The 20 Most In-Demand Jobs in 2021

Salary range: $34,125 to $56,550 per year

With so many Canadians wearing – or needing to wear – glasses, dispensing opticians are in high demand. In this job, you use an ophthalmologist’s or optometrist’s prescription to fit patients with the right glasses or contact lenses for them. The average pay for dispensing opticians in Canada, according to Neuvoo, is $49,238 a year. To become a dispensing optician, you need to complete a college program of two or three years in optical sciences and be licensed by the regulatory body in your province or territory.

Salary range: $51,127 to $117,566 per year

Pharmacists continue to be in demand in Canada, especially as more retailers now also offer pharmacist services. According to Neuvoo, the average salary for a pharmacist is $94,799 per year and this is one of the jobs with the best starting salaries in Canada. To become a pharmacist in Canada, you normally need a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, some practical training and registration with the regulatory body for pharmacists in your province or territory.

Salary range: $78,531 to $142,975 per year

As more Canadians are becoming aware of the importance of mental health, there continues to be a demand for the clinical psychologists who can help them devise the best coping strategies. There’s a wide range of organizations that use the expertise of clinical psychologists or you can work in private practice too. Neuvoo says that the average salary for a clinical psychologist in Canada is $99,392 per year. To become a clinical psychologist, you need to have either a master’s or doctoral degree in psychology, depending on the province or territory. You will also need to meet the additional registration requirements of your province or territory.

Salary range: $44,207 to $86,680 per year

Occupational therapist assistants were supposed to have one of those jobs in demand in 2025 and beyond to help provide occupational therapy to Canada’s aging population. However, they are in high demand now too, since many younger Covid survivors also need occupational therapy as part of their recovery. According to Neuvoo, the average annual pay for an occupational therapist assistant is $50,988. To become an occupational therapist assistant, you need to complete a two-year college program in the field.

Salary range: $50,356 to $102,102 per year

Most healthcare jobs remain in demand in Canada and for some, like physiotherapists, there is expected to be a shortage in coming years. As a physiotherapist, you help patients regain physical function, for instance after injury or after a disease like Covid. According to Neuvoo, the average annual salary for a physiotherapist in Canada is $76,811. To become a physiotherapist, you need a university degree in physiotherapy and meet the requirements of the regulatory body in your province or territory.

Salary range: $43,103 to $67,529 per year

Canada is still experiencing a shortage of licensed practical nurses, who provide nursing care under the direction of medical practitioners and registered nurses. According to Neuvoo, the average pay for a licensed practical nurse – or L.P.N. – in Canada is $51,813 per year. To become an L.P.N. in Canada, you need to complete the training program – for instance a college or vocational course – required by the regulatory body in your province or territory and then register with that regulatory body.

Salary range: $41,419 to $94,322 per year

Nurse practitioners, especially registered nurses, still have one of the highest-paying in-demand jobs for women in Canada. As a registered nurse, you do more than just nursing patients back to health: you also instruct patients in preventative care, for instance, and in some areas you may be the main provider of primary healthcare. According to Neuvoo, the average annual pay for a registered nurse – or R.N. – in Canada is $80,119. To become an R.N. in Canada, you normally need a bachelor’s degree in nursing but requirements vary, depending on the province or territory. You also need to meet the registration requirements of the relevant regulatory body in your province or territory.

Salary range: $33,150 to $56,111 per year

Canadians love their animals, whether they’re dogs or cats or exotic pets, provided they are legal to own. As a veterinary technician, you’ll help care for these pets when they’re feeling under the weather. You’re basically a nurse for animals. According to Neuvoo, the average salary for a veterinary technician – also called an animal health technician – is $43,875 per year. To become a veterinary technician in Canada, you need to complete a three-year college program. Some provinces also require you to register with their regulatory body for veterinary technicians.

Salary range: $35,685 to $88,975 per year

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced more and more businesses online. This means that they will need different marketing strategies than the ones they had been using in their brick-and-mortar stores. As a digital marketing specialist, you will combine traditional marketing concepts with tech know-how such as search-engine optimization and web analytics to come up with the best ways to attract business online. Neuvoo says that at the moment, the average annual pay for a digital marketing specialist in Canada is $57,500. A growing number of educational institutions in Canada now offer diploma courses in digital marketing. You’ll also find plenty of relevant and easy courses that will look great on your resumé.

Salary range: $30,518 to $81,501 per year

As businesses move online, consumers want more than just the layout and striking use of colour, shape and font brought to them by graphic designers. They now want animation and video too and this means a higher demand for multimedia designers. The average pay for a multimedia designer in Canada is $52,650 per year, according to Neuvoo, making this one of the highest-paying jobs that don’t involve math. To become a multimedia designer, you’ll need a qualification in visual arts and gain relevant experience. More and more educational institutions now also offer courses in multimedia design.

