15 Great Careers in Demand from 2015 to 2024 in Canada
Registered nurse ( RNs) are needed in every province and territory. During the five-year period from 2015 to 2020, there could be almost 5,000 RN job openings in that province alone. RNs are also increasingly important in Canada’s small, rural towns and remote communities.
- Highest-demand provinces and territories—Strong for all except New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan, where demand is moderate
- Median hourly wage—$36
- Highest-paying provinces and territories—Nunavut, Northwest Territories, and Yukon
- Typical entry-level education—Bachelor’s degree and registration with a provincial or territorial regulatory authority
Truck driving is near the top of the list for careers in demand in BC. From 2015 to 2025, it’s estimated that the province could have almost 15,000 truck driver job openings.5 And that’s just one province. Canada is a large country. Dedicated transport truck drivers are needed almost everywhere to haul commercial goods from coast to coast. It’s one of the most important jobs in demand.
- Highest-demand provinces—BC, New Brunswick, PEI, and Nova Scotia
- Median hourly wage—$20.40
- Highest-paying provinces—Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan
- Typical entry-level education—Completion of truck driver training; must also obtain appropriate licensing and endorsements
- College or Vocational Instructor
Instructing at the college and vocational level is another one of the careers in demand in Canada. College and vocational instructors teach at public and private institutions that provide academic, technical, and vocational programs. You could teach anything from beauty to criminal justice to culinary arts to design.
- Highest-demand provinces and territories—BC, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, and Yukon
- Median hourly wage—$34.50
- Highest-paying provinces and territories—Ontario, Northwest Territories, and Newfoundland and Labrador
- Typical entry-level education—Ranges from diploma (combined with related industry experience) to master’s degree
In an expanding global marketplace that’s becoming increasingly competitive, it’s more important than ever for businesses to be lean and productive. Management consulting is one of the top jobs in demand.
That’s great news for someone like you who would like to work as a business management consultant. And there are several ways that you can prepare to do so. Many people start out by earning a business-related degree and then gain experience by working in a variety of different industries and positions. But management consultants can also benefit from having training in areas like technology or travel, tourism, and hospitality, depending on the areas in which they want to specialize.
- Highest-demand provinces and territories—BC, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, Ontario, PEI, Quebec, and Saskatchewan
- Median hourly wage—$33
- Highest-paying provinces—Alberta, BC, and Quebec
- Typical entry-level education—Business-related diploma or bachelor’s degree, combined with relevant industry experience
Welding is one of the jobs in high demand, largely due to new job growth rather than retirement rates.
Due to ongoing advancements in the manufacturing sector, welders who have high-level skills are likely to enjoy better job opportunities than those with only basic abilities. Welders who possess fitting skills, can use a variety of techniques (like FCAW, GMAW, GTAW, and SMAW), and can read plans and blueprints are expected to be in the highest demand.
- Highest-demand provinces and territories—BC
- Median hourly wage—$23.17
- Highest-paying provinces and territories—Northwest Territories, Alberta, and Saskatchewan
- Typical entry-level education—Completion of vocational training or an apprenticeship program; trade certification may also be required
Licensed practical nursing is up near the top of the list of the most in-demand jobs in the country—for the same reasons as registered nursing. An aging population is placing more demands on the health care system, and a retiring workforce is creating a need to replace workers.
- Highest-demand provinces and territories—Alberta, BC, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Ontario, PEI, Saskatchewan, and Quebec
- Median hourly wage—$25
- Highest-paying provinces—Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba
- Typical entry-level education—Diploma and registration with a provincial or territorial regulatory authority
Occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and their assistants perform important work that helps people manage movement, mobility, and life-skills issues resulting from injuries, diseases, and other physical or mental conditions. You could take on a critical role that helps people live more comfortably, improve or maintain their mobility, or even extend the time in which they are able to live more independently. It’s a good vocational field to consider because occupational and physiotherapy assisting is regarded as one of the future careers in demand. As the population ages, the need for such services is only expected to increase.
- Highest-demand provinces—Alberta, BC, Nova Scotia, and Quebec
- Median hourly wage—$19
- Highest-paying provinces—BC, Quebec, and New Brunswick
- Typical entry-level education—Diploma
Anticipated growth in the computer, telecommunications, and mobile technology sectors is expected to fuel the demand for software engineers and developers. Additionally, growth in sectors like machinery and equipment manufacturing could further drive the demand. As a result, you may be able to pursue a lot of potential opportunities in a high-tech career related to the design and development of software systems and applications.
- Highest-demand provinces—BC, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Quebec
- Median hourly wage—$42.31
- Highest-paying provinces—Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba
- Typical entry-level education—Bachelor’s degree
- Aerospace Engineer
As Canada’s fleets of aircraft age and tighter environmental and security regulations come into place, it’s expected that the demand for updated aircraft will increase. So now may be a great time for you to join the aerospace engineering industry. As the brains behind aerospace systems, vehicles, and their components, you could have responsibilities related to research, design, development, installation, testing, and maintenance.
- Highest-demand provinces—Quebec; moderate demand in Ontario and the Lower Mainland region of BC
- Median hourly wage—$38.46
- Highest-paying provinces—Ontario, Alberta, and Quebec
- Typical entry-level education—Bachelor’s degree and possibly provincial or territorial licensing
Electricians enjoy some of the best jobs in the skilled trades. Industrial electricians, in particular, are in high demand.
- Highest-demand provinces—BC, Northwest Territories, and Nova Scotia
- Median hourly wage—$33
- Highest-paying provinces—Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Saskatchewan
- Typical entry-level education—Completion of vocational training or an apprenticeship program; trade certification may also be required
- Aircraft Pilot
Join the ranks of air pilots in Canada who enjoy some of the highest-paying, in-demand jobs in the country.
There are many opportunities to work as a pilot in Canada. Many pilots work for small, medium, and large commercial airlines flying domestically and internationally. Others choose to work as helicopter pilots. And some work as bush pilots, transporting people and delivering goods to Canada’s most remote locations. So, aside from private and commercial airlines, there are also opportunities available in the adventure travel, mining, logging, firefighting, and medical sectors.
- Highest-demand provinces and territories—Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut
- Median hourly wage—$38.46
- Highest-paying provinces and territories—Alberta, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Nova Scotia
- Typical entry-level education—Completion of pilot training; must also obtain appropriate pilot licensing
As factories and other industrial facilities update and retrofit their piping systems, start new industrial construction projects, and upgrade their sprinkler systems, steamfitters and pipefitters should continue to enjoy in-demand jobs. Some employers report that it’s difficult to find qualified workers right now. Plus, it’s expected that the ongoing retirements of steamfitters and pipefitters will add to the hiring difficulties already being experienced.
Now may be an ideal time for you to learn the trade so that you can work with sprinkler systems and piping systems that carry all kinds of substances, including chemicals, fuel, steam, and water. Your responsibilities could include laying out, fabricating, assembling, maintaining, troubleshooting, and repairing a variety of systems.
- Highest-demand provinces—Moderate demand in Nova Scotia, and Ontario
- Median hourly wage—$34
- Highest-paying provinces—Manitoba, BC, and Saskatchewan
- Typical entry-level education— Completion of vocational training or an apprenticeship program; trade certification may also be required
Companies are recognizing the growing importance of having effective cost controls in place in order to manage their bottom lines. And that’s exactly what construction estimators help them do. By taking on one of the high-demand professions in Canada, you can assess costs and prepare estimates and budgets for a variety of construction projects related to areas like architectural, electrical, mechanical, structural, and civil engineering.
- Highest-demand provinces—BC, Ontario, and Quebec
- Median hourly wage—$30
- Highest-paying provinces—Saskatchewan, Alberta, and BC
- Typical entry-level education—Certificate or diploma; Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (CIQS) certification may be required
People love their pets. Canadians are willing to spend more money on them than ever before in order to ensure that they are healthy and well cared for.
- Median hourly wage—$18
- Highest-paying provinces—Quebec, New Brunswick, and Ontario
- Typical entry-level education—Diploma; registration with a national, provincial, or territorial association may be required
As a dispensing optician, you could work in eye care offices, clinics, and retail outlets while assisting clients with their prescription eyewear and contact lenses. Your duties may include selecting, ordering, and fitting those products as well as mounting lenses into frames. Such tasks were often assigned to administrative assistants in the past, but growing recognition of the importance of properly trained dispensing opticians has changed that, which has helped increase the demand.
- Highest-demand provinces—BC and Quebec
- Median hourly wage—$23
- Highest-paying provinces—New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia
- Typical entry-level education—Diploma and licensing from a provincial or territorial regulatory body
( Source: https://www.trade-schools.ca/articles/careers-in-demand.asp)