Already decided you want to study in Canada? We don’t blame you. The country attracts thousands of international students every year thanks to a large number of English-taught degrees, its well-developed economy, high living standards, and numerous employment opportunities.
Below, we’ll talk about the best jobs in Canada, including the highest-paying jobs and what degrees and universities offer you the best job opportunities.
Subjects with the highest graduate salaries in Canada
We’ve listed some of the disciplines with the highest salaries after graduation. This is by no means an exhaustive list. You can have a high income in other work fields as well, especially after you gain experience and advance to managerial or administrative positions.
- Dentistry degrees
- Medicine degrees
- Nursing degrees
- Law degrees
- Engineering degrees
- Computer Sciences degrees
- Business degrees
Canadian universities with the highest graduate employability
The prestige of a university doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t prepare you for the work market. Luckily, Canadian universities know how important it is to teach students relevant skills, which can actually be applied in the real world.
Based on data from the Global University Employability Ranking 2020, here are the best higher education institutions in Canada:
- University of Toronto
- McGill University
- University of British Columbia
- University of Montreal
- McMaster University
We also recommend these Canadian universities which offer great education resulting in good employment opportunities after graduation:
- Thompson Rivers University
- University of Winnipeg
- York University
- Humber College
Top 10 best jobs in Canada
It’s difficult to describe what a “best job” really is, since it often depends on your personal interests, skills, and priorities. But if you rank jobs based on average salaries, employment growth, and future prospects, you can get a list of great jobs.
That’s what the Canadian Business does every year, when they release a ranking with the best jobs in Canada. Here are the top 10 jobs in 2019 according to their research:
- Nurse Practitioner – 104,000 CAD/year
- Dentist – 93,600 CAD/year
- Utilities Manager – 114,000 CAD/year
- Power Systems Electrician – 86,000 CAD/year
- Mining and Quarrying Supervisor – 83,200 CAD/year
- Pipefitting Supervisor – 81,000 CAD/year
- Engineering Manager – 106,000 CAD/year
- Scientific Research Manager – 102,000 CAD/year
- Public Administration Director – 110,000 CAD/year
- Construction Manager – 83,000 CAD/year
Highest paying jobs in Canada
It’s no surprise that some of the highest paying jobs in Canada are also listed in the top 10 jobs, since salary is a very important factor in the ranking. But it is not the only factor that matters. With that in mind, here are the top 5 highest paying jobs in Canada according to data from the Canadian Visa website:
- Physician/Doctor – 150,000 CAD/year
- Lawyer – 135,000 CAD/year
- Miner/Oil and Gas Driller – 77,250 CAD/year
- Dentist – 75,000 CAD/year
- Registered Nurses – 74,000 CAD/year
As you can see, there are differences between salaries based on data from the Canadian Business and those based on data from the Canadian Visa. This usually happens because the average is calculated based on information from jobs/employees from different regions.
Even if data from every region is taken into consideration, you cannot get information from every single employee. There are also other factors which influence how much you earn, like the type of degree(s) you have, work experience in the field, and so on.
These average salaries are meant to give you an idea about how much you could earn. But your income will often depend on your knowledge, skills, and sometimes, even luck.
The work environment in Canada
Here are the 3 main positive aspects you can expect from working in Canada:
1. Collaboration and integration
Canada has a warm work culture, and this is one of the reasons why networking is important for both local and international graduates. The interest you show and the size of your network reveal that you’ve managed to become suitably employed after graduation.
2. Fair work hours
The standard work week in Canada is Monday – Friday, 9 to 5 PM, like in many other countries. When you apply for a job, you should ask for all the details, including dress code and info about the team you will be working in, because collaboration between colleagues is cherished.
Managers usually treat employees equally and feedback from them is always welcomed. Punctuality is also highly appreciated, so you are recommended to stick to the given schedule.
3. Communication is key
Managers strongly care about the work atmosphere, so it is important to always have a positive attitude towards your colleagues, your boss, and your tasks. Communication also deals with information, so if you are not totally satisfied with an answer or you don’t understand something well enough, you are advised to ask further questions.
Do I need a work visa for Canada?
After you finish your degree course in Canada as an international student, you are allowed to work for a period that sums up the length of your programme, but not more than three years. You must apply for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Programme (PGWPP) within 90 days from when you receive the written confirmation that you’ve finished your academic degree course.
In order to be eligible to apply for the PGWPP, you must have graduated from:
- A public higher education institution or
- A private higher education institution that follows the rules of public schools or
- A private higher education institution that has qualification programmes of 900 hours or more and leads to a “diplôme d’études professionnelles” (DEP) or an “attestation de spécialisation professionnelle” (ASP) or
- A private institution that offers degrees authorised by the Canadian province in which it is located
