Top 10 occupations in Canada with the highest wages

Wages are going up in many industries in Canada right now because there's a labour shortage everywhere. You've probably heard that there have been over a million job openings in the country for months now, it's talked about everywhere. Randstad, a well-known HR company, has compiled a list of occupations that are paid the most.

The first profession is software engineers and designers. In general, representatives of these positions often boast good incomes, but if you need six-figure sums, it’s worth choosing managerial positions. This suits those with the appropriate education and experience, strong leadership skills, and so on. If that's not about you yet, you'll need to work as a regular software engineer first, and then move on to higher-paying positions.

The second profession is a financial manager. Note that this is not an IT occupation. Financial managers can earn $80,000 to $150,000 CAD per year depending on factors such as experience, education, and the company where the professional works. Large companies and people who can supervise financial departments, act as accounting managers, and so on, usually get paid more.

The important point is that finance-related occupations must be studied in Canada, even if you have the same education in your home country. So, if you are considering this profession for yourself, consider immigrating to Canada through education. There’s an article about a tour to one of the colleges in Toronto on our website, you can read how international students study in Canada.

Another option is to find a job in another occupation that doesn’t require a Canadian education, and then retrain after you get permanent residency.

Now the next specialty, it is a manufacturing manager. Manufacturing managers earn on average $90,000 to $160,000 CAD, slightly more than financial managers. Earnings above $100,000 are usually for those with plant management experience. In this area, wage growth is mostly triggered by the pandemic.

There was a big shortage of personnel here because during COVID-19 some employees decided to retire earlier, while others chose to quit their physical jobs. At the same time, consumer demand hasn’t decreased, so factories need to work as efficiently as possible. That’s why companies are willing to invest in good management.

The fourth high-paying profession is an interactive media developer. More specifically, a manager in the field of applied programming. Experienced workers in this field can earn over $100,000 CAD per year. It depends on the size of your team, company, and employer.

The high incomes of these professionals are understandable because the occupation requires impressive experience, knowledge of several types of programming, the ability to lead a team and train juniors. In addition, your team may be responsible for the technology on which the company's entire business is built.

Next are marketing managers, who manage the marketing departments in companies. They naturally have to understand all aspects of this field, as well as work with other managers to build the company's brand. Usually, before becoming a manager, professionals have to work for many years in lower positions in advertising.

The sixth of the ten occupations is a business development officer. These professionals earn an average of $85,000 to $100,000 CAD, not the biggest wage in this ranking. But earnings for experienced workers with good reputations can go as high as $175,000. For businesses, development managers are indispensable. They close deals, build relationships with clients, and directly affect the company's income. So, employers are often willing to pay experts in their field. The pandemic played a role, too. Canadians have become more cautious and less willing to do business with organizations they don't know, so every deal becomes critical to a company's long-term success.

The next occupation is a cloud architect. Cloud architects and engineers with more than 5 years of experience can earn about $100,000 CAD per year. By the way, the experience doesn't have to be cloud-specific, other networking and data management experiences will do. Some employers may ask you for certificates, which require thorough and sometimes expensive testing.

The eighth profession on the list is an IT operations manager. And, like other managers in that field, operations managers may well make six figures a year. But high earners usually have to work for several years in a variety of technical positions before taking a management one.

Perhaps the next specialty will surprise you because it doesn't quite fit into this ranking of IT workers and managers. Nevertheless, it is also on the list of the best paid. It is an electrical engineer. Unless you're a super experienced professional, you can make somewhere between $80,000 and $100,000 CAD in Canada. With 5 to 10 years of experience, the average salary goes up to $115,000. Workers in energy and manufacturing tend to earn the most because there is a particular shortage of such specialists in Canada.

But there is an important point with the occupation of an electrical engineer — it requires a license. This means that you will have to pass exams and prove your qualifications to work in Canada. Conditions vary from province to province. Maybe your experience and passing the exams will be enough for you, or perhaps you will have to take some courses. We have an article on whether you need to retrain to immigrate to Canada. There you will learn more about the professions that do and do not require a license, and what to do if your occupation is regulated.

And the last profession is a construction project manager. Their salaries, like most professions on this list, can reach $100,000 CAD a year or more. Incidentally, demand for these workers has increased during the pandemic, and this is partly due to the pressure on the housing market. You may also have heard that there are problems with this in Canada right now, with real estate prices rising at a great rate and buyers overpaying hundreds of thousands to buy a home. Only in the last couple of months, the market has cooled off a bit and the demand for housing has dropped.

If your occupation is not on the list, don't be upset. Many jobs in Canada have decent incomes.