Science and environment
Labs, wildlife, weather, space, farms and forests.
28 careers
Life and lab
9BiochemistWork out the chemistry inside living cells, for a drug company, a hospital lab or a university.$83kTypical pay4 to 9 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandBiologistStudy living things for a government, a university or a consulting firm. The degree is the easy part; the funding is the hard part.$83kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandChemistAnalyse, formulate and improve materials for industry, government or a research lab.$80kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandFood ScientistDesign what goes in the package, and make sure it is safe, stable and the same every time.$83kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandForensic ScientistAnalyse evidence in a government lab and defend the result in court. A small field, and the jobs go to chemists and biologists.$80kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandLaboratory TechnicianRun the tests that keep water, food, fuel and medicine safe. Two years of college (three in Quebec) and you are working.$62kTypical pay2 to 3 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandMarine BiologistStudy ocean life on three coasts. Popular, competitive, and mostly funded by fisheries and government science.$83kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandMicrobiologistWork with bacteria, viruses and fungi in a hospital, a brewery, a water plant or a vaccine lab.$83kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandWildlife BiologistCount, track and manage wild animals so governments and companies can decide what happens to their habitat.$83kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
Physics, space and numbers
4AstronomerStudy stars, planets and galaxies with telescopes and code. Almost everyone in this job has a doctorate.$117kTypical pay9 to 12 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandMathematicianProve things, model things, and solve problems other people cannot state clearly yet.$106kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPhysicistWork out how matter and energy behave, then build instruments to prove it. The longest science training, and the widest exits.$117kTypical pay8 to 11 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandStatisticianDesign studies, measure things properly, and say how sure you actually are.$106kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
Earth and weather
4GeologistRead rocks to find metals, water and oil, and to work out what the ground will do next.$104kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandHydrologistWork out where water goes: floods, droughts, groundwater and the rivers a city drinks from.$104kTypical pay4 to 8 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandMeteorologistForecast storms, warn people in time, and study how the atmosphere is changing.$112kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandOceanographerMeasure the ocean: its currents, chemistry, life and ice. Often from a ship, in bad weather.$104kTypical pay4 to 10 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand
Environment and conservation
4EcologistStudy how living things and their habitats fit together, then tell governments and builders what a project will do to them.$83kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandEnvironmental ScientistMeasure pollution, assess projects before they are built, and hold industry to the rules.$94kTypical pay4 to 6 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandEnvironmental TechnicianTake the samples, run the instruments and gather the field data the reports are built on. Two years of college (three in Quebec) gets you in.$70kTypical pay2 to 3 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandPark WardenEnforce the law inside national parks. Peace officer powers, a backcountry office and very few positions.$75kTypical pay2 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemand
Farming, forestry and fishing
7AgronomistThe crop doctor. You walk fields, read soil tests, and tell farmers what to plant, feed and spray.$83kTypical pay4 to 5 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandAquaculture TechnicianRaise fish and shellfish on a farm in the water. Feeding, health checks, nets and boats.$61kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandCommercial FisherCatch fish, crab or lobster for a living. Pay follows the catch, and it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.$58kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandFarmerRun a business that grows food. Long hours, big machinery, and weather you cannot control.$62kTypical payup to 4 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandForesterDecide how a forest gets cut, protected and regrown, and sign your name to the plan.$98kTypical pay5 to 7 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandForestry TechnicianThe person who actually measures the forest: plots, plants, roads, cut blocks and regrowth.$69kTypical pay2 to 3 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandGreenhouse GrowerRun the crop inside a glass building: light, water, feed and pests, twelve months a year.$45kTypical payup to 3 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand