Highest paying careers in Canada
Every career here has typical pay of $100,000 a year or more on its own page. Typical means the middle: half earn more, half earn less, and starting pay is lower. Most of the top band needs ten or more years of school and training, so check the time to qualify before the pay.
110 careers in Canada
$200,000 a year and up
42Cardiac SurgeonOperate on the heart: bypasses, valves, transplants. Six years of residency, very high pay, and one of the tightest job markets in Canadian medicine.Typical pay$620kTo qualify13 to 16 yrsDemandModerateOphthalmologistThe eye surgeon. Cataracts, glaucoma, retina, lasers. One of the highest paid and most competitive specialties in Canada, with better hours than most surgery.Typical pay$600kTo qualify12 to 15 yrsDemandGoodCardiologistThe heart doctor. Six years of residency after medical school, among the longest paths in medicine, and among the best paid.Typical pay$550kTo qualify12 to 14 yrsDemandVery highRadiologistThe doctor who reads X-rays, scans and ultrasounds and tells other doctors what is wrong. Five years of residency and one of the highest incomes in medicine.Typical pay$550kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highNeurosurgeonOperate on the brain, spine and nerves. The longest surgical training in Canada, one of the highest paid, and one of the smallest job markets.Typical pay$540kTo qualify13 to 16 yrsDemandModerateVascular SurgeonThe surgeon for arteries and veins outside the heart and brain: aneurysms, blocked leg arteries, stroke-prevention neck surgery. Five years of direct-entry residency and some of the longest hours in medicine.Typical pay$460kTo qualify11 to 15 yrsDemandGoodGastroenterologistThe gut doctor. Scopes, liver disease and Crohn's, five years of residency, and one of the best-paid branches of internal medicine.Typical pay$450kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highOrthopedic SurgeonFix bones and joints: fractures, hip and knee replacements, torn ligaments. Very well paid, but new grads can struggle to find a hospital job.Typical pay$450kTo qualify12 to 15 yrsDemandModeratePlastic SurgeonRebuild what injury, cancer and birth defects take away, and reshape what patients pay to change. Far more reconstruction than Hollywood.Typical pay$450kTo qualify12 to 15 yrsDemandGoodUrologistThe surgeon for kidneys, bladder, prostate and the male reproductive system. Five years of residency, a mix of clinic and operating room, and a lot of prostate cancer.Typical pay$450kTo qualify11 to 14 yrsDemandGoodEar, Nose and Throat SurgeonTonsils, sinuses, hearing, voice and head and neck cancer. Officially otolaryngology, one of the most varied surgical specialties.Typical pay$430kTo qualify12 to 15 yrsDemandGoodThoracic SurgeonThe surgeon for the lungs, esophagus and chest wall, mostly cancer. General surgery first, then two or three more years. About 14 years of training.Typical pay$430kTo qualify13 to 16 yrsDemandGoodAnesthesiologistThe doctor who puts you to sleep for surgery and keeps you alive through it. Five years of residency, high pay, no clinic to run.Typical pay$420kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highGeneral SurgeonOperate on the abdomen, breast, skin and trauma cases. About 13 years of training for one of the broadest jobs in medicine.Typical pay$420kTo qualify12 to 15 yrsDemandGoodNephrologistThe kidney doctor. Dialysis, transplants and blood pressure, five years of residency after medical school, and patients you follow for decades.Typical pay$400kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highOncologistThe cancer doctor. Long training, mostly salaried jobs in cancer centres, and patients who will remember you for the rest of their lives.Typical pay$400kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highOral and Maxillofacial SurgeonThe dentist who became a surgeon: wisdom teeth, jaw surgery, facial fractures and implants. Dental school, then a 4 to 6 year hospital residency.Typical pay$400kTo qualify10 to 14 yrsDemandGoodPediatric SurgeonThe surgeon for babies, children and teens, from newborns born with organs outside the body to appendicitis. General surgery first, then two more years. One of the smallest specialties in Canada.Typical pay$400kTo qualify13 to 15 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 yrsDemandLimitedDermatologistThe skin, hair and nail doctor. Five years of residency, regular hours, and one of the hardest residencies in Canada to get into.Typical pay$380kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highRadiation OncologistThe cancer doctor who treats tumours with radiation beams. Five years of residency after medical school, a salaried job at a cancer centre, and physics every day.Typical pay$380kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandGoodRespirologistThe lung doctor. Asthma, smokers' lungs, sleep apnea and the intensive care unit, five years of residency after medical school.Typical