Finding work in Quebec means dealing with rules that do not exist anywhere else in Canada. French is the legal language of work, dozens of professions need a permit from a provincial order, and pay equity is reviewed on a fixed five-year cycle. This guide covers who hires in Montreal, Quebec City and Gatineau, what the language and licensing rules require, and what WomenAtWork.ca offers to job seekers and employers in the province.
Key facts (as of September 2026)
- Quebec's general minimum wage is $16.60 an hour, in effect since May 1, 2026. The federal minimum wage for federally regulated workplaces is $18.15 an hour, in effect since April 1, 2026.
- Under the Charter of the French Language, as amended by Bill 96 in 2022, an employer can require a language other than French only when the job genuinely needs it and after taking reasonable steps to avoid the requirement.
- Since June 1, 2025, businesses with 25 or more employees in Quebec must register with the Office quebecois de la langue francaise (OQLF) and go through the francization process.
- Francisation Quebec is the government's single point of entry for French courses for adults.
- Quebec's Pay Equity Act covers employers with 10 or more employees in the province, and pay equity must be re-evaluated every five years.
- Banks, airlines, telecoms, railways and the federal public service fall under the federal Pay Equity Act instead.
What WomenAtWork.ca Does in Quebec, and Who It Is For
WomenAtWork.ca is a Canada-focused job board for women seeking employment and career advancement, and for the employers who want to hire them. In Quebec it serves two groups.
For job seekers
Job seekers can browse Quebec openings and create a profile. An employer who posts on a board aimed at women candidates is telling you it wants your application. Use that as a starting point, then check each employer against the language and licensing requirements below. Start at WomenAtWork.ca for job seekers.
For employers
For HR teams, WomenAtWork.ca is a targeted sourcing channel. It helps when your pay equity evaluation shows women are missing from certain job classes, or when your shortlists for technical and leadership roles keep coming back uneven. You can review pricing and post a role at WomenAtWork.ca for employers.
Women Jobs in Montreal: Who Hires and What They Need
Montreal has the largest volume of openings in the province and the widest mix of employers, including many federally regulated head offices.
Technology, AI and games
Mila, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, anchors an AI research cluster. Ubisoft Montreal is one of the largest game studios in the world, and a large game and visual effects sector has grown around it. Roles range from machine learning research and software engineering to production coordination, QA and localization. Localization is a real opening for bilingual candidates, because French-language versions of products are a legal requirement in Quebec.
Aerospace
The Montreal region is one of the world's main aerospace centres. Bombardier, CAE, Pratt and Whitney Canada in Longueuil and Airbus Canada, which builds the A220 at Mirabel, hire engineers, supply chain planners, quality specialists and aircraft maintenance technicians. Engineering roles usually require membership in the Ordre des ingenieurs du Quebec (OIQ), covered below.
Finance, health and public utilities
National Bank of Canada, Laurentian Bank, BCE, Air Canada and CN all have head offices in Montreal. All of them are federally regulated, which matters for pay equity. Hydro-Quebec, the provincial utility, is also headquartered in the city. In health care, the CHUM and the McGill University Health Centre are major teaching hospitals. Since December 2024, Sante Quebec has been the employer for staff across the public health network, so public nursing and allied health jobs are now posted through it.
Quebec City and Gatineau
Quebec City: government, insurance and cooperatives
As the capital, Quebec City has a heavy concentration of provincial government jobs. Openings in the Quebec public service are posted through the government's official recruitment site, Carrieres Quebec. The city also has two large insurers, iA Financial Group and Beneva, and Desjardins is headquartered just across the river in Levis. Other major employers include the CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval, Universite Laval, and Beenox, a game studio in the city. French is the working language in nearly all of these workplaces.
Gatineau: federal public service and bilingual roles
Gatineau houses large federal office complexes such as Place du Portage and Les Terrasses de la Chaudiere, along with the Canadian Museum of History, the Ville de Gatineau and the Universite du Quebec en Outaouais. Federal jobs are posted on GC Jobs at canada.ca. Many bilingual positions list a required second-language profile, rated at levels A, B or C for reading, writing and oral skills. Check whether the language requirement is imperative, meaning you must meet it on appointment, or non-imperative, meaning training may be provided.
Regional centres
Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivieres and Saguenay have openings in health, education and manufacturing, and many are posted through Sante Quebec and local school service centres. Quebec emploi, the provincial government's job board, is useful for these regions.
Language at Work: Bill 96 and Francisation Quebec
What the Charter of the French Language requires
Bill 96, passed in 2022, strengthened the Charter of the French Language. French is the normal language of work, employment contracts are generally written in French, and employees have the right to work in French. Before requiring English or another language for a job, an employer must assess what the role actually needs, check whether current staff already cover that need, and limit the number of positions that require another language. So when a Quebec posting lists English as required, the employer is expected to be able to justify it.
What this means for your search
If you are fluent in French, most of the Quebec market is open to you. If your French is still developing, focus on roles that serve clients outside Quebec, research jobs, and federal jobs with non-imperative language requirements. On your profile and resume, state your level honestly and specifically. For example, write intermediate oral French with an OQLF exam scheduled, not just some French.
Francisation Quebec
Francisation Quebec is run by the Ministere de l'Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Integration. It is the single place to apply for government French courses, with full-time, part-time and online options for eligible adults. It also works with employers to offer French training in the workplace. Apply through the Francisation Quebec section of quebec.ca. Wait times and eligibility change, so check the current rules before building a timeline around a course.
