The Top 10 Most Valuable Bachelor’s Degrees In Canada Based on Salary
Many would agree that the core objective of education is to expand our understanding of the world and equip ourselves with the skills needed to succeed in life. This allows us to harness our capabilities and available resources to live a more fulfilling life.
However, the realities of the world we live in attach another vital goal to education; to equip us with specialized skills that can be applied to various professional fields, such as Medicine, Law, or Tech. Basically, cultivating the right skillset and mindset to move forward with our desired career paths.
For many students, choosing what to study in university means considering potential career paths they can pursue afterwards. It’s no surprise that after four or more years of sweat, tears, and sleepless nights to obtain a degree, some students are drawn to degrees that open doors to higher paying careers.
While no area of study is necessarily better or worse, and income is just one aspect to consider, the truth is that some university degrees tend to lead to higher paying careers. If having a well-paying job is crucial to your decision, below are 10 university bachelor’s degrees in Canada to consider.
Lucrative University Disciplines
There are significant differences in the earnings of graduates with various Canadian university degrees. In recent years, research shows that after five years, students who graduated with degrees in the field of engineering generally earned the highest incomes. Those in technical, mathematical, and finance-related fields also had higher median incomes. This goes for nursing graduates as well.
Therefore, the discipline a student chooses to study at university has a large bearing on their future earning power. This makes it imperative to select a university degree in line with one’s passion and financial goals.
Are you interested in pursuing a lucrative university degree in Canada? To help you make your decision, below is a detailed and comprehensive breakdown of the most valuable university degrees in Canada.
You can also enlist the professional services of an experienced tutor, career and academic coach who will guide, train and mentor you. This will further improve your chances of settling on the most suitable university degree for you.
- Mining and Mineral Engineering
Average Salary: $ 90,000-$ 140,000
Even without a deep understanding of the field, it’s easy to see why this might be the most valuable university degree in Canada, right?
Minerals and other geological materials are very valuable substances with high economic value. Minerals like gold and diamond have wide applications whether it’s in industry, construction, or beauty for making jewelry and other ornaments.
Others such as coal, metals, oil, and gas have a variety of applications in industry as well. Mining and mineral engineers explore and scout for minerals, design the appropriate extraction methods, oversee the mining process, and coordinate the transportation of the extracted minerals.
They also design and develop the equipment used in mining for optimal efficiency and ensure that safety and environmental regulations are adhered to throughout the mining process. The specifics of their jobs also vary depending on the mineral whose mining an engineer specializes in.
As technology advances and more efficient equipment is invented and designed, mineral exploration activities will only increase and graduates in the field will have more opportunities for better pay.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in mining and mineral engineering, one needs to…
- Be proficient in math
- Have strong analytical and creative skills
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Be adept at problem-solving
- Be able to work indoors as well as outdoors in the field
- Be a critical thinker
- Nuclear Engineering
Average Salary: $ 85,000-$ 120,000
Yes, nuclear engineering is among the most valuable university degrees in Canada. As a discipline that requires high levels of specialized proficiency in nuclear energy, professionals in this field are among the best paid in the labor market.
Graduates in this field essentially deal with the development and application of equipment used in harnessing nuclear energy. They handle everything from designing operational procedures to the construction, operation and maintenance, and monitoring of nuclear power plants.
They are also concerned with the use of radioactive material in industry for energy and in medicine for medical imaging instruments such as positron emission tomography scanners and cyclotrons for the treatment of cancerous tumours.
With the world embracing the use of renewable energy to tame environmental destruction and climate change, nuclear energy will only grow more popular and consequently offer more lucrative opportunities for graduates in the field.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in nuclear engineering, one needs to…
- Be proficient in math
- Have strong analytical skills
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Possess strong problem-solving skills
- Be a critical thinker
- Systems Engineering
Average Salary: $ 75,000-$ 85,000
Systems engineering is another degree that ranks high among the most valuable university degrees in Canada. It is a discipline that interacts with many others as it plays an integral role in the overall success of any system.
