Top Job Thursday

Canada's top 10 jobs

The following careers are in high demand and pay big salaries
If you want a good salary and recruiters fighting over you, you'd be smart to take up one of these careers.
Out of more than 600 jobs tracked by Statistics Canada, the following 10 professions had the best combination of high wages and employment growth over the past five years. For each one, we'll tell you the median salary, how high your salary can go, the training you need to get the job and more.

10. Economist

• Median Salary: $75,565
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 22%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 24%
• Economists analyze, forecast and advise on all things related to money, from finance and commodities to trade and industry.
• Money: Compensation for Canadian economists ranges from $35,000 to $150,000 and up. Those in the lucrative arena of investment banking can earn $300,000 or more—but at a price. “Some young economists get starry-eyed about the income scales in investment banking,” says Craig Alexander, chief economist of TD Bank. “But you’re going to have a sharply lower quality of life.” Public-sector economists generally get paid less than those in banks.
• Opportunity: An era of fiscal austerity in the public sector can be a boon for economics employment there, as federal and provincial departments such as Finance, Industry, Foreign Affairs and the Bank of Canada seek analysts who can work the data. In the 1990s, many companies began outsourcing economics work to the banks, so applied economics jobs in the private sphere is now mostly found in financial and insurance firms.
• Training: A BA in economics can open doors in general business, but it’s not enough to get into the economics field. For a job with Statistics Canada, for example, you need a graduate degree, and a career in academia will require a PhD.
• What it’s like: Many public-sector jobs have standard eight-hour days, while in the private sector it is common to work 10 hours or more. And in investment banking? “You start at 4:30 a.m. and take the 6:30 p.m. train home. Then, at 8 p.m. you have a conference call,” Alexander says. Successful economists are those who follow their passions, whether it be the environment or education, and use that to direct their careers.

9. Transport Manager

• Median Salary: $70,720
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 35%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 13%
• As a transport manager, you supervise the day-to-day activities of drivers—it could be trucking, buses, deliveries, taxis or public transit. Or you might be the one who controls subway trains by manning signals and operating track switches. You work for motor-transport companies or transit authorities.
• Money: Starting pay for a supervisor in 2011 was between $17.30 and $40 an hour, according to the Government of Alberta. Top earners made around $60, and 44% of employees make $50,000 a year or more. Depending on where you live, a high-earning trucking supervisor could earn as much as $120,000 a year. In Alberta, where companies compete with the oilsands for workers, wages are higher.
• Opportunity: Supervisory jobs at transport firms are plentiful in every province and territory, but there are more in B.C., Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.
• Training: Transport managers don’t need a degree or diploma (although 44% do have some post-secondary schooling). More important is having experience in transportation as a driver. Who gets the top jobs? “People who have great communication skills, who make decisions quickly, are the kind of people who move up to supervisor roles,” says Wayne Pederson, who runs a trucking company.
• What it’s like: “You might start at 6 a.m., and it’s definitely a 12 hour day,” says Pederson. Supervisors spend much of the day problem-solving. Challenges include rescheduling shipments and dealing with equipment breakdowns, bad weather or accidents.

8. Lawyer

• Median Salary: $79,997
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 34%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 14%
• As a lawyer, you’ll advise and represent people or organizations by interpreting Canadian law. But you’ll rack up lots of student loans first: after a four-year BA, you must invest in three years of law school, then spend a year articling before taking the bar exam. Within seven years at a firm you may be eligible for income partnership and eventually full partnership.
• Money: “Class-action lawyers can get huge numbers when they hit, but big gulfs when they don’t. Successful ones combine it with something certain, like litigation or personal injury,” says Warren Smith of recruiting firm The Counsel Network. Smith’s company found that in-house corporate counsel earned an average base salary of $146,000, about 20% more than government positions. The highest wages are in the energy sector, and in Calgary and Toronto.
• Opportunity: While some in the industry are concerned the 2009 slowdown may lead businesses to scale back on lawyers, Smith says companies will need lawyers as long as they’re going to try new things. “Clients go to a law firm because they don’t have answers. They have to get them from someone who has spent 20 years thinking about it.” Specializations in demand include mergers and acquisitions, and intellectual property.
• What it’s like: With an average retirement age of 78, this is a profession for people who love the work. “It’s an intellectual challenge,” says Emily MacKinnon, a recent UBC graduate who is set to article at the Supreme Court of Canada. “Life is fluid, and you’re trying to apply this framework to it.”

 7. Construction Manager

• Median Salary: $70,179
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 38%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 17%
• Construction managers are responsible for soup-to-nuts planning, estimating, negotiating and overseeing building projects. Anyone can start as a home renovator, but the fastest way to get ahead is an engineering degree, says Calvin Hollings, a project manager in Edmonton. His background spans carpentry, engineer training and ongoing leadership courses. “You first learn building, then you learn how to talk with consultants and architects. It’s understanding how to get the work done,” he says.
• Money: Salaries start around $33,000, but experienced managers with engineering degrees or certificates can see up to $95,000 in base pay, with the higher ranges found in the west and Ontario. Managers on major projects with large-scale engineering can earn more in completion bonuses, stock options and remote-site premiums.
• Opportunity: Some of the fire has come out of residential building, but industrial construction is still lucrative. Almost every province will need people overseeing big projects—potash and mining in Saskatchewan, petroleum in Alberta and B.C., and hydro dams in Manitoba and Quebec—with job demand for most of these projects peaking around 2015.
• What it’s like: You should be analytical, organized and good at math. Days on the job cycle between the job sites and the office, where you might be co-ordinating with foremen on more than 30 projects. Days are 10 hours or more and revolve around managing relationships with sub-trades, clients, suppliers and bureaucrats.

 6. Health Policy Consultant

• Median Salary: $65,229
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 65%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 16%
• As a health policy consultant or researcher you investigate health-care trends, and design policies and programs to help with issues such as medical record sharing. The field employs 63,000, most of whom work for clinics, drug companies or Health Canada. Degrees in management or health informatics, plus an MBA or CMA with a health focus help. Karen Born, a researcher at a Toronto hospital who began with a master’s in international health policy, says some of her colleagues even have backgrounds in criminology and the arts.
• Money: While pay in the field starts low—research assistants with BAs make less than $35,000—those with graduate degrees can earn over $80,000, and senior advisers crack six figures. Those with specialized skills, such as experience with informatics software, can exceed $150,000.
• Opportunity: An aging population, the need for integration among health providers and rapid technological development has fuelled the need for health policy specialists. In a belt-tightening era, the job calls for skills in data analysis and management science are particularly in demand.
• What it’s like: Karen Born finds a lot of flexibility in her role as a researcher and academic. While specialists at think-tanks or associations can travel a lot, nine-to-five work is the norm for those at government agencies. The field encompasses everything from data analysis to outreach and project management. 

5. Chemistry Specialist

• Median Salary: $67,330
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 53%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 22%
• Chemists research how chemicals interact with each other. The end goal can be anything from developing more efficient pain killers, to seeking out new sources of energy. If you get a chemical engineering degree, you’ll focus on the chemical processes and equipment used in the manufacturing of everything from plastics to fertilizers.
• Money: Salaries tend to vary by industry, but a new chemical engineer can expect to start around $50,000 (one study found that among the major cities, Edmonton is the most lucrative and Montreal the least for newcomers). The oil and gas, and metals and mining sectors pay chemical engineers the highest, but they employ only about 7% of the profession. A chemist with a B.Sc. is looking at $40,000 to start. In academia and pure research, salaries range from $100,000 to well above $200,000.
• Opportunity: The majority—about 70%—of chemical engineers work in manufacturing and so-called scientific services, which include waste management, pharmaceuticals and food. For chemists, there’s growing demand in the environment and water arena, and workplace safety and health.
• What it’s like: Chemistry covers a lot of subjects. “The economy is dependent on new materials—from active molecules for drug development to agricultural products—all these things lead to chemistry,” says Sergey Krylov, a York University chemistry professor. He believes curiosity and perseverance are chemists’ most important assets, since they may work on complex projects for decades. “I compare it to running a marathon” says Krylov.

 4. Data Analyst

• Median Salary: $66,040
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 64%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 22%
• As a data analyst, you collect and crunch data, and design systems to help your employer or client forecast trends and monitor performance. You may work at a tech consultancy or in the IT department of a large organization. You need a computer science or math degree (or at least a diploma), and programming experience is a major asset. If you want to do corporate strategic planning, consider an MBA.
• Money: Salaries range from $62,00 to $76,000 in Canada, StatsCan reports, but can reach over US$115,660 in the U.S. Financial, HR and other service companies tend to be the most lucrative employers. Experienced data analysts have growing consulting and freelance opportunities.
• Opportunity: “Big data” is the buzzword driving demand in this field. It refers to files so large they’re difficult to store and analyze, and they bedevil sectors from finance to meteorology. In the U.S., where the profession is among the fastest growing, the federal government is investing billions in crunching gluts of data. Employers are particularly keen on staff who get social media and analyze Internet data.
• What it’s like: The demands vary widely. Bridget Warner used to work for a Calgary investment bank, pulling 80-hour weeks. Now, she consults for a non-profit. The hours are better, but the job takes more than number-crunching skills. “You paint a picture for executives.” Interpretive skills are also required to figure out what data clients need.

