No Degree, No Drama: Canada's Highest-Paying Jobs That Don't Require A University Education
While you might think that you need to have a university degree to make a lot of money, that's not always the case.
In fact, there are a lot of high-paying jobs in Canada that don't require post-secondary education or even any experience.
Indeed has shared all of the details about what the highest-paying jobs without degree requirements are in this country for 2023, including exactly how much money is up for grabs.
The salaries for these positions range from just over $30,000 all the way to more than $130,000 a year!
According to the job site, knowing which jobs pay well without requiring a degree or experience "can help you better grasp your career options and make informed decisions" about which positions you can get.
So, here's a breakdown of the highest-paying jobs in Canada that you can get hired for even if you don't have a post-secondary education and how much money you could make.
What are the highest-paying jobs you can get without a degree or experience?
Recently, Indeed revealed the highest-paying jobs in Canada for 2023 that you can get even if you don't have a degree from a post-secondary school or any experience.
While some of these positions only pay around minimum wage, there are quite a few that offer salaries close to $100,000 a year!
According to Indeed, one of the highest paying jobs without degree or experience requirements is a warehouse worker.
The national average salary for this position is $16.46 an hour, which works out to $34,236 a year if you're a full-time employee working a 40-hour week.
Receptionists who don't have a degree or experience make an average salary of $16.94 per hour in Canada.
That's $35,235 a year when you do full-time work.
For accounting clerk positions, the national average salary is $21.26 an hour and $44,220 a year with full-time work.
You could make $21.28 per hour — which works out to $44,262 a year — without a degree or experience as a landscape technician.
According to Indeed, miners in Canada have a national average salary of $21.71 per hour or $45,156 a year.
Theatre practitioners can make $23.23 per hour, which is $48,318 a year for full-time work without having a university degree.
If you want a career as a translator, you could earn $23.71 an hour even if you don't have a post-secondary education.
That hourly pay works out to $49,316 a year.
Dental assistant positions have a national average hourly wage of $23.92, according to Indeed. So, working full-time would earn you $49,753 each year.
For claims adjusters, the average salary is $51,987 a year in Canada.
If you want to work as an executive chef, you could make an average salary of $63,788 per year.
According to Indeed, maintenance managers get a salary of $76,025 a year on average in Canada.
In mobile developer jobs, the national average yearly salary is $80,778, even without a degree or any experience.
With train conductor positions, you could earn $85,393 per year.
Then, the highest paying job in Canada that doesn't require a degree or experience, according to Indeed, is a nuclear power reactor operator position.
The national average salary for that job is $88,253 a year!
What are other high-paying jobs in Canada that don't require a degree?
Back in 2022, Indeed also shared what high-paying jobs you can get hired for in Canada even if you don't have a university degree.
The salaries for those positions range from just over $50,000 a year to more than $130,000 a year!
Welders earn an average salary of $51,803 per year in Canada.
For dump truck drivers, the yearly pay is typically around $57,550.
Sales executives can make $58,927 per year without a degree, according to Indeed.
Also, automotive technicians earn $62,850 each year on average in Canada.
For people who work as plumbers, the national average salary is $65,234 per year.
You could get hired for a job working as a web developer without a university degree and make $67,127 a year.
If you want a career as an electrician, the national average yearly pay is $67,909 for full-time work.
Land surveyors in Canada could make $68,300 per year without having a university degree.
Indeed revealed that people who work as drivers — whether that involves driving passengers, delivering shipments or operating public transportation vehicles — earn an average salary of $69,599 a year.
For construction managers, the national average salary is $70,150 per year, and for distribution managers, the pay is $81,215 per year.
Typically in Canada, you could earn $87,483 a year as a firefighter even if you don't have a university education.
If you're thinking of getting a job in real estate, realtors make an average salary of $113,725 per year in Canada!
According to Indeed, air traffic controller positions in this country pay around $133,181 a year on average, which makes it one of the highest-paying jobs you can get without a degree.
What degrees get you the highest-paying entry-level jobs in Canada?
If you have a post-secondary education or are thinking about getting one from a university, there is also data on the degrees that can get you the highest-paying entry-level jobs in Canada for 2023.
Having a bachelor's degree in finance, IT, health care, engineering, and other fields could earn you anywhere from $33,000 to $72,000 a year in entry-level positions, Indeed revealed earlier this year.
Then, the starting salary that you can earn with those degrees rises to more than $100,000 and even over $300,000 per year when you get mid and senior-level positions.
If you're applying for a job — whether it's high paying but doesn't need a degree or requires you to have a university education — you should make sure your resume is the best it can be so you can get hired!
Recently, Narcity spoke with a recruiter to get all the details about resume red flags and the mistakes you could be making on your CV.
Emily Durham, a recruiter and career coach, shared tips that will not only save time when you're putting together your resume but could also help you get the job you apply for.
You should never include your photo or have your address on your resume.
Also, having a lack of data — aka information about what you achieved in your job — and sharing work experience that isn't relevant to the job you're applying for are considered red flags.
@emily.the.recruiter Is your resume a meas? #reaumemistakes #resumetips #jobhunting
This article has been updated since it was originally published in June 2023.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
