Recognized as one of National Capital Region's Top Employers (2025):
By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Mar 3, 2025)
Here are some of the reasons why Canada Revenue Agency / CRA was selected as one of National Capital Region's Top Employers (2025):
- CRA supports it new mothers with generous maternity and parental leave top-up payments of up to 93 per cent of salary for 52 weeks -- and allows parents apply to extend their leave into an unpaid leave of absence
- Along with a formal pre-retirement transition program, CRA maintains an extracurricular Quarter Century Club to promote fellowship and networking among current and former employees, with activities including luncheons, golf tournaments and other social events
- CRA's well-being strategy aims to foster a positive organizational culture and employee experience -- well-being committees at various branches support local activities including wellness challenges, newsletters, virtual info sessions, and meditation and mindfulness sessions
Highlights
Industry | Federal government, general economic programs |
Established in Canada | 1999 |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON |
Full-time employees in Canada | 56,709 |
Part-time employees in Canada | 1,839 |
Average age of employees in Canada | 43.1 years |
Longest serving employee | 57.5 years |
Flexible work options | hybrid work option, flexible work hours, compressed work week, earned days off program |
Long-term savings | defined-benefit (DB) pension |
Health plan premium | as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums |
Mental health practitioner benefit | up to $5,000 each year |
Maternity top-up (mothers) | up to 93% of salary for 17 weeks |
Parental top-up (mothers) | up to 93% of salary for 35 weeks |
Parental top-up (fathers) | up to 93% of salary for 37 weeks |
Adoption top-up | up to 93% of salary for 37 weeks |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Outside survey period | outside consultant surveys are held every 6 months |
Employee performance reviews | employees receive individual performance reviews every 6 months |
In-house training initiatives | apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, in-house training, online training, mentoring, leadership development programs |
Tuition subsidies (related to job) | yes |
Employee charitable involvement | employees are involved in selection of charities |
Recognized as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2025):
By Kristina Leung, Chantel Watkins, and Cypress Weston, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Jan 20, 2025)
Here are some of the reasons why Canada Revenue Agency / CRA was selected as one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People (2025):
- CRA maintains a Young Professional Network (YPN), a forum for young employees to discuss relevant issues with peers and provide recommendations to the agency's senior management -- the network includes branch and regional chairs representing each area of the CRA, along with a national YPN coordinator
- The YPN also recently launched a student engagement series of events, designed to support students in their transition to full-time employment with presentations from human resources advisors, a panel discussion with former students who have advanced to permanent roles, and a Q&A session with panelists to explore various career opportunities at the CRA and gain deeper insight into navigating their professional journeys
- Students and early-career employees are encouraged to participate in micro-missions, offering them the opportunity to work on exciting tasks and projects with various government departments for a short period
Highlights
Industry | Federal government, general economic programs |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON |
Full-time employees in Canada | 56,709 |
Student opportunities | summer jobs, co-op opportunities |
In-house training programs | orientation program, in-house training, online training, in-house career planning services, online employee skills inventory, mentoring, leadership training, apprenticeship/skilled trades programs |
Tuition subsidies (related to job) | yes |
Unique training and development opportunities | micro-missions (voluntary opportunities to work with various departments on tasks/projects for a short time), job shadowing, advanced policy analyst program, auditor development program, financial officer recruitment and development program, MentorMe database (connects mentors with mentees based on interests, role and location), Indigenous mentorship initiative, Take Me With You program (encourages employees to attend meetings related to their interests, career development goals, and files they are working on), national human resources apprenticeship program, Indigenous Student Employment program (introduces high school and post-secondary Indigenous students to various streams), national orientation experience (online component and live interactive sessions, the chance to hear from leaders and learn about personal and professional opportunities for career development and networking possibilities), student onboarding framework developed for students in Ontario (detailed roadmap that provides a consistent onboarding experience across the pre-onboarding, orientation and onboarding processes) |
Additional highlights | participates in the Federal Student Work Experience program, student bridging program into temporary or permanent positions, maintains CRA-specific student inventories year-round to proactively recruit for entry-level roles, participates in the Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities program led by the Public Service Commission of Canada (through the Federal Student Work Experience program, invites students with disabilities to apply for full- and part-time job opportunities |
Dedicated employee resource group | CRA Young Professionals Network (hosts events throughout the year including a student engagement series with events focused on support the transition to full-time employment, also distributes bi-monthly newsletters to members with updates on the network and upcoming social activities) |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2025):
