Highest paying jobs in Canada
The 30 best-paid jobs in Canada, ranked by median wage shown yearly for full-time hours. Where pay is published for a group of related jobs, the row lists every career that shares its figure.
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Ranked by median pay
Specialists in surgery: $419,180
Hold a degree: 100%
Judges: $387,006
Hold a degree: 100%
Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine: $311,297
Hold a degree: 100%
General practitioners and family physicians: $232,227
Hold a degree: 100%
Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services: $187,493
Middle half earn: $134,999 to $241,878
Senior managers - financial, communications and other business services
Managers in natural resources production and fishing: $140,634
Middle half earn: $107,250 to $187,493 · Hold a degree: 31%
Engineering managers: $139,991
Middle half earn: $107,816 to $174,603 · Hold a degree: 81%
Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services: $134,063
Middle half earn: $112,496 to $153,407 · Hold a degree: 41%
Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services
Computer and information systems managers: $130,007
Middle half earn: $103,116 to $162,494 · Hold a degree: 64%
Senior government managers and officials: $127,491
Middle half earn: $93,191 to $171,425
Petroleum engineers: $126,555
Middle half earn: $103,116 to $154,694 · Hold a degree: 96%
Government managers - education policy development and program administration: $124,293
Middle half earn: $112,379 to $133,926 · Hold a degree: 83%
Government managers - education policy development and program administration
Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration: $123,630
Middle half earn: $107,153 to $139,991 · Hold a degree: 73%
Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration
Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers: $122,148
Middle half earn: $93,756 to $145,334 · Hold a degree: 20%
Architecture and science managers: $121,992
Middle half earn: $95,004 to $162,006 · Hold a degree: 86%
Nurse practitioners: $120,003
Middle half earn: $104,540 to $131,313 · Hold a degree: 97%
Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration: $120,003
Middle half earn: $101,400 to $134,823 · Hold a degree: 80%
Government managers - health and social policy development and program administration
Utilities managers: $118,950
Middle half earn: $95,628 to $148,005 · Hold a degree: 44%
Other managers in public administration: $117,995
Middle half earn: $99,996 to $136,656 · Hold a degree: 54%
Corporate sales managers: $117,195
Middle half earn: $90,519 to $168,753 · Hold a degree: 49%
Mining engineers: $117,000
Middle half earn: $86,249 to $146,250 · Hold a degree: 96%
Veterinarians: $117,000
Middle half earn: $93,756 to $138,899 · Hold a degree: 100%
Lawyers and Quebec notaries: $116,532
Middle half earn: $87,458 to $166,062 · Hold a degree: 100%
Financial managers: $115,986
Middle half earn: $93,756 to $141,668 · Hold a degree: 67%
Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers: $115,499
Middle half earn: $96,564 to $149,994 · Hold a degree: 58%
University professors and lecturers: $114,836
Middle half earn: $88,121 to $149,994 · Hold a degree: 100%
Human resources managers: $112,496
Middle half earn: $93,756 to $137,670 · Hold a degree: 60%
Banking, credit and other investment managers: $111,423
Middle half earn: $89,993 to $139,991 · Hold a degree: 56%
Physicists and astronomers: $110,156
Middle half earn: $83,850 to $175,500 · Hold a degree: 94%
Software engineers and designers: $110,156
Middle half earn: $85,313 to $140,634 · Hold a degree: 83%
Highest paying jobs without a degree
Jobs where fewer than half the workers hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Many are reached through college, CEGEP, an apprenticeship or training on the job.
Managers in natural resources production and fishing: $140,634
Middle half earn: $107,250 to $187,493 · Hold a degree: 31%
Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services: $134,063
Middle half earn: $112,496 to $153,407 · Hold a degree: 41%
Commissioned police officers and related occupations in public protection services
Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers: $122,148
Middle half earn: $93,756 to $145,334 · Hold a degree: 20%
Utilities managers: $118,950
Middle half earn: $95,628 to $148,005 · Hold a degree: 44%
Corporate sales managers: $117,195
Middle half earn: $90,519 to $168,753 · Hold a degree: 49%
Air traffic controllers and related occupations: $107,016
Hold a degree: 32%
Managers in transportation: $103,116
Middle half earn: $79,287 to $130,826 · Hold a degree: 30%
Manufacturing managers: $102,999
Middle half earn: $79,697 to $135,935 · Hold a degree: 35%
Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors: $101,400
Middle half earn: $64,994 to $138,645 · Hold a degree: 25%
Supervisors, mining and quarrying: $98,709
Middle half earn: $73,652 to $117,663 · Hold a degree: 8%
Police officers (except commissioned): $97,500
Middle half earn: $78,000 to $109,200 · Hold a degree: 31%
Railway and yard locomotive engineers: $97,500
Middle half earn: $78,000 to $117,000 · Hold a degree: 11%
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services: $97,500
Middle half earn: $75,836 to $121,875 · Hold a degree: 9%
Contractors and supervisors, oil and gas drilling and services
Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing: $97,500
Middle half earn: $78,000 to $117,975 · Hold a degree: 12%
Central control and process operators, petroleum, gas and chemical processing
Telecommunication carriers managers: $96,993
Middle half earn: $79,950 to $110,000 · Hold a degree: 46%
Other business services managers: $95,999
Middle half earn: $74,997 to $121,875 · Hold a degree: 44%
Power engineers and power systems operators: $95,999
Middle half earn: $73,125 to $122,850 · Hold a degree: 13%
Boilermakers: $95,550
Middle half earn: $85,586 to $101,537 · Hold a degree: 4%
Construction managers: $95,004
Middle half earn: $78,000 to $121,875 · Hold a degree: 29%
Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades: $93,795
Middle half earn: $81,900 to $107,250 · Hold a degree: 7%
Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers: $91,884
Middle half earn: $66,573 to $117,000 · Hold a degree: 12%
Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers
Power system electricians: $90,773
Middle half earn: $74,100 to $107,250 · Hold a degree: 6%
Industrial instrument technicians and mechanics: $89,700
Middle half earn: $75,797 to $117,000 · Hold a degree: 10%
Electrical power line and cable workers: $89,700
Middle half earn: $71,175 to $99,450 · Hold a degree: 4%
Firefighters: $89,291
Middle half earn: $73,964 to $104,462 · Hold a degree: 16%
Facility operation and maintenance managers: $88,140
Middle half earn: $65,618 to $112,496 · Hold a degree: 26%
Dental hygienists and dental therapists: $87,750
Middle half earn: $76,050 to $105,300 · Hold a degree: 21%
Elevator constructors and mechanics: $87,750
Middle half earn: $62,400 to $109,200 · Hold a degree: 7%
Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations: $87,341
Middle half earn: $72,072 to $107,153 · Hold a degree: 11%
Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing: $86,775
Middle half earn: $74,100 to $94,185 · Hold a degree: 7%
Central control and process operators, mineral and metal processing
Median hourly wage from Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank): Wages by occupation (2025 (revised 2025-11-19)), shown yearly for full-time hours (1,950 a year). Half of the workers in the job earn more and half earn less. Source