Salary range: $37,440 to $159,403 per year

Data scientists have one of those jobs that will be in demand in a post-pandemic world. You’ll work with data sets to create predictive models, come up with strategies and find solutions to problems. According to Neuvoo, the average annual pay for a data scientist in Canada is $102,613. To become a data scientist, you need a bachelor’s degree in a field like computer science, mathematics or statistics and great computer skills.

Salary range: $36,777 to $175,000 per year

Software engineers have one of the most in-demand careers in tech, with the field expected to see a shortage of qualified workers in the near future. As a software engineer, you’re basically responsible for designing software and it’s one of the best remote or work-from-home jobs since you don’t need much more than access to a good computer and the internet. According to Neuvoo, the average pay for a software engineer in Canada is $103,355 per year. To become a software engineer, you generally need at least a bachelors’ degree in software engineering or a similar field.

Salary range: $68,513 to $140,888 per year

Aerospace engineers continue to be in demand in an industry that is seeing rapid growth but also a shortage of qualified workers. As an aerospace engineer, you’re responsible for designing, installing, maintaining and updating aircraft and spacecraft systems and components. Neuvoo says that the average salary for an aerospace engineer in Canada is $82,875 per year. To become an aerospace engineer, you typically need at least a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. Depending on the province or territory, you may also need licensing with the relevant regulatory body.

Salary range: $38,951 to $105,125 per year

Construction estimators continue to have one of the highest-paying in-demand jobs in Canada. As a construction estimator, your job is to look after the financial side of a construction project: the costs, budgets, tenders, and so on. Neuvoo says that the average salary for a construction estimator in Canada is $65,000 a year. To become a construction estimator, it helps to have practical experience in the construction industry and to complete a three-year qualification in construction engineering technology. You may also need to be registered with the Canadian Institute of Quantity Surveyors.

Salary range: $33,970 to $90,588 per year

Canada is may experience a shortage of qualified pipefitters and steamfitters soon, as those in this job start to retire. As a pipefitter or steamfitter, you’ll be responsible for the piping systems that carry just about every substance you can think of in factories. According to Neuvoo, the average pay for a pipefitter in Canada is $61,669 a year. To become a pipefitter, you generally need to complete an apprenticeship but some provinces and territories also require you to have a trade certification.

Salary range: $57,525 to $89,954 per year

Industrial electricians have one of those careers that will continue to be in demand. Industrial electricians work in factories, mines, on oil and gas rigs and the like rather than in homes and are particularly in demand. According to Neuvoo, an industrial electrician in Canada can earn an average of $73,208 a year. To become an industrial electrician, you’ll need to complete an apprenticeship and, depending on the province or territory, you may also have to obtain trade certification.

Salary range: $33,150 to $66,590 per year

Welding continues to be in high demand, especially if you have highly specialized skills like underwater welding. According to Neuvoo, the average pay for a welder in Canada is $43,875 a year. To become a welder, you generally need to complete an apprenticeship and, depending on the province or territory, you may also need trade certification.

Salary range: $37,590 to $75,855 per year

There are many great jobs for women in trades but someone has to teach students how to do these jobs. This is where vocational instructors or trainers come in. As qualified vocational instructors reach retirement age, there is a higher demand for new blood to take their place. Neuvoo says that the average salary for a vocational instructor in Canada is $62,508 per year. To become a vocational instructor, you need at least trade certification and experience in the trade you’re going to teach. You may also need a teaching qualification.

Salary range: $29,445 to $120,828 per year

Just because fewer people are flying in a world of lockdowns and quarantine, it doesn’t mean that all planes are grounded. Pilots still have plenty of work: goods need to be transported, air ambulances are still needed in remote areas, firefighters need aircraft to help them fight forest fires that rage in Canada every fire season. According to Neuvoo, the average salary for a pilot in Canada is $71,075 a year. What you’ll earn will depend on factors like the type of aircraft you’re flying. To become a pilot in Canada, you need to obtain a licence for flying the particular aircraft.

Salary range: $34,189 to $81,418 per year

Because about half or Canada’s truck drivers are older than 45, much of the workforce will retire in coming years and younger drivers will be in needed to meet the demand. You may find yourself working long hours but you also get to see all the wonders the country has to offer. According to Neuvoo, the average pay for a truck driver in Canada is $48,750 per year. To become a truck driver in Canada, you usually need a high school diploma as well as a valid driver’s licence for the class of vehicle you’ll be driving. For some specialized vehicles, you may need additional certification.