Every high-paying jobs article on the internet lists the same careers in the same order: software engineer, doctor, lawyer, investment banker, dentist. These are fine careers. They are also obviously well-paid and heavily discussed. What is less discussed and what is genuinely more useful for people who are not going to become surgeons is the list of careers that reach or exceed $100,000 without requiring a decade of post-secondary education, without requiring a professional degree, and without being in the conversation at all among people who think about high-earning careers.

This is that list. Every career here pays $100,000 or more in Canada or the United States for experienced practitioners. None of them gets mentioned in standard career conversations. Most can be entered without a four-year university degree or with significantly less post-secondary education than the headline careers.

Jobs That Pay $100,000 a Year That Nobody Talks About

Air Traffic Controller – $130,000 to $200,000

Air traffic controllers manage the real-time separation of aircraft in three-dimensional space and are among the highest-paid government employees in North America. In Canada, NAV CANADA controllers with experience earn $120,000 to $175,000. In the United States, experienced FAA controllers in major facilities earn $150,000 to $200,000.

The entry path in both countries does not require a university degree. In Canada, NAV CANADA recruits from its own college training program and from aviation experience. In the US, the FAA hires through a competitive process accessible to candidates with an associate degree or 3 years of work experience. The work is genuinely stressful, the concentration required and the consequences of errors are extreme, but the compensation reflects this reality.

Power Line Technician / Electrical Lineman – $95,000 to $160,000+

Electrical linemen install and maintain the overhead and underground power lines that distribute electricity across the country. The training path is a four to five-year apprenticeship through the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) in the US or through provincial utility companies and colleges in Canada.

Base wages for journeyman linemen in Canada range from $45 to $60 per hour, and overtime, which is abundant during storm restoration and emergency maintenance seasons, pushes total annual income well above base. Experienced linemen in Ontario or Alberta regularly earn $120,000 to $160,000 in high-overtime years. The work is physically demanding, involving work at heights and in adverse weather conditions, but the financial outcomes are exceptional.

Elevator Mechanic – $100,000 to $155,000

Elevator mechanics install, maintain, and repair elevators, escalators, and moving walkways. The IUEC (International Union of Elevator Constructors) apprenticeship takes four to five years. Demand for qualified elevator mechanics exceeds supply in virtually every major North American city, and the shortage has no short-term solution because the training pipeline is slow.

In cities like New York, San Francisco, and Toronto, elevator mechanics earn $110,000 to $155,000 annually, including overtime, with union benefits that include comprehensive health insurance and defined-benefit pensions. This is a career that almost no high school guidance counsellor mentions and that almost no one outside the trades knows about.

Commercial Pilot (Regional to Major Airline) – $90,000 to $300,000

Regional airline captains in Canada and the United States earn $90,000 to $140,000. Major airline captains at Air Canada, WestJet, United, Delta, and American earn $180,000 to $320,000 with full seniority. The path does not require a university degree in either country; Transport Canada and the FAA license pilots through examination and flight hours, not academic credentials.

The entry path requires a significant upfront investment in flight training ($70,000 to $120,000 for the Canadian commercial and instrument ratings), and the time from zero flight hours to a major airline cockpit is 4 to 8 years. But the ceiling is genuinely exceptional, and the shortage of qualified pilots is projected to persist in North America through the 2030s.

Orthotist / Prosthetist – $95,000 to $140,000

Orthotists and prosthetists design and fit custom orthopedic braces and artificial limbs for patients with physical disabilities and injuries. In Canada, the credential pathway is a master’s degree in orthotics and prosthetics from an accredited program, followed by clinical residency. In the US, the pathway is similar.

What makes this career unusual is how rarely it appears in career conversations despite its excellent compensation, genuine patient impact, and strong job security. The aging population means that demand for orthotics and prosthetics services will only grow. Practitioners working in private clinics and hospital outpatient settings earn $95,000 to $140,000.

Radiation Therapist – $90,000 to $120,000

Radiation therapists administer radiation treatments to cancer patients and are essential to oncology departments at every major hospital. In Canada, the credential is a three-year diploma or four-year degree from an accredited medical radiation technology program, followed by licensing with the provincial regulatory college.

In the United States, the credential is a two-year associate’s degree in radiation therapy from an accredited program, not a professional school. No MCAT. No residency. Starting salaries for radiation therapists in Canada are $72,000 to $85,000, rising to $95,000 to $120,000 with experience.

Nuclear Medicine Technologist – $90,000 to $115,000

Nuclear medicine technologists prepare radioactive drugs and administer them to patients for diagnostic imaging, helping physicians diagnose cancer, heart disease, and other conditions. The credential in Canada is a three- to four-year program in nuclear medicine technology. In the United States, the credential pathway is a two-year associate’s degree.

The field is technical, patient-facing, and requires precision and a safety-conscious approach. Starting salaries in Canada range from $75,000 to $85,000, rising to $95,000 to $115,000 with experience and in high-demand markets. It is one of the most technically interesting careers in healthcare, yet most people have never heard of it.

Marine Pilot – $180,000 to $300,000

Marine pilots navigate large commercial vessels, including container ships, tankers, and bulk carriers, through complex port approaches and challenging waterways. They board ships from pilot boats in all weather conditions, take command of vessels they have never sailed before, and guide them safely through waters they know intimately.

In Canada, provincial pilotage authorities employ marine pilots, and the credential pathway involves years of experience as a ship’s officer followed by a pilotage examination. Marine pilots in major Canadian ports, such as Vancouver, Halifax, and the St. Lawrence River, earn $180,000 to $300,000. This career is almost completely invisible in standard career advice, despite producing incomes that rival those of most specialist physicians.

Well Services Supervisor (Oil and Gas) – $120,000 to $200,000

Well services supervisors oversee the drilling, completion, and workover operations at oil and gas wells, managing crews, equipment, and safety protocols on a fly-in/fly-out schedule in remote locations. The career typically begins with several years as a fieldhand or service technician, advancing through experience rather than academic credentials.

Experienced well services supervisors in Alberta’s oil sands or in North Dakota’s shale basins earn $120,000 to $200,000, with housing and food provided during rotations. The work is remote, the schedule is intense (typically 14 days on, 14 days off), and the career is heavily dependent on oil prices, which is a significant caveat.

Patent Agent – $110,000 to $160,000

Patent agents prepare and prosecute patent applications on behalf of inventors and companies. In Canada, registration as a patent agent requires passing the Canadian patent agent qualifying examination. In the United States, the USPTO (Patent and Trademark Office) requires a technical degree in science or engineering plus passing the patent bar examination.

The work is intellectually demanding, writing precise legal-technical descriptions of inventions, but it does not require a law degree. Registered patent agents with technical backgrounds in engineering, chemistry, or biology earn $110,000 to $160,000 at patent law firms and corporate IP departments. It is one of the least discussed high-earning careers in the legal-adjacent professional world.

Technical Sales Engineer – $100,000 to $175,000

Technical sales engineers sell complex industrial, engineering, or technology products to business customers, the machinery, software, systems, or components that companies need to operate. The role combines technical knowledge of the product with sales skills. The compensation is usually base salary plus commission, which means high performers earn considerably above the stated range.

Technical sales engineers in industrial automation, medical devices, enterprise software, and energy technology regularly earn $100,000 to $175,000. The entry path varies: some come from engineering or technical degrees, others from sales backgrounds who built technical knowledge on the job. This career is rarely discussed in career guidance despite being accessible, well-paid, and available in virtually every industry sector.