By Kristina Leung, Chantel Watkins, and Cypress Weston, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Feb 24, 2025)
Here are some of the reasons why Canada Revenue Agency / CRA was selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2025):
- CRA has an early intervention and return to work program that provides employees with the appropriate guidance of when to return to work (if at all) following injury, illness, a medical condition, or disability -- the program provides an inclusive environment and ensures employees are able to overcome any barriers with the appropriate accommodations
- CRA supports an Indigenous student employment program to provide opportunities to explore various professional streams -- the program is separate from the federal student work experience program and uses a personalized approach in which prospective students are consulted about their career aspirations -- the CRA also began the Connecting Pathways for Indigenous Students program, which pairs students with a current Indigenous employee to provide support during their first work term
- CRA created a guide for requesting the services of an Indigenous Elder, providing employees and managers with information about Indigenous Elders, how to request their services, as well as the process for paying the Elder's honorarium and presenting a traditional offering
Highlights
Industry | Federal government, general economic programs |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON |
Full-time employees in Canada | 56,709 |
Management of diversity and inclusion initiatives | equity, diversity and inclusion division, national employment equity and diversity committee (NEEDC), national champion for employment equity, diversity and inclusion (provides leadership to NEEDC members), regional, office and branch employment equity, diversity and inclusion committees |
Performance management and accountability | annual self-identification campaign |
Noteworthy diversity strategies and policies | strategy for the recruitment, inclusion and retention of persons with disabilities, accessibility plan, created a guide for requesting and paying for Indigenous Elder services (includes information about Elders, how to request their services, the process for paying the honorarium and presenting a traditional offering) |
Recruitment initiatives | Indigenous Student Employment Program hires Indigenous students, potentially into a full-time position after graduation, participates in the Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities program, works with community partners to hire diverse candidates (LiveWorkPlay and 'Regroupement des organismes spécialisés pour l’emploi des personnes handicapées'), executive staffing adopted an approach to ensure that all staffing boards include at least 2 members of designated equity groups, all board members receive mandatory unconscious bias training, Indigenous Brand Ambassador Initiative (aims to increase visibility on campuses and Indigenous communities, and increase recruitments of students, graduates, and Indigenous job seekers) |
Retention and development programs | Connecting Pathways for Indigenous Students program pairs new Indigenous students with a current Indigenous employee, Indigenous mentorship initiative connects Indigenous employees with non-Indigenous mentors (advancing their personal development and mentors develop an appreciation for Indigenous points of view and increased cultural awareness), Indigenous Employee Network provides suggestions and input on recruitment, retention, advancement, and strengthening the workplace to be respectful and welcoming to all Indigenous employees |
Training and awareness initiatives | mandatory training on unconscious bias for members of executive and management staffing boards, equity, diversity, and inclusion self-assessment tool for employees, toolkit to support allyship for various equity-seeking groups, an app guide to support transgender and gender variant employees in the workplace, an internal EDI self-paced learning platform (includes topics like an equity, diversity, and inclusion self assessment tool, an infographic on using gender-inclusive language, a resource on language accent bias, diversity and inclusion statistics pages on intranet site to support employees in, gaining a better understanding of the diverse communities that make up our workforce, microlearning tool on “Proximity Bias”, Microlearning tool on “Reconciliation of Our Language”, Team Building activity “Story of our Names.”, Words to know page) |
Diversity highlights | allows employees to collaborate where taxpayers require someone to speak their native tongue, Language Buddy program (pairs employees with colleagues with whom they can practice their second official language), Early Intervention and Return to Work Program (provides guidance for employees with an injury, illness, medical condition, or disability about returning to work and finding reasonable accommodation solutions), Adaptive Technologies Program (ensures employees with disabilities can overcome limitations with assistive devices, technical aids, telephony equipment, hardware and accessible software tools) |
Highlights from the past year | launched strategy for the recruitment, onboarding and retention of persons with disabilities at the CRA, first-ever accessibility plan, began Connecting Pathways for Indigenous Students program after receiving feedback from Indigenous employees, piloted regional initiatives for virtual employment and remote staffing to increase the number of job opportunities available to designated groups outside of major city centres after consulting with Indigenous communities who expressed a strong desire to access employment opportunities in the federal public service and maintain connection to the land and respective communities |
The Career Directory
Canada Revenue Agency / CRA has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.



Highlights for New Grads
Industry | Federal government, general economic programs |
Full-time employees in Canada | 50,000+ |
Major Canadian locations | Ottawa ON |
Student opportunities | summer jobs, co-op opportunities |
Training | subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training |
Other info for new grads | CRA manages in-house apprenticeship programs for HR, audit, supply chain management and IT disciplines. |
Typical new grad positions | Business Analyst, IT Developer, Research and Analysis Officer, Project Coordinator, Income Tax Auditor, Information Officer, HR Trainee, Finance and Administration Officer, Communications Officer |
Starting salary | $50K to $60K |
Work benefits | health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours |
Vacation allowance | new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job |
Academic fields recruited
-
Bachelor of Arts
- Economics
- Human Resources
- Industrial Relations
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Relations / Communications
- Social Work
- Sociology
-
Bachelor of Commerce / Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Public Administration
-
Bachelor of Education
- Special Needs
-
Bachelor of Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Telecommunications
-
Bachelor of Laws
-
Bachelor of Science
- Computer Science
- Materials Science
- Mathematics
- Psychology
-
Community College Diploma
- Accounting
- Business
- Computer Science
- Human Resources
- Information Technology
- Office Administration
-
Doctorate (Arts)
- Economics
- Psychology
-
Doctorate (Eng.)
- Computer Engineering
-
Doctorate (Science)
- Actuarial / Statistics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
-
Master of Arts
- Economics
-
Master of Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Human Resources
- Information Systems
- Marketing
- Public Administration
-
Master of Engineering
- Computer Engineering
-
Master of Science
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Psychology
-
Professional Accreditation
- Accounting (CA)
- Accounting (CGA)
- Accounting (CMA)
- Human Resources (CHRP, CEBS)
- Professional Engineer
-
Secondary Education
- High School Diploma
Recruits at these schools
- Algonquin College
- Brock University
- Cambrian College
- Camosun College
- Cape Breton University
- Carleton University
- Centennial College
- Concordia University
- Conestoga College
- Dalhousie University
- Durham College
- Fanshawe College
- Fleming College
- George Brown College
- Georgian College
- HEC Montréal
- Humber College
- Kwantlen Polytechnic University
- La Cité collégiale
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- Loyalist College
- MacEwan University
- McGill University
- McMaster University
- Memorial University
- Mount Allison University
- Mount Royal University
- Mount Saint Vincent University
- Niagara College Canada
- Nipissing University
- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
- Northern College
- OCAD University
- Queen's University
- Red River College
- Saint Mary's University
- Saskatchewan Polytechnic
- Seneca College
- Sheridan College
- Simon Fraser University
- Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
- St. Francis Xavier University
- St. Lawrence College
- Toronto Metropolitan University
- Trent University
- Université de Moncton
- Université de Sherbrooke
- Université du Québec
- Université du Québec à Montréal
- Université Laval
- University of Alberta
- University of British Columbia
- University of Calgary
- University of Guelph
- University of Manitoba
- University of Northern British Columbia
- University of Ottawa
- University of Prince Edward Island
- University of Regina
- University of Saskatchewan
- University of the Fraser Valley
- University of Toronto
- University of Waterloo
- University of Winnipeg
- Western University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- York University