TOP 5 Highest and lowest occupations by median income and by Industry in Nova Scotia
Median income refers to the middle employment income of all income in an occupation arranged in ascending order. This page highlights the top 5 highest paying and lowest-paying occupations in each major occupational category. Detailed income information is found in the Excel file at the bottom of the page.
1 - Business, Finance and Administration
This group includes financial and business services, administration and clerical supervision, and support services. Some occupations in this category are unique to the financial and business services sectors however, most are found in all industries.
Professional occupations in this group like accountants, investment brokers, and human resources specialists are usually supplied by education programs specific to the profession. Some administrative and business occupations are supplied by experienced workers in related clerical occupations.
The median income for all occupations in this group is $48,800. Professional occupations in finance have the highest median income within this category at $68,800. The lowest is office, court, and data support roles at $28,800.
2 - Engineering, Math, Science, and Information Technology
This category includes occupations in sciences, engineering, architecture, and information technology.
These occupations require post-secondary education in an appropriate scientific or technical discipline. Advancement from technical to professional occupations usually requires additional education.
The median income for all occupations in this group is $74,000. Specialized middle management occupations have the largest median income within this occupational group at $112,000. The lowest is technical roles related to natural and applied sciences at $58,400.
3 - Health
This category includes occupations that provide health care services directly to patients and those that provide technical support to medical staff.
Advancement from medical and dental technical roles to professional occupations requires additional formal education. Advancement to supervisory positions requires experience in the occupations supervised. Support occupations in health are usually supplied by short training programs specific to the support area.
The median income for all occupations in this group is $50,800. Specialized middle management occupations in health care have the highest median income within this occupational group at $95,000. Assisting occupations in support of health services have the lowest at $33,600.
4 - Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services
Occupations in this category are concerned with law, teaching, counseling, conducting social science research, developing government policy, and administering government and other programs. Religious services and leadership roles are included in this category.
These occupations usually require the completion of a related post-secondary program. Individuals who work as paralegals, social service workers, or educators and instructors who are not part of the elementary, secondary, or post-secondary school system are usually required to complete additional formal education to advance to professional occupations.
The median income for this occupational group is $52,400. Occupations in front-line public protection services have the highest median income in this group at $108,000. The lowest is Student monitors, crossing guards and related occupations at $6,280.
5 - Art, Culture, Recreation, and Sport
This category includes occupations in art and culture, including the performing arts, film and video, broadcasting, journalism, writing, creative design, libraries, and museums.
The median income for this occupational group is $22,200. Specialized middle management occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport have the highest median income in this category at $54,000. Support occupations in art and culture have the lowest at $8,400.
6 - Sales and Service
This category contains retail and wholesale sales occupations and customer and personal service occupations related to a wide range of industries like as accommodation and food services, travel, tourism and cleaning services.
Sales and service occupations can be linked, for the most part, to formal post-secondary or occupation-specific training programs. Others are characterized by periods of formal on-the-job training. Apprenticeship training is available for some specialized service occupations. Advancement from sales and service occupations to positions of increased responsibility, or supervision, usually requires occupational experience and may require completion of related training programs.
The median income for this occupational group is $20,600. Specialized sales occupations have the highest median income in this group at $60,000. Support occupations in food, accommodation, and tourism have the lowest at $10,100.
7 - Trades and Transportation
This category includes trades supervisors and contractors, construction and mechanical tradespersons, operators of transportation and heavy equipment, and trades helpers. These occupations are found in a wide range of industries, with many in the construction and transportation industries.
This category includes most of the trades, including all those related to the construction industry. Other occupations in this category usually require completion of college or vocational education programs combined with on-the-job training. Helpers get training on the job site. Advancement to supervisory positions or self-employed contractor status is possible with experience. There is limited mobility or transferability of skills among occupations in this category due to specific apprenticeship, training, and licensing requirements for most occupations.
The median income for this occupational group is $44,400. Middle management occupations in trades and transportation have the highest median income in this group at $62,000. Helpers and labourers and other transport drivers, operators and labourers have the lowest at $28,400.
8 - Farming, Fishing, Forestry, and Mining
These occupations include supervisors and equipment operators in the natural resource-based sectors of mining, oil and gas production, forestry and logging, agriculture, horticulture, and fishing. Most occupations in this category are industry-specific and do not occur outside of the primary resources industries.
Occupations within this category generally require completion of college or vocational education programs. Some of these occupations, however, are characterized by on-the-job training and progression through experience.
The median income for this occupational group is $23,200. Supervisors in natural resources, agriculture and related production have the highest median income in this group at $62,800. Harvesting, landscaping and natural resources labourers have the lowest at $16,000.
9 - Manufacturing and Utilities
This category contains supervisory, production, and labouring occupations in manufacturing, processing, and utilities. Occupations in this category are characterized by either technical training, internal progression, or on-the-job training.
Process control occupations in this category are increasingly technical and post-secondary training is usually required. For many occupations in this category, workers typically start out as labourers and advance to machine operation occupations through experience. Advancement to supervisory positions requires experience in the occupations supervised. Mobility in some of these occupations may be limited by seniority provisions of collective agreements or may require additional training.
The median income for this occupational group is $42,000. Central control and process operators in processing and manufacturing have the highest median income in this group at $100,000. Labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities have the lowest at $28,400.
Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census – custom data.