch is you owe years of service.$114kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandConservation OfficerA peace officer for fish, wildlife and the backcountry. Very few jobs, and people wait years for them.$75kTypical pay3 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandIntelligence OfficerYou collect and make sense of information about threats. Long hiring process, deep background check, quiet career.$91kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandSecurity GuardA licence you can get in weeks, a job you can get at 18, and a way into policing if you want it.$44kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandSignals Intelligence AnalystMake sense of foreign communications for Canada's signals intelligence agency in Ottawa. Citizens only, and hiring can take 18 months.$91kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandSpecial Forces OperatorCanada's special operations units only take serving members who pass a hard selection, so you join the Canadian Armed Forces first.$116kTypical pay2 to 6 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemand