20 Jobs That Pay Shockingly Less Than You Think

Since they have the very important job of taking care of our children, you’d think childcare workers such as daycare teachers would get compensated accordingly. According to PayScale, however, the median salary for a childcare worker in Canada is $30,517.

Workopolis says that the average annual salary in Canada is $51,000. Teachers, the people who are educating the next generation, earn less than this: $49,444, according to Indeed. Even more shocking is the fact that Canadian teachers are among the highest paid in the world.

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Psychologists earn an annual pay of $77,012, according to PayScale. You can earn nearly three times as much if you study to become a psychiatrist instead. In fact, you’ll earn enough to allow you to pay off your student loans fast.

All healthcare workers in Canada earn good money, right? Not if you’re the one doing the really dirty work. Neuvoo says that the average salary for a hospital orderly in Canada is $27,890 a year. You’d be better off getting that nursing qualification, since registered nurses are compensated well and have one of the jobs that will be in demand after 2020.

Game designers typically work for companies that offer some of the best perks in Canada. A high salary unfortunately isn’t one of them. Glassdoor says that the average pay for a game designer in Canada is $56,110 a year.

Everyone in tech rolls in the money, right? Not so. PayScale says that the average annual salary for a computer programmer in Canada is $52,230. Want to stand a chance of making more money with your tech skills? These are the best places for tech start-ups.

You see those celebrity chefs on TV going on about ingredients you’ve never heard of and definitely can’t afford. Take heart: most executive chefs can’t afford truffle oil and fancy salt either. According to Neuvoo, the average executive chef in Canada makes only $54,968 a year.

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Become an accountant, they say. You’ll have one of the jobs that pays over $200k a year, they say. That’s only true for CPAs, though. The average accountant, according to PayScale, makes a measly $50,363 a year.

There’s a good reason why private investigators in TV shows are often depicted wearing a tattered rain coat. It’s got nothing to do with projecting a certain image and everything to do with the clothing they can – and can’t – afford. Neuvoo says that the median salary for a private investigator in Canada is $32,790 a year.

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You see them every night, reading the TV news with their perfect hair, and you think that they must be living the high life. The sad truth is that news anchors earn a veritable pittance: $54,986 a year, according to PayScale. They’d be better off becoming a YouTuber, which can be one of those jobs that pay over $300k.

It sounds so glamorous, being a film/TV producer. That’s until you hear what they earn. Taking home an average of only $60,103 a year, according to PayScale, the only way most film/TV producers will even come near the most expensive jewellery ever worn to the Oscars is by begging, borrowing or stealing it.

Considering the lengths they go to in order to get the story out, you’d think that journalists earn decent money. However, PayScale says that in Canada, the average journalist earns $41,074 a year. Let that sink in for a moment. There are much better paying jobs that also don’t involve sitting at a desk.

The Canadian Prime Minister earns quite a decent salary: $347,400 a year. Still, it’s not nearly enough to make him one of the richest world leaders. For that, he’d have to move to Russia.

It’s one of the best jobs for introverts but being a graphic designer won’t make you a rich introvert. According to Neuvoo, the average annual pay for a graphic designer in Canada is $46,981.

Doctors have some of the highest paying jobs in Canada but that’s only if you’re a people doctor. Vets, according to Indeed, earn an average of $86,849 a year. Of course it’s much more than the national average but considering how many years of study and sleepless nights it takes to become a vet, this is a shockingly low salary.

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Top corporate lawyers have one of the highest paying jobs in the world. However, not everyone with a law degree becomes a top corporate lawyer. According to PayScale, the average annual salary for a lawyer in Canada is a mere $74,857.

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Unless you’re James Patterson or J.K. Rowling, pouring out your heart into a word-processing program won’t pay the bills. PayScale says that the average writer in Canada makes $40,494 a year. Of course if you can write the year’s surprise best-seller and sell the movie rights, you’ll earn considerably more, so there’s always hope.

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Top CEOs make so much money that many are among the world’s wealthiest people. However, there are thousands of CEOs who don’t lead huge corporations and who don’t make a fortune. In fact, according to Neuvoo the average Canadian CEO makes only $110,574 a year.

Remember that time supermodel Linda Evangelista said she didn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day? At $21.29 per hour, according to Indeed, the average model in Canada would take much, much longer to make $10,000. You might as well have that extra slice of cake: at least you can afford it.

It may be one of the coolest jobs for people who love to travel but being a flight attendant isn’t nearly as glamorous as you think. It’s not nearly as well compensated either. Glassdoor says that the average flight attendant salary in Canada is $30,266 a year. The people who make the good money are the pilots and the air-traffic controllers.

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