Canadian Highest Paid Occupations and Trades – By 2023, the Canadian labor market was really strong, offering many high-wage skill gaps, LMIAs and no LMIA opportunities. The country had many people in work (an employment rate of 61.9%), especially in areas such as STEM sectors such as healthcare, IT, finance and marketing.
This look back at 2023 helps us guess what might happen in 2024. Canada is a great place to work because of good wages, low taxes and friendly policies for people coming from other countries to work. As 2024 approaches, what we learned last year can help people who want to find good jobs in Canada.
The Canadian job market in 2023 offered a variety of well-paying opportunities in various trades and professions. With a strong economy and a high employment rate of 61.9%, Canada will be an attractive destination for job seekers even in 2024, offering opportunities in fields such as healthcare, technology, finance and marketing. Below are the top occupations and professions that received high salaries in Canada in 2023 according to Statistics Canada.
The 5 highest paying professions in Canada (2023)
- Truck driver (NOC 7511) – Salary: $140,352. Requirements include being 18 years and older, having a valid driver’s license, passing a medical exam, and often completing specific training.
- Plumber (NOC 7251) – Salary: $101,376. Aspiring plumbers must be 18 years and older, have a high school diploma, complete a 4-5 year apprenticeship, and obtain a plumbing certificate.
- Welder (NOC 7201) – Salary: $84,489. Qualifications include being 18 years of age and older, having a high school diploma, completing a one- to two-year welding program, and often obtaining certification.
- Electrician (NOC 7241) – Salary: $84,139. The conditions are to be 18 years old and over, have a high school diploma, complete a 4 to 5 year apprenticeship and obtain a license.
Industrial mechanic (site mechanic) (NOC 7311) – Salary: $83,579. Applicants must be 18 years of age and older, have a high school diploma, complete a relevant apprenticeship, and sometimes be certified.
15 High Paying Occupations in Canada (2023)
- Cardiologist: $280,591. Requires medical school, internal medicine residency, cardiology fellowship and registration with the Provincial College of Physicians and Surgeons.
- Anesthesiologist: $358,908. Involves medical school and a five-year residency in anaesthesiology.
- Psychiatrist: $298,065. Needs a medical degree and a five-year residency in psychiatry.
- Physician: $254,847. Requires a bachelor’s degree, medical school and family medicine residency.
- Surgeon: $279,646. Involves a bachelor’s degree, medical school and surgery residency.
- Orthodontist: $209,373. Involves a bachelor’s degree, dental school and a postgraduate orthodontic program.
- Director of Marketing: $109,196. Requires marketing experience and often a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree.
- Vice President: $135,578. Qualifications vary by industry, often requiring a four-year degree and possibly a master’s degree.
- Software Engineering Manager: $143,044. Requires a computer science degree, work experience and leadership skills.
- Director of IT: $117,890. Requires a degree in Computer Science, Computer Science or Business Administration, with extensive IT experience.
- Software Architect: $109,021. Includes a degree in computer science and extensive software engineering experience.
- Enterprise Architect: $110,083. Requires a degree in Computer Science, Computer Science or Business Administration, with experience in IT and enterprise architecture.
- Pharmacist: $105,088. Requires a four-year pharmacy degree, internship and registration with a regulatory authority.
- Corporate Controller: $103,056. Requires accounting education, CPA designation and financial management experience.
- Data Scientist: $84,630. Requires a related degree, programming skills and experience with data analysis and statistical modeling.
