We recently covered the highest and lowest paying jobs in Canada, but there were few surprises on either of those lists. It turns out that doctors, lawyers, and senior financial managers tend to be well compensated. And minimum wage jobs by definition end up being the lowest paying positions to have. [The highest and lowest paying jobs in Canada.]

This week the team decided to take a look at some jobs that pay surprisingly well in a variety of other roles than law, medicine or finance. It turns out that some technical abilities, language or math skills can land you fat paycheques as well.

Ten surprisingly high-paying jobs:

    Computer Programmer – The median salary for programmers is $68,640. At the higher end of the pay scale, these jobs pay up to $97,000. The highest pay is currently in Alberta. [View jobs.]

    Web Designers and Developers – $52,000 is the median pay for web designers and developers, but the salaries can reach upwards of $90,000. These jobs also pay the highest in Alberta right now. [View Jobs.]

    Marketing Analyst – With more and more data on consumer behaviour becoming available to marketers, people who can analyse and interpret that information are in high demand right now. The median salary for analysts is $58,677 but salaries can reach over six figures to $104,540. [View Jobs.]

    Web Marketing Manager – As so much of our communications have moved online, the salaries for digital marketers have heated up as well. The median pay is $75,000 and at the high end salaries reach over $125,000. [View Jobs.]

    Advertising Copy Writers and Technical Writers – While these are two different skills, they fall into similar pay brackets. (I’ve actually held both of these jobs over the years.) The median salary is $56,000, but they can earn up to $87,500 a year. [View Jobs.]

    Corporate trainer – Some jurisdictions in Canada have graduated more teachers than they have available teaching positions. Another career option for educators is as a corporate trainer. The median pay for this role is $55,550 and it can get up to $100,000. [View Jobs.]

    Translator – Most companies in Canada make an effort to provide services in both English and French creating a constant demand for professional translators. The median salary for translators is $52,000 a year, and they can earn up to $90,000. The demand is highest in Ontario. [View Jobs.]

    Mathematicians, Statisticians and Actuaries – Advanced math skills are in demand across industries leading to higher pay for mathletes. The median pay is $66,550, and it goes up to $155,438 at the high end of the scale. These roles pay the most in Saskatchewan right now. [View Jobs.]

    Information Technology Professionals – The IT crowd continue to make decent wages with a median salary of $73,590 and earning over $100,000 at the higher end. Salaries are the highest in Alberta. [View Jobs.]

    Communications and Public Relations – Another key career for writers and story tellers is in PR. Professionals in this field are paid a median salary of $59,280 and the more highly paid among them make $95,000. [View Jobs.]

These salaries are based on the most recent data available from the Labour Force Survey by Statistics Canada. You can compare employment outlook and salaries for jobs by location in Canada here.

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Peter Harris
– Peter Harris on Twitter

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