The work involves setting up systems constituting people, technologies, equipment, information, and other inputs. These elements are then skillfully coordinated to conceptualize, develop, produce, and operate process systems necessary for the achievement of various goals.
Systems engineers are also responsible for the planning and management of projects and ensuring that the resultant output meets the quality standards expected. Due to the extensive possible application of this expertise, systems engineers can work in software integration, automated factories, aviation, and other fields.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in system engineering, one needs to…
- Have excellent written and spoken language to facilitate effective communication
- Possess excellent teamwork, leadership, and coordination abilities
- Be a good problem solver
- Have high levels of creativity
- Be able to work under pressure
- Actuarial Science
Average Salary: $ 70,000- $ 100,000
You have most likely heard of this degree. This can be attributed to its high value as a profession. Actuarial science has a wide range of applications in different fields from the insurance and financial sectors to programming, and even the health sector.
As a discipline, it combines the use of statistical and mathematical techniques to develop deterministic models for assessing risk. Applying actuarial methods in the analysis of risk then enables actuaries to make fairly accurate predictions of uncertain future financial events.
The product of this analysis serves as a strong base upon which decisions in sectors such as the insurance and pension sectors are made. This is what makes actuarial science a very lucrative discipline and a valuable university degree for any student looking to secure their financial future.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in actuarial science, one needs to…
- Be proficient in math
- Have strong analytical skills
- Possess excellent problem-solving skills
- Be a critical thinker
- Possess excellent written and spoken language
- Pharmacy
Average Salary: $ 94,000- $ 107,000
Statistics show that jobs in the fields of pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, and administration are also among the most lucrative. This is especially so for female graduates in the field with their average pay topping even those of the ones in engineering.
Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences primarily deal with the discovery, design, delivery, and analysis of medicinal drugs and their application in the treatment of ailments. Other associated disciplines include pharmacoeconomics and matters to do with the regulation of pharmaceutical substances.
Because healthcare is an infinite need, specialists in the field of pharmacy are in high demand and will continue to be. Medicine is also an ever-evolving profession and as such, labor-intensive efforts both in pharmaceutical research and application have to continue. The reward for this is the high financial incentives of these jobs and the job security they offer.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in actuarial science, one needs to…
- Have a keen mastery of the sciences
- Have strong analytical skills
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Be a critical thinker
- Nursing
Average Salary: $ 73,000-$ 82,000
University degrees in nursing emerged to be among the most lucrative degrees alongside those in engineering and pharmaceutical sciences. Whether in registered nursing, clinical nursing, nursing research, or nursing administration, the median pay for graduates with nursing degrees is high.
Some of the responsibilities nursing graduates are tasked with are giving overall care to patients, monitoring their medical condition, administering tests and medication, and offering guidance during the recovery process.
The great thing about nursing is that it ranks high both for male and female graduates. As such, both genders stand a good chance of earning high incomes from the profession. Therefore, you can be confident of your financial prospects if you are a student interested in nursing. You will do just fine financially.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in nursing, one needs to…
- Have a keen mastery of the sciences
- Have strong problem-solving skills
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Be able to work under pressure
- Be a critical thinker
- Computer Science and Engineering
Average Salary: $ 70,000- $ 85,000
We live in the information age where everything is driven by technology. At the center of all this technological advancement is the almighty computer. From digitizing the financial sector and automating medical operations to self-driving vehicles and artificial intelligence, computers have entirely revolutionized modern life.
As such, it follows that those working in the field enjoy impressive salaries due to their great contribution to humanity. Computer engineers ensure the production of the most efficient and advanced computer gadgets by handling the assembly of hardware and software components.
Computer science graduates deal with programming, databases, networking, security, and creating software solutions for computers. The two disciplines overlap and hence borrow a lot from each other.