Regulated Professions: Know Your Order Before You Apply
Quebec has dozens of professional orders, overseen by the Office des professions du Quebec. If your field is regulated, you cannot practise without a permit, no matter how many job offers you have.
Common orders for women job seekers
- Nursing: Ordre des infirmieres et infirmiers du Quebec (OIIQ). Licensed practical nurses belong to the Ordre des infirmieres et infirmiers auxiliaires du Quebec (OIIAQ).
- Engineering: Ordre des ingenieurs du Quebec (OIQ).
- Accounting: Ordre des comptables professionnels agrees du Quebec (CPA Quebec).
- Other health and social fields: social workers, occupational therapists, pharmacists and psychologists each have their own order.
The French requirement for permits
Under the Charter, professional orders can only issue a permit to someone with the level of French the profession requires. Candidates who did not complete enough of their education in French usually show this by passing an exam given by the OQLF. If you trained outside Quebec, contact your order early. Equivalence reviews, bridging courses and the language exam can take months.
Temporary and restrictive permits
Some orders offer temporary or restrictive permits so qualified people can start working while they finish the French requirement or other conditions. Ask your order directly what applies to you.
Pay Equity in Quebec and for Federally Regulated Employers
This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Employers should confirm their obligations with the CNESST, the federal Pay Equity Commissioner or a qualified advisor.
Quebec's Pay Equity Act
Quebec's Pay Equity Act (Loi sur l'equite salariale) was adopted in 1996. It applies to employers with 10 or more employees in the province and is administered by the CNESST. It compares predominantly female job classes with predominantly male job classes of equal value, based on skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. It is not the same as equal pay for identical work.
The five-year maintenance cycle
Pay equity in Quebec is not a one-time exercise. Covered employers must carry out a maintenance evaluation every five years to catch gaps created by new roles, reorganizations or changes in pay. Results must be posted so employees can see them. Each cycle shows where women are concentrated and where they are scarce, which often leads to new recruiting efforts.
The federal Pay Equity Act
The federal Pay Equity Act came into force on August 31, 2021. It applies to federally regulated employers with 10 or more employees, including the Montreal-based banks, airlines, telecoms and railways named above, and the federal public service in Gatineau. Employers must create a pay equity plan and update it at least every five years. The Pay Equity Commissioner at the Canadian Human Rights Commission oversees compliance. If you work at National Bank, Air Canada or a federal department, the federal act applies to you, not the Quebec one.
Questions job seekers can ask
You can ask how a role is classified, whether it is part of a predominantly female job class, and when the employer last completed its pay equity evaluation or plan update. These are reasonable questions for an interview or offer stage.
For Employers: Hiring Women in Quebec
Write postings that comply and convert
Publish in French first, with an English version if you want one. If you require English, document why, since Bill 96 expects that analysis. Include a salary range, separate required skills from nice-to-have skills, and state hybrid or flexible arrangements clearly. If the role is regulated, name the permit needed, such as OIIQ, OIQ or CPA Quebec, so candidates can self-screen.
Use your pay equity data to plan sourcing
Your Quebec maintenance evaluation or federal pay equity plan shows which job classes lack women. Put your sourcing budget there, whether that is engineering at an aerospace supplier or senior analyst roles at an insurer. WomenAtWork.ca gives you a channel aimed at women candidates. Compare options at WomenAtWork.ca for employers.
Support French and licensing after the hire
If you hire a strong candidate whose French is still developing, Francisation Quebec's workplace training can support your francization obligations and help the new hire progress. For regulated roles, budget time for the permit process. Retention depends on clear promotion criteria and transparent pay bands, which also make your next pay equity cycle easier.
FAQ
Do I need to speak French to find women jobs in Quebec?
For most roles, yes. Under the Charter of the French Language, French is the normal language of work. Some jobs in Montreal's research, technology and export sectors, and some federal jobs in Gatineau with non-imperative language requirements, are open to candidates who are still learning French. Francisation Quebec offers government French courses for eligible adults.
What is the minimum wage in Quebec?
Quebec's general minimum wage is $16.60 an hour as of May 1, 2026. Federally regulated workplaces in Quebec, such as banks and airlines, must pay at least the federal minimum wage of $18.15 an hour, in effect since April 1, 2026.
I am a nurse trained outside Quebec. Where do I start?
Start with the OIIQ, or the OIIAQ if you are a licensed practical nurse. Ask about equivalence, any required bridging training and the French requirement, which may mean taking the OQLF exam. Most public nursing jobs are now posted by Sante Quebec.
What is the difference between the Quebec and federal pay equity acts?
The Quebec act covers provincially regulated employers with 10 or more employees and is administered by the CNESST. The federal act, in force since August 31, 2021, covers federally regulated employers with 10 or more employees and is overseen by the Pay Equity Commissioner. Both use a five-year review cycle.
Is WomenAtWork.ca only for Quebec?
No. WomenAtWork.ca serves women job seekers and employers across Canada. The Quebec focus in this guide is one regional part of a national board.
Get Started in Quebec
Before you apply, know your French level, check whether your profession needs a permit, and find out which pay equity law covers your employer. Whether you are hiring or job hunting, WomenAtWork.ca serves both sides of the market. Employers can review pricing and post a role at WomenAtWork.ca for employers. Job seekers can browse openings and create a profile at WomenAtWork.ca for job seekers.