Most job boards will tell you an employer "values diversity." Fewer will show you how to check. This guide covers jobs for women in Canada at employers whose equity commitments are on the public record, with real provincial wage figures, named trades and return-to-work programs, and the pay rules that now apply to job postings in Ontario and British Columbia.
Key facts
- The federal Employment Equity Act names women as a designated group and covers federally regulated private-sector employers with 100 or more employees, such as the big five banks, Air Canada, CN and Bell.
- The 50/30 Challenge, launched by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada in December 2020, asks participants to reach gender parity on boards and/or senior management and 30 percent representation of other underrepresented groups.
- Since January 1, 2026, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must include pay or a pay range (no wider than $50,000) in publicly advertised postings. British Columbia has required pay ranges in postings since November 1, 2023.
- Job Bank lists the median registered nurse wage at $47.58 an hour in British Columbia and $42.00 in Ontario (reference period 2023-2024, updated November 19, 2025).
What WomenAtWork.ca Is and Who It Is For
WomenAtWork.ca is a Canada-focused job board for women seeking employment and career advancement. Job seekers use it to find openings across provinces and career stages. Employers use it to put their roles in front of women candidates specifically, which is useful when an applicant pool keeps coming back unbalanced.
Most of this guide is for job seekers: how to vet employers, benchmark pay and get back in after a break. The final section before the FAQ is a short brief for HR teams. If you are hiring, you can skip ahead or go straight to WomenAtWork.ca for employers.
How to Vet an Employer's Equity Commitment
Employment Equity Act employers you already know
The Employment Equity Act applies to federally regulated private-sector employers with 100 or more employees, plus Crown corporations and parts of the federal public service. Covered employers must file annual workforce reports with the federal Labour Program showing how women and the other designated groups are represented, hired, promoted and paid.
In practice, that covers many of the largest employers in the country:
- Banking: RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank and CIBC
- Air transport: Air Canada and WestJet
- Rail: CN and CPKC
- Telecommunications: Bell, Rogers and Telus
- Crown corporations: Canada Post
Being covered does not make an employer a great place to work. It does mean the company has to count, report and plan, which gives you something concrete to ask about in an interview: "What does your most recent employment equity report show for women in roles at this level?"
Federal pay equity
The same federally regulated sector is also covered by the federal Pay Equity Act, in force since August 31, 2021, which applies to employers with 10 or more employees. It requires employers to build a pay equity plan comparing pay for predominantly female and predominantly male job classes of equal value. Ask whether the plan has been posted and whether any adjustments came out of it.
The 50/30 Challenge
The 50/30 Challenge is voluntary. Participating organizations commit to gender parity (50 percent women and/or non-binary people) on their board and/or in senior management, and to significant representation (30 percent) of other underrepresented groups, including racialized people, Black people, people living with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ people and Indigenous Peoples. The Government of Canada publishes the list of participants, so search it by employer name before you apply. Signing on is a commitment, not a result. The useful follow-up question is where the organization stands today against each target.
Provincial Salary Benchmarks for Common Roles
Job Bank, run by Employment and Social Development Canada, publishes low, median and high hourly wages for each occupation by province and region. The figures below were updated on November 19, 2025. Unless noted, they come from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey for 2023-2024.
Registered nurses (NOC 31301)
| Province | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $35.00 | $47.58 | $57.00 |
| Alberta | $30.00 | $47.50 | $54.49 |
| Saskatchewan | $38.00 | $47.13 | $52.20 |
| Manitoba | $34.00 | $45.00 | $52.40 |
| Ontario | $29.00 | $42.00 | $55.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $30.20 | $41.50 | $50.00 |
| Quebec | $27.00 | $40.00 | $50.00 |
| Canada | $30.00 | $43.27 | $54.37 |
Nurse practitioners sit higher: Job Bank shows a national median of $61.54 an hour and an Ontario median of $62.00.
Power system electricians (NOC 72202)
This skilled trade shows how much a credential can lift pay. The national median is $46.55 an hour and the Ontario median is $50.85. Alberta's figure, $51.64, is a 2024 Small Area Estimation model rather than a survey result, so treat it as an estimate.
How to use these numbers
Look up your own occupation on Job Bank's wage search and pick your economic region, not just the province. Regional medians can differ a lot: Job Bank puts the power system electrician median at $57.59 an hour in the Calgary region against $51.64 for Alberta as a whole. When a posting lists a range, check where the regional median falls inside it. If the median sits above the top of the posted range, ask about it before you invest in a long interview process.