3. Electrical Contractor

• Median Salary: $69,160
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 67%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 21%
• As a senior electrician or cable technician, you oversee crews of installers and repairmen, or technicians working on power and telecommunications lines. To get certified, you must complete an apprenticeship (typically four years, but you earn while you learn) and several weeks of in-class training.
• Money: Almost half this group is self-employed, which gives you more control over your income. Top-level power-line and cable workers can make $74,000 a year (more if they own their own business). The challenge for an independent is bill-collecting. “The average homeowner will pay you as soon as they can, but some small businesses never pay,” says Jeff Small, a master electrician in Kingston, Ont.
• Opportunity: While demand for construction trades isn’t expected to reach pre-recession peaks for some time, lots of work remains. Small, for one, is hiring, but is having little luck finding certified electricians. Ottawa projects shortages of qualified workers by 2020, especially those with experience: almost 40% of the workforce is expected to be recent graduates.
• What it’s like: You need to be good at reading blueprints, and you’ll need to keep up with changes to electrical standards. You should also be fit, because a lot of the work is done standing or in cramped spaces. And be prepared for long days. Small gets up at 4 a.m. to do invoicing and estimates, then meets up with his crew at 7:30 a.m. At the end of the day, there is more paperwork that often takes until 9 p.m. On the plus side, there are many avenues for expansion. Small is getting into street light installation, and solar may be his next niche.

2. Nursing Supervisor

• Median Salary: $74,880
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 46%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 24%
• As a supervisor, you manage the nursing staff at a hospital, clinic or nursing home. A four-year nursing degree is the price of entry into the sector, and you must register with the provincial body. Rising to supervisor requires both clinical experience (at least five years) and management training—part-time courses used to be enough, but increasingly you need an MBA or master’s in health administration.
• Money: These managers can make more than $90,000 in base pay, with premiums for post-graduate education or working evenings and weekends. To reach top earning levels, it helps to volunteer on hospital committees, says Stephanie Laivenieks, a clinical manager at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. “You’ll meet other leaders and gain a perspective on how the organization works.”
• Opportunity: Ottawa projects a 30% shortage of RNs and nurse supervisors by 2020. Filling the gap in management may require newcomers. “Few [of my staff] seem interested in getting into leadership,” says Laivenieks.
• What it’s like: You must balance the need for quality care with the operational side of running an efficient hospital. You’re also managing a budget. And the hours can be tough: 12-hour shifts, sometimes through the night.

1. Petroleum Engineer

• Median Salary: $90,002
• 5-Yr Growth in Employees: 85%
• 5-Yr Salary Growth: 13%
• As a petroleum engineer, you plan and oversee energy exploration and drilling, including testing and refurbishing wells. Most are employed by energy multinationals, but many also work for industry suppliers and government agencies, or as independent consultants. It can be dirty work, but it requires brains: you need an engineering degree (typically with a petroleum specialty), and the professional P.Eng. licence (which takes two to four years of experience and a written exam). Additionally, you may need certification in safety protocols like blowout prevention and well control. However, oil companies tend to value hands-on over textbook learning, so a co-op program (which usually adds a year to a four-year degree) may provide the best launch pad.
• Money: Petro engineers start at about $60,000 (more in Alberta) and senior specialists get as much as $300,000. There's a premium for work in dangerous or remote places, like an offshore rig or in Africa. You also earn more in the U.S.: the median salary there is US$120,000. But while the quickest path to high wages is foreign experience, soaring domestic demand makes that no longer necessary.
• Opportunity: In a word, huge. Even during the recession, 71% of oilpatch employers were seeking petro engineers. With Canada's oil production expected to jump from 2.8 to 4.2 million barrels a day by 2020, the industry will be a jobs gusher, both in the West and Newfoundland. For drilling supervisors alone, Ottawa predicts there will be less than half the people needed to fill almost 13,000 openings over the next decade. Still, beware the vagaries of the market: if energy prices fall, companies may put projects on hold.
• What it's like: The job requires a mechanical aptitude and an ability to quickly resolve problems. Even the smallest hiccup in well operation can mean big costs. "Every hole is different," says Dean Lynn, an independent drilling supervisor with 25 years of experience. "I'll get calls at 2 a.m. You need to keep people safe and make million-dollar decisions in a heartbeat."
• For Jerry Kennedy-Bissah, a stint working for an oil company in Libya led to other foreign opportunities. He's now on a five-year contract overseeing the development of a refinery in Saudi Arabia, returning home to Brampton, Ont., every few months. He finds the biggest challenge is navigating the dangers on site. "There are lots of gasses in confined spaces. You always have to be educating your construction and contractor teams."

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