Where to find PA Jobs in Canada
While popular job search platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed serve as accessible starting points, the vast majority of PA positions can be found on the internal CAPA PA Job Board, and hospital career websites, circulated among PA program alumni networks, and shared within exclusive online communities.
Here, we'll explore various platforms and resources where you can find Physician Assistant job postings in Canada.
1. CAPA PA Job Listings
Membership required. The Canadian Association of Physician Assistants’ website is often the first resource employers access when they are interested in hiring a PA.
These employers will often contact CAPA, who will post the job listing for free on the website. The audience is targeted, with the membership consisting of Canadian Certified Physician Assistants (CCPAs), Canadian PA students and certified American PAs (PA-Cs) who are interested in working in Canada. This means employers gain access to a pool of qualified candidates with diverse skillsets and experiences.
The job postings for employers are offered at no cost, and if employers wish to have their posting distributed to an email list, there is a paid option as well. Postings are constantly added and updated.
2. PA Jobs on LinkedIn
LinkedIn’s Job Search Engine will reveal the results of employers (private clinics/hospitals) who share their job postings! You can apply directly to the site.
When inputting your search ensure you have “Jobs” selected, and put “physician assistant” in quotes so that it looks specifically for job postings that contain the text “Physician Assistant”. This reduces the likelihood that you will get unrelated results (e.g. physician jobs, administrative assistant).
3. PA Jobs on Indeed.ca
These public sites are a free-for-all for job postings. Employers submit their job postings which are automatically approved and posted for public viewing. They pay a nominal fee to have the jobs appear first or for longer durations.
Our Orthopaedic Clinic posted a job on Indeed for a part time position to cover a maternity leave. I was overseeing the resumes coming in, and had specifically included in the qualifications, “Canadian Certified Physician Assistant (CCPA) or American Certified Physician Assistant (PA-C)”. Although we did receive resumes for candidates who did qualify, we received an overwhelming response from International Medical Graduates, administrative assistants, Physiotherapy Assistants, and Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Nonetheless, the PA jobs you find here posted on Indeed can often be found on the CAPA Job Listing page.
4. PA Jobs on HealthForceOntario
These are publicly listed, Ontario specific jobs. From time to time, employers will request to have these jobs posted at Health Force Ontario website. These are accessible publicly and some of these job postings are also found on the CAPA website as well.
Health Force Ontario is also the body that releases new grad-funded jobs through HealthForceOntario PA Career Start, however, these are not publicly available for viewing.
5. PA Jobs on Hospital Career Listings
Hospital Human Resources websites often have their own job listing and posting system. This would either require entering “[Name os hospital] physician assistant job” in a google search to find it, or browsing through different hospital websites in their “Careers” section. Sometimes these job postings are publicly available, other times they are accessible only via “internal” means (e.g. only on the hospital intranet server).
6. PA Jobs on Manitoba RHA Career Sites
MPAS Entrada Manitoba PA Job Postings. Visit the Job Postings Site.
Winnipeg RHA: The Windsor Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has external (public) and internal job listings for PAs. It takes a bit of navigating through their website before you find Physician Assistant specific jobs. These jobs are for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. Visit the WRHA Job Listings Website >>
Interlake-Eastern RHA: Be sure to check the Featured Positions sections and Job Listings for the most recent jobs.
Northern RHA: Northern Regional Health Authority may provide relocation assistance and/or other incentives as per their Current Opportunities webpage.
Prairie Mountain Health: Prairie Mountain health is in a rural area that borders a national park. You can visit their Find a Career webpage to find career opportunities.
South Health: South Health covers 20 rural municipalities. To see career opportunities, visit their Careers Page.
6. PA Jobs in Occupational Health Positions
PAs can also work in Occupational Health settings (e.g. mining operations in Nunavut and Northwest Territories). Compensation is often more competitive than public/civilian PA positions. If interested, you can reach out to jack@oems.ca to submit your PA resume and learn about current opportunities.
7. PA Jobs in the Canadian Armed Forces
Civilian trained Physician Assistants (i.e. from any of the accredited PA programs in Canada) can apply to work as a PA in the Canadian Armed Forces as part of the military health services team. THey provide primary and emergency health care for members of the armed forces domestically and overseas. PAs in the military work in clinics, and onboard ships in support of operational missions.
8. PA Jobs sent from the PA programs
Once you have completed a PA program in Canada, you are added to an alumni email list for your school. When the PA programs receive a request from an employer to share a job posting amongst the alumni, you may receive this in your email inbox. These opportunities may also be shared on public sites like Indeed and LinkedIn.
9. PA Online Networking Groups
There are quite a few online PA communities that are used for networking and job postings. These groups are tightly moderated and membership is only open to current Canadian PAs and PA students. Groups can be found on Facebook.
By Organization:
CAPA-ACAM Facebook Group (by Canadian Association of Physician Assistants)
PARSEC Facebook Group by the PAs for Research, Scholarship and Education in Canada
By Region:
By Specialty:
Canadian PAs in Neurosciences ⇗ (Neurology, Neurosurgery, Physiatry, and Orthopaedic Spine)
What’s great about these groups is that jobs that are shared are often by fellow PAs, and from an employer perspective the jobs advertised in these groups are to specifically qualified PAs (CCPAs, or PA-Cs).
Final Notes
Finding PA job postings in Canada requires a proactive approach and a combination of resources. By leveraging professional associations, online job portals, networking opportunities, and other channels, PAs can discover a wide range of job opportunities across different healthcare settings and regions. Stay persistent, keep your resume updated, prepare for the job interview, and remain flexible in your job search to find the right fit for your skills and career goals.
