OP has at least four options:
1. US citizen visits Canada, marry in Canada, apply for spousal visa (starting with Form I-130), move to US. Begin work on arrival.
2. Canadian visits US, marry in US, return to Canada, apply for spousal visa (starting with Form I-130). move to US. Begin work on arrival.
3. Apply for fiance visa (starting with Form I-129F), marry in US, stay and adjust status. Need to apply for and receive employment authorization before working.
In all three cases, visits in both directions are possible while waiting for the visa, and the end result is permanent residency
4. Canadian gets accepted by a US university which will provide an I-20 certificate, register with SEVIS. Move to US, go to school. If you decide to get married in the US, you can afterward apply for spousal visa or adjustment of status and you don't have to return to Canada while waiting (but you do have to stay in school, not work, until the process is finished). If you don't get married, this path doesn't lead to working in the US, but it differs from the other marriage-based routes in that you can be continuously in the US through the long process.
I wouldn't recommend the fiance visa for a Canadian, since visits are fast and cheap compared to adjustment of status. But it is an option.