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Six-figure jobs are growing fast in three Canadian cities—but remote work tops them all
As we inch closer to the end of the pandemic, the prospect of returning to work in person is becoming a reality for many North Americans. At the same time, high-paying remote work opportunities for professionals have never been more plentiful—surpassing even hot job markets like San Francisco, New York and Washington DC. Meanwhile, three Canadian cities are seeing a boom in high-paying professional jobs—and they’re not the ones you might expect.
That’s according to an analysis by Ladders, an American career website that serves professionals seeking six-figure jobs.
Its researchers analyzed five million job postings from January 2020 to February 2022, and they found that high-paying remote jobs ballooned by an astonishing 452%. The total number of remote jobs grew from 64,061 to 354,083.
In addition to the spike in remote opportunities, Ladders found that smaller job markets have seen the swiftest increase in high-paying jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the 10 North American cities with the fastest-growing number of professional jobs, three Canadian cities made the top four. From 2020 to 2021, Saint John, N.B.; Quebec City; and Calgary saw high-paying work opportunities grow by about 185%, 180% and 167%, respectively. (They ranked behind only Rochester, M.N., which saw over 189% growth.) Below is the full chart ranking the cities based on job growth.
| Location | 2020 | 2021 | % Change |
| Remote | 64,061 | 354,083 | 452.73% |
| Rochester, M.N. | 852 | 2,461 | 188.85% |
| Saint John, N.B. | 406 | 1,158 | 185.22% |
| Quebec City, Que. | 747 | 2,095 | 180.46% |
| Calgary, Alta. | 2,164 | 5,778 | 167.01% |
| Tri-Cities | 467 | 1,239 | 165.31% |
| Peoria, Ill. | 1,913 | 5,035 | 163.20% |
| Lafayette, La. | 600 | 1,494 | 149.00% |
| Austin, Tex. | 28,949 | 71,265 | 146.17% |
| Minot, N.D. | 472 | 1,137 | 140.89% |
| Eugene, Ore. | 1,062 | 2,556 | 140.68% |
This data means that professional workers will have more opportunities to work for companies outside of their home cities, without necessarily relocating to larger urban centres. Meanwhile, companies in smaller cities can hire workers from all over, if moving is no longer a job requirement. Telecommuting with co-workers across borders may also become more common.
Only time will tell if high-paying remote work will continue to grow at this pace, but one thing remains certain: The last two years have changed, and will continue to change, how and where we work.
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