Last Updated On 14 July 2024, 11:10 AM EDT (Toronto Time)
This article lists the in-demand jobs in British Columbia that have median hourly earnings of more than $40 per hour.
In addition, the provincial government of British Columbia projects that these occupations will have robust demand and pay rates than average over the next decade.
The data for the below listed seven economic zones of British Columbia has been used to compile this list of high-opportunity occupations.
- Coast and Vancouver Islands
- Thompson-Okanagan,
- Northeast,
- North Coast and Nechako
- Mainland/Southwest,
- Kootenay, and
- Cariboo
Table of Contents
Selection criteria for these in-demand BC jobs
The four factors are considered by the B.C. government to determine the list of in-demand jobs in the province as listed below:
- Number of job opportunities available: Strength in employment growth and the number of job vacancies
- Easiness to get a job in future: Projected tightness in labour market
- Easiness of getting a job now based on latest unemployment rates
- Ongoing median hourly wage rates based on the employment income
Full list of in-demand jobs in British Columbia that pay more than $50 per hour
Below listed are the in-demand jobs in British Columbia with median hourly earnings of $50 per hour and expected to have robust market outlook as per the government of B.C..
| Occupation | Median Hourly Earnings | Job Openings to 2033 | Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities | Occupational Interest |
| Specialists in surgery (NOC 31101) | $228.76 | 760 | University Degree | Investigative |
| Judges (NOC 41100) | $199.36 | 190 | University Degree | Enterprising |
| Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine (NOC 31100) | $156.55 | 2,510 | University Degree | Investigative |
| General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102) | $114.62 | 3,640 | University Degree | Investigative, Social |
| Air traffic controllers and related occupations (NOC 72601) | $68.78 | 430 | College Diploma or Apprenticeship, 2 or more years | Enterprising, Conventional |
| Government managers – health and social policy development and program administration (NOC 40010) | $62.86 | 590 | Management | Enterprising |
| Fire chiefs and senior firefighting officers (NOC 40041) | $62.27 | 380 | Management | Enterprising, Conventional |
| Engineering managers (NOC 20010) | $60.00 | 2,460 | Management | Enterprising |
| Veterinarians (NOC 31103) | $60.00 | 570 | University Degree | Investigative |
| Occupation | Median Hourly Earnings | Job Openings to 2033 | Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities | Occupational Interest |
| Other managers in public administration (NOC 40019) | $54.95 | 300 | Management | Enterprising |
| Financial managers (NOC 10010) | $54.00 | 3,510 | Management | Enterprising |
| Dentists (NOC 31110) | $53.85 | 1,590 | University Degree | Investigative, Realistic |
| Software engineers and designers (NOC 21231) | $53.84 | 12,330 | University Degree | Investigative |
| Advertising, marketing and public relations managers (NOC 10022) | $52.88 | 5,590 | Management | Enterprising |
| Civil engineers (NOC 21300) | $52.85 | 4,010 | University Degree | Investigative, Realistic |
| School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education (NOC 40021) | $52.45 | 2,570 | Management | Enterprising |
| Architecture and science managers (NOC 20011) | $50.60 | 1,040 | Management | Enterprising, Investigative |
| Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers (NOC 10020) | $50.00 | 3,190 | Management | Enterprising |
| Administrators – post-secondary education and vocational training (NOC 40020) | $50.00 | 1,640 | Management | Enterprising |
These in-demand jobs in British Columbia can help Canadians as well as immigrants plan their career paths according to the projected labour market outlook.
B.C. has been bucking the trend with low unemployment as compared to national average and other major Canadian provinces.
How high is the unemployment rate in British Columbia?
5.2% is the unemployment rate in British Columbia, which is the lowest in Canada and much lower than the national average of 6.4% and Ontario’s unemployment rate of 7%.
How much is the minimum wage in British Columbia?
$17.40 per hour is the minimum wage in British Columbia effective June 1, 2024, and is the highest minimum hourly wage as compared to all other Canadian provinces.
What is the British Columbia Labour Market Outlook for the Next 10 Years?
According to the 2023 B.C. Labour Market Outlook, 998,000 job opportunities will be available in British Columbia between 2023 and 2033.
Annual job openings are expected to average 3.4 percent of employment over the 10-year period.
This is slightly less than in the 2022 edition because of slower-than-expected economic growth in the first few years of this outlook.
Approximately 65 percent of these future job openings will be to replace workers leaving the labour force.
As the population continues to age, 653,000 job openings are anticipated, mainly due to retiring workers.
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