Pay Transparency Rules That Work in Your Favour
Ontario, since January 1, 2026
Changes to Ontario's Employment Standards Act made under the Working for Workers legislation now apply to employers with 25 or more employees. Publicly advertised postings must:
- State the expected pay or a pay range, and a range cannot span more than $50,000 (roles paying over $200,000 are exempt)
- Say whether the posting is for an existing vacancy
- Disclose whether AI is used to screen, assess or select applicants
- Leave out any requirement for Canadian work experience
Employers must also tell interviewed applicants whether a hiring decision has been made, within 45 days of their last interview. Note the limit: the posted range tells you what the employer expects to pay, but nothing in the rules forces an offer to fall inside it.
British Columbia, since November 1, 2023
The BC Pay Transparency Act requires employers to include the expected pay or pay range in publicly advertised postings, and bars them from asking applicants for their pay history. If a BC posting has no range, that alone tells you something about the employer's compliance.
Return-to-Work and Trades Programs by Name
Returnships with a Canadian presence
- RBC Capital Markets Returnship Program: aimed at senior-level candidates who have been on a voluntary career break of more than one year. Participants are hired as full-time, permanent employees, with the option to rotate across business lines, plus sponsorship, mentoring and accelerated training.
- IBM Tech Re-Entry: a six-month paid returnship for technical professionals coming back after a break. IBM Canada has hired participants at its Toronto lab.
- Electricity Human Resources Canada Returnship Toolkit: published in 2023 for employers in the electricity sector. It is useful for job seekers too, because it shows what a well-run program should include.
Intake windows open and close, so check each program's careers page for the current cohort before you plan around it.
Trades training for women
- Women Building Futures (Edmonton): free skills training for women and gender-diverse people. Its 17-week Journey to Trades program prepares graduates for entry-level construction jobs, and the current intake runs from October 12, 2026 to February 19, 2027.
- ITA BC Women in Trades Training: training, financial help and apprenticeship sponsorship support for eligible women in British Columbia.
- BCIT Trades Discovery for Women: hands-on exposure to roughly 20 trades before you commit to one.
- BC Centre for Women in the Trades: outreach, mentoring and retention supports, listed by WorkBC as a pre-apprenticeship pathway.
Presenting a career break
One line on your resume is enough, for example "Career break, family caregiving, 2022 to 2025." Use the interview to talk about what you did during the break that relates to the role: a recent certificate, volunteer leadership or freelance work. Returnship programs exist because employers know experienced people take breaks, so you don't need to apologize for one. When you are ready to search, browse current openings on WomenAtWork.ca for job seekers.
For HR Teams: Sourcing and Compliance in One Step
If you hire in Ontario or BC, your postings already carry pay information, so put it to work. A specific range near the Job Bank regional median, an honest description of schedule flexibility and a short list of true requirements will reach more qualified women than a long wish list.
For employers reporting under the Employment Equity Act or working toward 50/30 targets, track where your women applicants come from. If a sourcing channel consistently produces women candidates, that is documentable evidence for your equity reporting. Posting on a women-focused Canadian board is one channel you can measure that way. Posting options are on WomenAtWork.ca for employers.
FAQ
Which large Canadian employers are covered by the Employment Equity Act?
Federally regulated private-sector employers with 100 or more employees. That includes the major banks (RBC, TD, BMO, Scotiabank, CIBC), airlines such as Air Canada and WestJet, railways such as CN and CPKC, and telecom companies such as Bell, Rogers and Telus. Crown corporations such as Canada Post are also covered.
How do I check if an employer joined the 50/30 Challenge?
The Government of Canada publishes the list of participating organizations on the 50/30 Challenge website. Search for the employer by name, then ask in your interview how it is tracking against the 50 percent and 30 percent targets.
Do Ontario job postings have to show salary now?
Yes, for employers with 25 or more employees, since January 1, 2026. The posting must show the expected pay or a range no wider than $50,000, unless the role pays more than $200,000 a year.
Where can I find salary figures for my job and province?
Use the wage search on Job Bank (jobbank.gc.ca). Enter your occupation and location to see low, median and high hourly wages, along with the reference period and data source.
Are there free trades programs for women in Canada?
Yes. Women Building Futures in Edmonton offers free training, and British Columbia has ITA BC Women in Trades Training, BCIT Trades Discovery for Women and the BC Centre for Women in the Trades. Eligibility rules vary, so check each program directly.
Start Your Next Step
WomenAtWork.ca works for both sides of the hiring market. Employers can review pricing and post a role on WomenAtWork.ca for employers. Job seekers can browse current openings across Canada on WomenAtWork.ca for job seekers.