pay$380kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highHematologistThe blood doctor. Leukemia, clots, anemia and transfusions, five years of residency after medical school, often a salaried job in a cancer centre.Typical pay$370kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highPathologistThe doctor who looks at tissue under a microscope and says what the disease is. Every cancer diagnosis passes through one. Five years of residency, regular hours.Typical pay$370kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highEmergency PhysicianThe doctor on shift when anything walks, rolls or is carried through the door. Two ways in, and shifts instead of a clinic.Typical pay$350kTo qualify9 to 13 yrsDemandVery highInternal Medicine DoctorThe hospital doctor for adults with complicated problems, and the gateway to a dozen specialties. Four to five years of residency.Typical pay$350kTo qualify10 to 13 yrsDemandVery highOrthodontistA dentist who went back to school to straighten teeth. One of the best-paid jobs in Canada, and one of the longest roads.Typical pay$350kTo qualify9 to 11 yrsDemandGoodObstetrician-GynecologistDelivers babies and treats everything from fertility to cancer of the reproductive organs. Five years of residency, surgery, and babies at 3 a.m.Typical pay$340kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highRheumatologistThe joint and immune system doctor. Arthritis, lupus and gout, clinic hours, and one of the shortest-staffed specialties in Canada.Typical pay$310kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highEndocrinologistThe hormone doctor. Diabetes, thyroid and bone, mostly clinic hours, five years of residency after medical school.Typical pay$300kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highInfectious Disease DoctorThe germ detective. Antibiotics, outbreaks and the infections nobody else can name, five years of residency after medical school.Typical pay$300kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highPsychiatristA medical doctor who diagnoses and treats mental illness, and can prescribe. Five years of residency, and Canada is badly short of them.Typical pay$300kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highGeriatricianThe doctor for older adults. Memory, falls, frailty and too many pills, five years of residency after medical school, and Canada has only a few hundred of them.Typical pay$290kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highNeurologistThe brain and nerve doctor who does not operate. Strokes, seizures, migraines, multiple sclerosis. Five years of residency and a shortage everywhere.Typical pay$290kTo qualify11 to 13 yrsDemandVery highAllergist and ImmunologistThe doctor for allergies, asthma, hives and immune system problems. About 13 years of training, then office hours and very few emergencies.Typical pay$260kTo qualify12 to 14 yrsDemandVery highSports Medicine DoctorThe team doctor. Injuries, concussions and getting athletes back on the field. Usually a family doctor with one extra year, not a surgeon.Typical pay$260kTo qualify9 to 12 yrsDemandGoodEndodontistThe root canal specialist. A dentist who did 2 to 3 more years of residency to save teeth other dentists would pull. High pay, long road, no braces or cleanings.Typical pay$250kTo qualify10 to 11 yrsDemandGoodPalliative Care DoctorThe doctor for people with serious illness, focused on comfort, pain and time with family. One of the shorter specialist paths, and emotionally the hardest.Typical pay$250kTo qualify9 to 13 yrsDemandVery highPediatricianA doctor for babies, children and teens. Four years of residency after medical school, then a job that never runs short of patients.Typical pay$250kTo qualify10 to 13 yrsDemandVery highPeriodontistThe gum and implant specialist. A dentist who did 3 more years of residency to treat gum disease and place implants. High pay, very long road.Typical pay$250kTo qualify10 to 11 yrsDemandGoodFamily DoctorThe longest path on this site, and one of the highest paid. Ten years, then a job for life.Typical pay$240kTo qualify9 to 11 yrsDemandVery highPediatric DentistA dentist for kids only, from first tooth to the teen years. Dental school plus 2 to 3 more years of residency, and a lot of patience.Typical pay$220kTo qualify10 to 11 yrsDemandGood
$150,000 to $200,000 a year
3DentistFix teeth, run a clinic, earn well. Eight years of school and a lot of debt first.Typical pay$160kTo qualify6 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 yrsDemandGoodCorporate 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 yrsDemandGood
$100,000 to $150,000 a year
