Careers you can qualify for in two years or less in Canada
Every career here can be fully qualified for within two years of finishing high school, and that is the longest usual route, not just the fastest one. The times are the same ones shown on each career's own page. Some still need a licence, certificate or exam, and the career page says which.
61 careers in Canada
A year or less
27 careersBaristaThe easiest real job to get in Canada, and a skilled craft if you stay. Just know the pay ceiling is low.$34kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandBus DriverLicensed in a few months, then hired by a transit system that trains you and pays a pension.$52kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandCasino DealerRun the table, pay the winners, count everything twice. Trained in weeks, watched by cameras all shift.$48kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandDeckhandThe entry door to working at sea. A short safety course, a medical, and you can be on a boat this season.$58kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandDelivery DriverThe quickest job to start on this site. Watch for the versions where you pay for the van, the fuel and the insurance.$42kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandDental AssistantThe dentist's second pair of hands. One year of college, a national exam, and a job in any town with a dental clinic.$56kTypical pay1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandDrone PilotCheap and fast to get certified. Turning it into a full-time income is the hard part.$36kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandFlight AttendantHired and trained by the airline in weeks. You are there for safety first and service second.$65kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandHotel Front Desk AgentCheck guests in, fix what went wrong, hold the whole building together from one counter.$40kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandInsurance BrokerHelp people and businesses buy home, car and business insurance from many companies. Licensed in months in most provinces, no degree needed.$62kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandLetter CarrierOne employer, one union, and a route you walk in every kind of weather.$60kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandLifeguardWatch the water, prevent emergencies, and pull people out when prevention fails. Certified at 15, and paid by the hour from your first shift.$40kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandMakeup ArtistBridal, editorial, film and special effects. A short diploma, a portfolio, and freelance income that swings with the season.$42kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandMedical Laboratory AssistantDraw blood, label and prepare samples, keep the lab moving. About a year of college and you are working in a hospital.$56kTypical pay1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandMedical Office AssistantThe person who runs the front desk of a clinic. Six months to a year of college, a job in every town, modest pay.$52kTypical pay1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandNail TechnicianManicures, gel, acrylics and nail art. A short course, cheap to start, and your regulars are your paycheque.$42kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandOil 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.$83kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandPersonal Support WorkerUnder a year of training to a job with good prospects across Canada. Hard, human work, and the pay is modest.$50kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyGoodDemandPest Control TechnicianBed bugs, mice, wasps and termites. Licensed in months, hired fast, never boring.$54kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandPet GroomerBathe, clip and style dogs and cats. No licence needed, learn in months, and mobile groomers set their own prices.$37kTypical payup to 1 yearTo 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 qualifyLimitedDemandRestaurant ServerA job you can start within days, where tips decide what you actually take home.$38kTypical payup to 1 yearTo 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 qualifyLimitedDemandTour GuideGet paid to explain a place to people who have never seen it. Seasonal, social, and often with tips on top of the wage.$42kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyLimitedDemandTow Truck OperatorShow up when someone's day has gone wrong. Ontario now licenses every tow driver and towing company.$55kTypical payup to 1 yearTo qualifyModerateDemandTruck DriverLicensed in a few months. Everything in every store got there on a truck.$55kTypical payup to 1 yearTo 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
Up to 2 years
34 careers911 DispatcherYou are the first first responder. You answer the call, keep the caller alive, and send the right help.$58kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandAquaculture TechnicianRaise fish and shellfish on a farm in the water. Feeding, health checks, nets and boats.$61kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandAuto Glass TechnicianWindshields, side glass and the cameras behind them. Trained in months, in demand every winter.$56kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandBartenderRun the bar, control the room, and get paid in wages plus tips. In most provinces one short certificate is all the law requires.$42kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandBicycle MechanicFix, build and tune bikes and e-bikes. No licence, a short course or shop training, and busy summers.$52kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandBookkeeperKeep a business's money records straight. Fast to learn, steady demand, and you can work for yourself.$58kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandCanadian 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 qualifyGoodDemandCommercial 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 qualifyLimitedDemandCommunity Service WorkerSit with people on the worst day of their life and help them find food, housing, income and a way forward.$54kTypical pay1 to 2 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 qualifyModerateDemandCourt 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 qualifyModerateDemandDevelopmental Services WorkerSupport adults and kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, work and belong. A 2-year diploma, and Fanshawe College says most of its grads find work within 6 months.$54kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandEducational AssistantWork one on one with the students who need the most help. One year of college gets you into a school.$52kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandEstheticianFacials, waxing, lashes and skin treatments. A short program, low starting pay, and your regulars decide your income.$42kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandFlight DispatcherPlan the route, pick the fuel, watch the weather. On many flights you share control with the captain.$114kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandFloristDesign bouquets, weddings and funeral flowers. Quick to start, with a Job Bank median of about $17 an hour.$36kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandHeavy Equipment OperatorRun excavators, dozers and graders that move earth for roads, pipelines and buildings. A short training path and a Job Bank median of about $68,000 a year, but seasonal.$68kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandIT Support TechnicianFix the laptop, reset the password, get the office printing again. The fastest way into an IT (information technology) career, and the ladder everyone else climbed.$65kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandLaw 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 qualifyModerateDemandLibrary TechnicianRun the day to day of a library: the desk, the catalogue, the collection. Two years of college and you are working.$58kTypical pay2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandOpticianFit and sell glasses and contact lenses from a prescription. Two years of college (three in Quebec), a licence in every province, and a job that is half health care, half retail.$59kTypical pay2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandParamedicTwo years of college, then the front line of emergency medicine.$79kTypical pay2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandPersonal TrainerCoach people one on one to get stronger and healthier. Quick to start, low pay at first, and you are really running a small business.$40kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandPharmacy TechnicianFill and check prescriptions under a pharmacist. One to two years of college, a national exam, and a job in every town.$52kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandRailway ConductorRun the train crew, switch the cars and own the paperwork. Hired off a high school diploma and trained on pay.$90kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandRCMP 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 qualifyModerateDemandReal Estate AgentHelp people buy and sell homes for a commission. Licensed in about a year, paid only when a deal closes.$58kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandRehabilitation AssistantRun the exercises and daily-living practice that physiotherapists and occupational therapists prescribe. A 2-year diploma, hands-on from day one.$56kTypical pay2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandSolar Panel InstallerPut solar panels on roofs and fields. Fast to start, outdoors, and growing every year.$54kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyGoodDemandTransport DispatcherMatch loads to drivers, fix problems on the road, and keep a whole fleet moving from one desk.$58kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyLimitedDemandTravel AgentPlan other people's trips and fix them when they fall apart. In Ontario you need to pass an exam first.$50kTypical payup to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandVeterinary TechnicianThe nurse, anesthetist and lab tech of the animal clinic. Two years of college (three in Quebec), hands-on every day, and a Job Bank median of about $48,000 a year.$48kTypical pay2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemandWind Turbine TechnicianClimb tall towers to service wind turbines. One or two years of college, then a lot of ladders.$77kTypical pay1 to 2 yearsTo qualifyModerateDemand