How much will you make?

Many students go into university without a clear idea of where they’ll end up. Although some know exactly which job they plan to aim for at the end of their study (and the salary they can expect) many students have no idea.

Having a realistic idea of potential earnings in possible jobs can help with planning for the future, identifying how much student debt is manageable and whether it’s worth it to pursue higher levels of post-secondary education.

To assist with this planning, Maclean’s compiled median and average incomes in over 80 professions. Because we recognize that many students will not choose typical jobs requiring university-level education, we have included a wide variety of fields, from farming to acting, in addition to the average income for lawyers, doctors, and teachers. We’ve also included a few sobering statistics (see: cashiers).

By including both 2001 and 2006 Census data, we hope to show how pay levels have changed over the past five years (all income is shown in 2005 dollars, when the 2006 Census data was collected.) Please note that, generally, women’s income levels in most careers are lower than what is shown below, while men’s are slightly higher. For more specific data, organized by gender or province, visit Statistics Canada.

To learn more, go to Statistics Canada website.