Careers you can qualify for in two years or less
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.
62 careers in Canada
A year or less
27BaristaThe easiest real job to get in Canada, and a skilled craft if you stay. Just know the pay ceiling is low.Typical pay$34kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodBus DriverLicensed in a few months, then hired by a transit system that trains you and pays a pension.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodCasino DealerRun the table, pay the winners, count everything twice. Trained in weeks, watched by cameras all shift.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateDeckhandThe entry door to working at sea. A short safety course, a medical, and you can be on a boat this season.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateDelivery DriverThe quickest job to start on this site. Watch for the versions where you pay for the van, the fuel and the insurance.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodDental AssistantThe dentist's second pair of hands. One year of college, a national exam, and a job in any town with a dental clinic.Typical pay$56kTo qualify1 yrDemandGoodDrone PilotCheap and fast to get certified. Turning it into a full-time income is the hard part.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateFlight AttendantHired and trained by the airline in weeks. You are there for safety first and service second.Typical pay$65kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateHotel Front Desk AgentCheck guests in, fix what went wrong, hold the whole building together from one counter.Typical pay$40kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodInsurance BrokerHelp people and businesses buy home, car and business insurance from many companies. Licensed in months, no degree needed.Typical pay$62kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodLetter CarrierOne employer, one union, and a route you walk in every kind of weather.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateLifeguardWatch the water, prevent emergencies, and pull people out when prevention fails. Certified at 15, and one of the best-paid teen jobs in Canada.Typical pay$40kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodMakeup ArtistBridal, editorial, film and special effects. A short diploma, a portfolio, and freelance income that swings with the season.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedMedical Laboratory AssistantDraw blood, label and prepare samples, keep the lab moving. About a year of college and you are working in a hospital.Typical pay$56kTo qualify1 yrDemandGoodMedical 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.Typical pay$52kTo qualify1 yrDemandModerateNail TechnicianManicures, gel, acrylics and nail art. A short course, cheap to start, and your regulars are your paycheque.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimitedOil 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.Typical pay$83kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModeratePersonal Support WorkerUnder a year of training to a job every province is desperate to fill. Hard, human work, and the pay is modest.Typical pay$46kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery highPest Control TechnicianBed bugs, mice, wasps and termites. Licensed in months, hired fast, never boring.Typical pay$54kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodPet GroomerBathe, clip and style dogs and cats. No licence needed, learn in months, and mobile groomers set their own prices.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModeratePrivate InvestigatorSurveillance, background checks and insurance fraud, not car chases. Licensed in every province after a short course.Typical pay$44kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateRestaurant ServerThe fastest job in the country to get hired for, where tips decide what you actually take home.Typical pay$38kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodSecurity 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 yrDemandModerateTour GuideGet paid to explain a place to people who have never seen it. Seasonal, social, and better paid than it looks once tips are counted.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateTow Truck OperatorShow up when someone's day has gone wrong. Several provinces now licence the whole industry.Typical pay$55kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerateTruck DriverLicensed in a few months. Everything in every store got there on a truck.Typical pay$55kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGoodWildland 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
Up to two years
35911 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 yrsDemandGoodAquaculture TechnicianRaise fish and shellfish on a farm in the water. Feeding, health checks, nets and boats.Typical pay$67kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodAuto Glass TechnicianWindshields, side glass and the cameras behind them. Trained in months, in demand every winter.Typical pay$56kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateBartenderRun the bar, control the room, and get paid in wages plus tips. One short certificate is all the law requires.Typical pay$42kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodBicycle MechanicFix, build and tune bikes and e-bikes. No licence, a short course or shop training, and busy summers.Typical pay$52kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateBookkeeperKeep a business's money records straight. Fast to learn, steady demand, and you can work for yourself.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodCanadian 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 yrsDemandGoodCommercial FisherCatch fish, crab or lobster for a living. High pay in a good season, and one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateCommunity Service WorkerSit with people on the worst day of their life and help them find food, housing, income and a way forward.Typical pay$54kTo qualify1 to 2 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 yrsDemandGoodCourt 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 yrsDemandModerateDevelopmental Services WorkerSupport adults and kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live, work and belong. A 2-year diploma, and nearly every grad is hired.Typical pay$54kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodEducational AssistantWork one on one with the students who need the most help. One year of college gets you into a school.Typical pay$52kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodEstheticianFacials, waxing, lashes and skin treatments. A short program, low starting pay, and your regulars decide your income.Typical pay$42kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandLimitedFlight DispatcherPlan the route, pick the fuel, watch the weather. On many flights you share control with the captain.Typical pay$114kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateFloristDesign bouquets, weddings and funeral flowers. Quick to start, low pay unless you own the shop or do events.Typical pay$36kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimitedHeavy Equipment OperatorRun excavators, dozers and graders that move earth for roads, pipelines and buildings. A short training path and good pay, but seasonal.Typical pay$65kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodIT Support TechnicianFix the laptop, reset the password, get the office printing again. The fastest way into a tech career, and the ladder everyone else climbed.Typical pay$65kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateLaw 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 yrsDemandGoodLibrary TechnicianRun the day to day of a library: the desk, the catalogue, the collection. Two years of college and you are working.Typical pay$58kTo qualify2 yrsDemandModerateOpticianFit and sell glasses and contact lenses from a prescription. Two years of college, a licence in every province, and a job that is half health care, half retail.Typical pay$59kTo qualify2 yrsDemandModerateParamedicTwo years of college, then the front line of emergency medicine.Typical pay$80kTo qualify2 yrsDemandGoodPersonal 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.Typical pay$40kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModeratePharmacy TechnicianFill and check prescriptions under a pharmacist. One to two years of college, a national exam, and a job in every town.Typical pay$55kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGoodPractical NurseTwo years of college to a nursing licence and a job in any town in Canada. Hands-on, in demand, cheaper than a degree.Typical pay$64kTo qualify2 yrsDemandVery highRailway ConductorRun the train crew, switch the cars and own the paperwork. Hired off a high school diploma and trained on pay.Typical pay$90kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateRCMP 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 yrsDemandGoodReal Estate AgentHelp people buy and sell homes for a commission. Licensed in about a year, paid only when a deal closes.Typical pay$58kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerateRehabilitation AssistantRun the exercises and daily-living practice that physiotherapists and occupational therapists prescribe. A 2-year diploma, hands-on from day one.Typical pay$56kTo qualify2 yrsDemandGoodSolar Panel InstallerPut solar panels on roofs and fields. Fast to start, outdoors, and growing every year.Typical pay$54kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGoodTransport DispatcherMatch loads to drivers, fix problems on the road, and keep a whole fleet moving from one desk.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateTravel AgentPlan other people's trips and fix them when they fall apart. In Ontario you need to pass an exam first.Typical pay$50kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerateVeterinary TechnicianThe nurse, anesthetist and lab tech of the animal clinic. Two years of college, hands-on every day, and honestly low pay.Typical pay$50kTo qualify2 yrsDemandGoodWind Turbine TechnicianClimb 100 metres to service wind turbines. One year of college, strong pay, and a lot of stairs.Typical pay$77kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGood