16 Great Jobs for Women in Trades

Many trade schools offer courses for makeup artists, but you can also learn the tricks of the trade at an accredited beauty school. The career possibilities are endless: from setting up your own business to make brides look their best on their big day to working as a freelancer in Canada’s thriving movie industry. According to Talent.com, salaries for makeup artists in Canada typically range from $32,663 to $43,875 a year.

One of the highest-paying in-demand jobs for women in Canada is dental hygienist. The job entails cleaning teeth, checking the patient’s overall oral health, administering fluoride treatments and sealants to strengthen teeth and prevent cavities and examining the patient’s gums. To become a dental hygienist in Canada, you can study for a bachelor’s degree, but you can also do an advanced diploma instead. Talent.com says that the annual salary for a dental hygienist in Canada typically ranges from $62,244 to $90,968.

Canada’s booming construction industry means there are plenty of construction jobs. One of the best construction jobs that can pay lots of money is construction management, which requires a good knowledge of construction techniques but involves multitasking and managing everything else involved: schedules, timelines, budgets, quality control and safety, for example.

While a university degree will make it easier to find a job in construction management, you can also do a diploma in construction technology and gain experience in supervising on construction sites to prepare you for this career. According to Talent.com, construction managers in Canada earn between $67,487 and $122,500 a year.

While automotive service technicians or mechanics are still overwhelmingly male, more and more women are showing their mettle in the industry. As an automotive service technician, you’ll be working on repairing and maintaining the different systems in a vehicle. Female customers may feel more comfortable with a woman who can explain to them exactly what is wrong with their car and how to fix the problem. An associate degree in automotive service technology will help you land the job, but it’s also one of the highest-paying careers that don’t need a degree: many trade schools offer certificate programs in automotive service technology. According to Talent.com, the average annual pay for an automotive service technician in Canada is between $39,884 and $70,976.

Plumbers in Canada make good money installing and maintaining plumbing systems. To work in this skilled trade, you need to complete a four-year apprenticeship program. It’s one of the designated jobs that can qualify for government grants for female trade apprenticeships, which aims to train more women in trades where they are underrepresented. Talent.com says that the average salary for a plumber in Canada ranges from $49,620 to $74,110 a year.

With renewable energy all the rage these days, wind turbine service technicians have one of the best environmental jobs for people who love nature. You work with the technology that captures wind energy and maintain and repair the wind turbines, doing your bit to ensure a cleaner environment for future generations. The job can be physically demanding, but women who love working in the outdoors and aren’t afraid of heights will find it a great career option. To become a wind turbine service technician, you normally need to complete a two-year associate’s degree at a trade school. According to Salary Expert, wind turbine service technicians in Canada make between $53,597 and $91,138 a year.

For aspiring female carpenters, Canada is a great country to be. Carpentry is one of the fields where the government of Canada offers grants for female apprenticeships. To become a carpenter, you need a combination of training at a trade school and on-the-job training. Once you’re qualified, you can work in construction or manufacturing or you can start your own carpentry business. According to Talent.com, annual salaries for carpenters in Canada range from $40,950 to $62,354.

All those handy apps on your phone were designed by app developers.

While some employers require app developers to have a bachelor’s degree in something like computer science, you can also earn a diploma in app development at a trade school or even teach yourself with an online course. With an annual salary ranging from $66,000 to $126,750 according to Talent.com, app developers have one of the highest-paying jobs for Generation Z.

One of the most popular jobs for women in trades and also one of the highest-paying in-demand jobs in Canada is that of a registered nurse. A registered nurse is basically a doctor’s right hand, assessing a patient’s health and helping to develop the best treatment program, as well as working with patients and their families on post-treatment care.

To become a registered nurse in Canada, you can study for a bachelor’s or associate’s degree, and then you need to register with the Canadian nurses Association. Talent.com says that the  average salary for a registered nurse in Canada ranges from $57,459 to $81,715.

A respiratory therapist works with people who have respiratory ailments like asthma and emphysema, finding the best way for them to breathe more efficiently. People who have the natural ability to make people feel calm and comfortable make great respiratory therapists.

To become a respiratory therapist, you can complete a four-year bachelor’s degree or a two-year associate’s degree. It’s one of the best jobs for newcomers because along with your training, you may only need to pass the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists’ certification exam to get your license to practise. According to Talent.com, salaries for respiratory therapists in Canada range from $59,309 to $79,346 a year.

An HVAC technician — or heating, air conditioning and refrigeration technician — installs, maintains and repairs heating and cooling systems in homes and other buildings. Women living alone may feel more comfortable letting a female HVAC technician into their homes to work on these systems. In Canada, there are several trades programs that offer training for HVAC technicians, from certificates to associate’s degrees. Talent.com says that salaries for HVAC technicians in Canada tend to range from $58,500 to $85,000 a year.

Welding is increasingly becoming a popular trade for women to learn. It’s a versatile job where you can work for large mining, manufacturing or construction companies, or where you can do something on a smaller and more artistic scale. If you want one of the highest-paying jobs that don’t involve sitting at a desk, you can even become an underwater welder.

To become a welder, you can either do a certificate course at a trade school or complete an apprenticeship. According to Talent.com, welders in Canada tend to make between $37,050 and $54,904 a year.

If you love big machines and have an eye for the smallest details, aircraft maintenance engineer might be just the job for you. It’s one of the airport jobs that pay well and you can be one of the pioneering women in the field.

To become an aircraft maintenance engineer, or AME, you need to complete your training at a Transport Canada-approved vocational college. Then you need to do an apprenticeship and pass the licensing exam. Talent.com says that aircraft maintenance engineers in Canada generally earn between $48,497 and $75,541 a year.

If you want a job in trades but prefer something creative that you can do at a desk and maybe even from home, you may want to consider multimedia design. Multimedia designers use graphic design, animation and audio to create everything from commercials to special effects for movies.

You can learn the ropes with an on-campus course or through an internship. According to Talent.com, multimedia designers in Canada take home between $38,144 and $74,342 a year.

If food is a passion, getting into the restaurant industry may be a good choice. To become a head chef, you likely need to train at a culinary school and gain experience in restaurant kitchens. Your job will entail cooking, but also creating new dishes and menus and overseeing what everyone else in the kitchen is doing. You can even specialize in vegan dishes, making this one of the great vegan-friendly careers. According to Talent.com, head chefs in Canada earn between $37,115 and $57,120 a year.

Like too many industries, video games have been dominated by the male gender, and the games reflected that, with skimpily-clad female characters and lots of blood and gore. With more and more women becoming gamers, they want to see games that represent them in a more positive light and female game designers can give them just that.

To become a game designer, you can study for a diploma or associate’s degree at one of Canada’s design, animation and art schools. Talent.com says that the average pay for game designers in Canada is between $61,500 and $93,400, and it’s also worth remembering that game design studios often offer great perks too.