So if you have a natural penchant for all matters computers, venturing into these two careers might be a good fit for you. The opportunities for career growth are limitless.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in computer science and engineering, one needs to…
- Be proficient in math
- Have high creativity levels
- Have strong analytical skills
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Be a critical thinker
- Be able to work in a fast-paced environment
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communication Engineering
Average Salary: $ 65,000- $ 75,000
Applications of electronics and communication engineering are everywhere around us. The foundational principles of this discipline are most of what drives the current age of information and technology.
Professionals with this valuable university degree apply scientific and mathematical knowledge in formulating solutions for networking protocols, internet protocols, and mobile communications. They also design, develop, and operate electrical, electronic, and communication systems.
Therefore, graduates with university degrees in electronics and communication engineering have many opportunities and are paid handsomely for their expertise. With the world growing more interconnected by newer, more efficient network and communication systems, this discipline will only become more valuable as a university degree.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in electrical, electronics, and communication engineering, one needs to…
- Be proficient in math
- Have excellent written and spoken language for effective communication
- Have strong analytical skills
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Be a critical thinker
- Chemical Engineering
Average Salary: $ 82,000- $ 90,000
Chemical engineering is among the most important disciplines in the manufacturing sector. This is because chemical processes are an integral part of the production of various goods. These goods can be fuels, pharmaceuticals, foods, fertilizers, synthetic fibers, or plastics.
To facilitate the production of all these goods, chemical engineers create the equipment, system, and operational procedures for processing raw materials chemically to produce the final, desired consumable goods.
Chemical engineers also closely monitor manufacturing processes that involve the use of chemicals to ensure safety and adherence to environmental guidelines. They are also responsible for furthering research in the field.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in chemical engineering, one needs to…
- Be proficient in math
- Have a keen mastery of the sciences
- Have strong analytical skills
- Be a creative problem-solver
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Be a critical thinker
- Industrial Engineering
Average Salary: $ 60,000- $ 76,000
In industrial production, the primary goal of the producers is to maximize output and minimize input. This is what is referred to as ensuring production efficiency. This way, each unit of input produces optimal output, thereby making the production process economical.
And while this might sound like the job of a business manager, it might be surprising to hear that it’s the primary duty of an industrial engineer. Essentially, industrial engineers review and thoroughly analyze the whole production process to come up with ways of making it more cost and time, and energy-efficient.
They do this by finding the most suitable balance of human and material resources required to produce a product and then coordinating their use in a manner that will still ensure quality standards are fulfilled.
Key skills:
To pursue a career in industrial engineering, one needs to…
- Be proficient in math
- Have strong analytical skills
- Be able to work in a fast-paced environment
- Have a keen attention to detail
- Be a critical thinker
- Possess a keen mastery of the sciences
So what next for you?
Every student desires to finish high school, go to university, study a profession of their choice, and then go on to have a lucrative, fulfilling career. The disciplines listed above are some of the most valuable university degrees in Canada from which any student can choose.
However, something to remember is that the potential financial rewards of a career shouldn’t be the only consideration when choosing a field of study. Rather, a student should also choose something that they are good at and really passionate about.
This way, they can push past obstacles knowing that what they are doing is what fulfills them. Students can also get the professional services of a professional tutor, career, and academic coach to help them reach better decisions on what career they wish to pursue.
Top Class Edge Learning
As Top Class Edge Learning, we understand that the job market is much more competitive than before. Therefore, we have made it our goal to put as many students as possible in the best position to excel in their education and their future careers.
To facilitate this, we offer premium tutoring and academic coaching services to students from high school to university level. Our exemplary team of experienced, vetted, and professional instructors provide individualized lessons to build proficiency in math, language, and sciences.
They also teach students critical life skills like time management, leadership, teamwork, and discipline. All these go a long way in setting up your child for future academic and career success. Interested in our services? Contact us today by calling us on 647-785-0406 or sending us an email and let us assist your child to get the most out of their education and future career.