At a glance
Pay shows the low (10th percentile) to high (90th percentile) Canada-wide wages for Payroll administrators, from Job Bank (2023–2024), as yearly amounts for full-time work. Pay varies by province, city and experience. See wages by region on Job Bank
Before you post
Answer these questions first. They shape the title, the pay you offer and who applies.
How many provinces?
Payroll across several provinces, or in Quebec, adds rules such as Quebec Pension Plan and provincial tax. Say where your employees work.
Which system?
Name your payroll system, such as ADP, Ceridian Dayforce, Payworks or Wagepoint.
Payroll only, or HR too?
In smaller companies, payroll specialists often handle benefits and HR records. Be clear about the scope.
Job description template
Log in to copyCopy this into the job form and change the parts in brackets.
Payroll Specialist
About the role
We're hiring a Payroll Specialist to make sure everyone is paid correctly and on time. You'll run payroll, handle deductions and remittances, and keep us compliant with Canadian payroll rules.
What you'll do
- Run regular payroll for salaried and hourly employees
- Calculate and remit source deductions (CPP/QPP, EI and income tax)
- Prepare T4s (and RL-1s in Quebec) and Records of Employment
- Keep payroll records accurate and answer employee questions
- Make sure we follow employment standards for pay, overtime and vacation
What you bring
- 2+ years running Canadian payroll
- Knowledge of CRA payroll rules and provincial employment standards
- Experience with a payroll system such as ADP, Ceridian or Payworks
- Strong accuracy and confidentiality
- Good Excel skills
Nice to have
- Payroll Compliance Practitioner (PCP) certification from the National Payroll Institute
- Quebec payroll experience
Languages: French and English — [how each language is used, and the level needed for speaking, reading and writing].
Pay: [$ – $ per year or hour]. Location: [city, province] — [on-site / hybrid / remote].
Hiring bilingual talent
Every job on Bilingo requires at least two languages. Here's how to hire a bilingual Payroll Specialist who can really work in both.
Say how each language is used
"Bilingual" is too vague. Describe the real tasks, for example "serve clients by phone in French and English" or "write reports in English and present them in French", and the level you need for speaking, reading and writing.
Test languages the way the job uses them
Self-ratings aren't reliable. Hold part of the interview in each language, and add a short task the job really needs, such as answering a client email or a role-played call. Use the same test for every candidate.
Recognize the skill in pay
Bilingual people can usually choose between many offers. Many employers pay a bilingual premium or place bilingual roles higher in the pay range. Show it in the posting.
Hiring in Quebec?
French comes first. If the job also needs English or another language, the Charter of the French language requires you to show why the duties need it, and to say so in the posting.
Where to find bilingual candidates
- Bilingo: every candidate here is looking for a bilingual job, and the language requirement is on every posting
- French immersion and French-language programs at Canadian colleges and universities, including bilingual campuses in Ontario and New Brunswick
- Francophone community and newcomer organizations across Canada
- Cities where bilingual workers are concentrated, such as Montreal, Ottawa–Gatineau and Moncton
Where to find candidates
- Bilingo Canada's job board for bilingual jobs. Post for free, set the languages the job needs, and reach candidates who are looking for exactly that. They apply with a complete profile and résumé. Post a job
- National Payroll InstituteCanada's payroll association runs a job board and reaches certified payroll professionals.
- LinkedIn and IndeedSearch for payroll administrators and specialists by system and province.
- College programsPayroll and accounting certificate programs are a source of junior candidates.
- Job Bank The Government of Canada's free job board. If you plan to hire a temporary foreign worker, advertising here is usually part of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.
Interview questions
Ask every candidate the same core questions so you can compare answers fairly.
- Walk me through how you process a payroll run.
- How do you calculate vacation pay in our province?
- Tell me about a payroll error and how you corrected it.
- How do you prepare for T4 season?
- How do you handle an employee who says their pay is wrong?
30/60/90-day plan
Share this plan on the first day so your new hire knows what success looks like.
First 30 days
- Learn our payroll system, calendar and policies
- Shadow a payroll run
- Review employee records
Days 31–60
- Run payroll with review
- Handle remittances and employee questions
- Document the payroll process
Days 61–90
- Run payroll independently
- Plan for year-end and T4s
- Suggest improvements to accuracy or speed
Hiring rules in Canada
Employment law in Canada is mostly provincial, so the rules depend on where the job is. These are the ones that most often affect a job posting and hiring process.
Put the pay in the posting
- British Columbia — since November 1, 2023, every employer (except federally regulated ones) must include the expected pay or pay range in publicly advertised job postings. Vague terms like "competitive" or "up to" don't count.
- Prince Edward Island — since June 1, 2022, publicly advertised job postings must include the expected pay or pay range.
- Ontario — for postings made on or after January 1, 2026 by employers with 25 or more employees, the posting must include the expected pay or a range no wider than $50,000 a year (unless pay goes above $200,000).
- Newfoundland and Labrador — its Pay Equity and Pay Transparency Act includes pay ranges in job postings and a ban on asking about pay history; check whether it applies to your organization yet.
Even where it isn't required, postings with a pay range get more and better-matched applicants. Add it in the salary fields of the Bilingo job form.
Ontario: more posting rules from 2026
Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must also:
- Say in the posting whether AI is used to screen, assess or select applicants
- Say whether the posting is for an existing vacancy
- Not ask for Canadian experience in the posting or application form
- Tell interviewed applicants whether a hiring decision has been made within 45 days of their last interview
- Keep copies of postings and those notices for 3 years
Quebec: French first
Under the Charter of the French language, job postings in Quebec must be available in French, at the same time and with similar reach as any other language version. If the job requires a language other than French, such as English, you must be able to show why the duties need it, and say so in the posting.
Hire without discrimination
Human rights laws in every province and territory (and the Canadian Human Rights Act for federally regulated employers) ban discrimination on grounds such as age, sex, gender identity, race, religion, disability, and family or marital status. Only list requirements the job truly needs, ask every candidate job-related questions, and offer accommodation in the hiring process when asked.
Protect applicants' personal information
Privacy laws, including PIPEDA and the private-sector privacy laws of Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, apply to the CVs and information you collect. Only ask for what you need to make a hiring decision, store it securely, and don't keep it longer than you need. Get consent before checking references or doing background checks.
Check the right to work
Before someone starts, confirm they can work in Canada and get their Social Insurance Number (SIN) for payroll. Hiring a foreign national usually needs a work permit, and often a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada.
This is general information based on official government sources, checked on October 3, 2026. It isn't legal advice; check the rules for your province or territory, or ask an employment lawyer. Ontario · British Columbia · Job Bank
Ready to make an offer? Use our employment contract templates, with a language requirements clause.
Related hiring guides
Hire your Payroll Specialist on Bilingo
Posting is free. Add the languages and pay range, and your job reaches bilingual job seekers across Canada.
