Highest Paid Jobs in Canada for Foreign Workers
For a foreigner, it might be tricky to get a job offer, and things get harder if you are not yet in the country. However, there are several routes that a foreigner can pursue which can enhance their chances of grabbing a high paid job in Canada.
It’s not only about being qualified, the province the foreigner worker applies for also matters. It depends on the demand that each territory has for a particular job. We’ll present the different positions in demand for the different provinces, to give you a better understanding of the process.
Top Highest Paid Jobs
To get a high paid job, the worker is most likely to have a high-skill that is in demand in a particular territory of Canada. The National Occupational Classification (NOC), is the institution overseeing what type of job is considered a high skill. For the NOC, a highly skilled job is defined by a level A or B and a skill type 0.
This includes people that have post-graduations in a determined field, this could be in a technical or professional field or a skilled trade through a degree. People in high managerial positions are also considered highly skilled and consequently highly paid too.
The average salary for these types of jobs is between $93,000 – $312,000. And the top routes to follow are:
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Atlantic Immigration Pilot
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
- Or through express entry
Here are some of the highest paid jobs in Canada with a high demand for workers in their specific provinces:
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- Gas and Oil Operational Managers – British Columbia and Ontario
- Lawyer – Manitoba
- High-level Accountant – Yukon, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba
- Nurse – Yukon, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories and Newfoundland & Labrador
- Pilot – British Columbia, Manitoba and Alberta
- High Sales Manager – Yukon, Newfoundland & Labrador, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Alberta and Prince Edward Island.
- Doctors – Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Northwest Territories
- IT Manager – Yukon, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario, Alberta and Manitoba
- Dentist – Yukon, Newfoundland & Labrador, Manitoba, British Columbia, Alberta and Northwest Territories
- Engineer – Yukon, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Manitoba
These are some of the highest-paid and on-demand in the different provinces of Canada. However, this doesn’t mean that a certain skill isn’t in demand in other places, but it would probably be harder to get the position.
Middle-Tier Paid Jobs
Here are some of the middle-tier jobs that are on-demand in Canada. Although they are classified with a skill level C by the NOC, depending on experience and performance, a worker could reach a salary close to the highest paid jobs.
The low salary brackets of Skill level C only require a high school certificate, but to reach a better-paid position, the more qualifications the better.
The average salary with these jobs is between $32,000 and $68,000. And the top routes are the following:
- Provincial Nominee Program
- Home Support Worker Pilot
- Atlantic Immigration Pilot
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
- Or through express entry
Here are some of the middle-tier jobs in Canada and the different provinces in demand:
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- Chef – Yukon, New Brunswick, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Newfoundland & Labrador
- Industrial Electrician – Yukon, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario
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- Livestock Workers – Manitoba
- Industrial Meat Cutter – Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Alberta, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario
- Hotel Managers – Yukon, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Newfoundland & Labrador, Alberta and New Brunswick
- Welders – Yukon, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick
- Home Support Workers – Yukon, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Newfoundland & Labrador, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta
- Executive Housekeeper – Yukon, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island Alberta, Northwest Territories, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia
- Long-Haul Truck Driver – Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland & Labrador, Manitoba, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia
Q&A
What are the best jobs for foreigners in Canada?
Some of the best and highest paid jobs in Canada for foreign workers include being a pilot, a lawyer, any kind of specialised doctor, any engineer, dentist or IT manager for example. Usually, to be classified as a high paid job, the worker usually has a postgraduate degree or a highly specialised degree in a required field.
Which Jobs are in demand in Canada for foreigners?
There are several areas of expertise that are in demand for many types of qualified and unqualified workers. Many different provinces lack different skilled workers, so you might be better off in a certain territory than in others.
Some of these in-demand jobs include web developers, electrical engineers, human resources managers, human resources and recruitment officers, veterinarians, Pharmacists, financial advisors, aerospace engineers, drivers, receptionists, welders or account and project managers.
How much does a foreign worker earn in Canada?
Depending on the average hours and the province you are in, your salary would range widely. For instance, up until May 2020, the average pay per hour in Alberta was $27.28. While the Northwest Territories paid around $34.36 and Nunavut around $32. These were the top three provinces. On the other end, we have Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia with an average of $20 per hour, and New Brunswick with $20.12.
Which work has the highest salary in Canada?
According to the Canadian Business, in 2020, the highest paid jobs in Canada per year were doctor or physician with 150,000 CAD per year, certain lawyers with an average of 135 CAD per year, a utility manager with around 114,000 CAD per year, followed by a public administrator with around 110,000 CAD per year, an engineer manager with an average of 106,000 CAD in a year, and a nurse practitioner with a 104,000 CAD per year.
However, these are averages. Depending on the experience and different qualifications of some workers, this could significantly improve.
How difficult is it to get a job in Canada?
Canada is at the top of the preferred countries where foreigners relocate to. And so, it might be quite difficult to get a job, however, there are many routes that can give you a chance to work in Canada. Trying to get a job through a recruitment agency, for instance, can help you increase those chances, even more so if you are applying for a job outside the country. There are other routes such as job platforms if you are looking for a specific job.
How to get a work visa for Canada?
Work visas are necessary for people taking on temporary jobs, and so they require a work permit. However, if you acquire a permanent residency in Canada you won’t require a work visa or a work permit to work. If you get a temporary working position and receive a work permit, there are two types of visas. Employer specific-permit, allow workers that were specifically picked by an employer to work, however when the work ends, so does the visa. An open work visa allows the person to work in any province of Canada and is also an ideal choice for workers waiting for residency status.
Conclusion
There are many different industries looking for foreign workers in all provinces of Canada. There are also many high paid jobs for foreign workers to apply to and many routes that people can adopt.
Workers are allowed to work in Canada if they have a permanent residency or if they acquire a work visa. Usually, the highest paid jobs in demand bring a big chunk of their workers from overseas and facilitate them with employer-specific work permits, so they are allowed to work in Canada only until they work for that employer.
The more qualified you are the better chances you get to work in a high paid job in Canada, as well as how in-demand your skills are when you apply.