65Crown 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 yrsDemandGoodIntellectual Property LawyerPatents, trademarks and copyright. The one legal specialty where a science degree matters.Typical pay$140kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodIT Project ManagerGet a software or systems project delivered on time and on budget, with a team you do not directly control. Experience first, then the title.Typical pay$139kTo qualify6 to 10 yrsDemandModeratePetroleum EngineerGet oil and gas out of the ground. The best starting pay in engineering, tied to an industry that booms and busts.Typical pay$135kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateMining EngineerPlan and run the mines that dig up Canada's metals and minerals. High pay, remote sites, and an industry that rises and falls with metal prices.Typical pay$125kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodNurse PractitionerA nurse with a master's degree who can diagnose, order tests and prescribe. Two degrees, six figures, huge demand.Typical pay$125kTo qualify8 to 9 yrsDemandVery highProduct ManagerDecide what a software product should do next and get engineers, designers and the business to agree. Well paid, rarely a first job.Typical pay$125kTo qualify5 to 8 yrsDemandLimitedVeterinarianDoctor for animals. Eight years of school at one of five colleges, heavy debt, real emotional strain, and strong demand.Typical pay$125kTo qualify6 to 8 yrsDemandVery highUniversity ProfessorTeach and research at a university. The pay is good, the training is long, and permanent jobs are scarce.Typical pay$122kTo qualify9 to 14 yrsDemandLimitedAstronomerStudy stars, planets and galaxies with telescopes and code. Almost everyone in this job has a doctorate.Typical pay$117kTo qualify9 to 12 yrsDemandLimitedDevOps EngineerKeep the software running and the releases flowing. One of the best-paid jobs in tech, and one of the least visible.Typical pay$117kTo qualify3 to 6 yrsDemandModerateMedical PhysicistThe physicist who makes sure the radiation machines in a cancer centre are safe and accurate. A PhD, a residency and a national exam. Long road, rare job, high pay.Typical pay$117kTo qualify8 to 12 yrsDemandModeratePhysicistWork out how matter and energy behave, then build instruments to prove it. The longest science training, and the widest exits.Typical pay$117kTo qualify8 to 11 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 yrsDemandGoodLawyerSeven years of school, a licensing year, then anything from legal aid to Bay Street.Typical pay$115kTo qualify7 to 8 yrsDemandGoodSchool PrincipalRun a whole school. Ten years of teaching first, then a leadership qualification and a job with no union to hide behind.Typical pay$115kTo qualify10 to 15 yrsDemandModerateAir Traffic ControllerPaid a salary from the first day of training. Most people who apply never get in.Typical pay$114kTo qualify2 to 3 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 yrsDemandGoodFlight DispatcherPlan the route, pick the fuel, watch the weather. On many flights you share control with the captain.Typical pay$114kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateMeteorologistForecast storms, warn people in time, and study how the atmosphere is changing.Typical pay$112kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandModerateEmployment 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 yrsDemandGoodOptometristEye exams, glasses, contacts and eye disease. Six figures with regular hours, but only one English-language school in Canada.Typical pay$110kTo 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 yrsDemandGoodAirline PilotFly people across the country for a living. The training bill is big and the seniority ladder is slow.Typical pay$108kTo qualify4 to 7 yrsDemandGoodChemical EngineerTurn raw materials into fuel, medicine, food and plastics at industrial scale. Best paid in Alberta, and tied to the oil price.Typical pay$108kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateHelicopter PilotFly the machine that can land anywhere. Most of the work is in the bush, not the city.Typical pay$108kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandModeratePharmacistSix-figure pay after six years. Retail, hospital or industry, and no residency required.Typical pay$108kTo qualify6 to 7 yrsDemandGoodActuaryPut a price on risk for insurers and pension plans. Years of exams, but you are paid well while you write them.Typical pay$106kTo qualify4 to 9 yrsDemandModerateMathematicianProve things, model things, and solve problems other people cannot state clearly yet.Typical pay$106kTo qualify4 to 10 yrsDemandModerateStatisticianDesign studies, measure things properly, and say how sure you actually are.Typical pay$106kTo qualify4 to 6 yrsDemandGoodElectrical EngineerPower grids, electronics and telecom. Where the electricity comes from and where the signals go.Typical pay$105kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodMidwifeDeliver babies and care for families through pregnancy and the weeks after. On call around the clock, and paid well for it.Typical pay$105kTo qualify4 yrsDemandGoodPower Systems EngineerKeep the lights on. Design and protect the grid that carries electricity from dams and reactors to your house.Typical pay$105kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodAerospace EngineerAircraft, engines, satellites and flight simulators. Montreal is the hub, and only a handful of schools teach it.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateAgricultural EngineerEngineering for food: machinery, barns, irrigation, grain storage and the systems that move a harvest.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateBiomedical EngineerMedical devices, implants and hospital equipment. A small job market, and often a stepping stone to medicine or grad school.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateFire Protection EngineerWork out how a building would burn, then design it so people get out. An engineering degree plus a fire specialty.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodGeological EngineerEngineering built on rock, soil and groundwater: tunnels, mine slopes, dams and contaminated ground.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodGeologistRead rocks to find metals, water and oil, and to work out what the ground will do next.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateHydrologistWork out where water goes: floods, droughts, groundwater and the rivers a city drinks from.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodLocomotive EngineerRun freight and passenger trains across the country. The railway hires you first, then trains you.Typical pay$104kTo qualify3 to 6 yrsDemandModerateNaval ArchitectDesign ships and everything else that floats: hull shape, stability, structure and the systems inside.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateOceanographerMeasure the ocean: its currents, chemistry, life and ice. Often from a ship, in bad weather.Typical pay$104kTo qualify4 to 10 yrsDemandModeratePolice 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 yrsDemandGoodCybersecurity AnalystWatch for attacks and stop them. High pay, real shortage, and the government is one of the biggest employers.Typical pay$103kTo qualify2 to 6 yrsDemandModeratePenetration TesterGet paid to break into companies' computer systems, with their written permission, so real attackers cannot.Typical pay$103kTo qualify3 to 6 yrsDemandModerateBoilermakerBuild 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 yrsDemandGoodPower EngineerRun the boilers, turbines and refrigeration plants that keep hospitals, refineries and cities working. Six figures with a two-year diploma.Typical pay$102kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandGoodCivil EngineerRoads, bridges, water and buildings. A four-year degree, then a licence that lets you sign the drawings.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodEnvironmental EngineerClean water, contaminated sites and climate projects. Mostly consulting firms, with a real share of the year outdoors.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodGeneral ContractorRun the whole build: hire the trades, keep the schedule, carry the risk. Usually a trade first, then your own company.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 10 yrsDemandModerateGeotechnical EngineerSoil and rock. Figure out what the ground will hold before anyone builds a foundation, a dam or a mine on it.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodProject ManagerGet a building, a product or a system finished on time and on budget. A job you grow into, not start in.Typical pay$101kTo qualify5 to 8 yrsDemandGoodTransportation EngineerDesign the roads, intersections, transit lines and signals that decide how a city moves.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodWater Resources EngineerDesign the pipes, dams and flood defences that move water safely. A four-year engineering degree, then a licence.Typical pay$101kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodComputer EngineerWhere hardware meets software: chips, embedded systems and the code that runs on them. Many never bother with the licence.Typical pay$100kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandGoodEconomistStudy how money, prices and jobs move, then advise governments, banks and companies. Usually a master's degree.Typical pay$100kTo qualify5 to 7 yrsDemandLimitedFirefighterVery hard to get hired, very good once you are. Pension, 24-hour shifts, six figures.Typical pay$100kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerateGame DeveloperWrite the code behind video games. Canada is one of the biggest game-making countries on Earth.Typical pay$100kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerateMaterials EngineerWork out what things are made of, why they break, and what to build them from next.Typical pay$100kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandModerateMobile App DeveloperBuild the apps on people's phones. iPhone or Android, one skill set, strong pay.Typical pay$100kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModeratePsychologistAssess, diagnose and treat mental health problems. A long road to a doctorate, then good pay and real independence.Typical pay$100kTo qualify6 to 11 yrsDemandGood