Canada's Data & ML Engineer hiring cools from its September high
New postings are down 19% over the last 30 days, and the weekly pace has eased 26% from its September peak.
The middle posted range across all levels. 38% of open roles post their pay.
260 roles with yearly payof open roles are at employers with recent Canadian LMIA approvals. Capgemini, eBay and Huawei Canada are on the list.
Canada LMIA approvals, matched by employeris what the typical role asks for. 17% ask for 10 years or more.
61% of open roles state yearsThis week's read
There are 676 open Data & ML Engineer roles in Canada right now, spread across 364 companies. But the pace of new postings has slowed. In the last 30 days, 293 new roles went up, down from 363 in the 30 days before that, a drop of 19%. Weekly postings peaked at 106 in the week of 14 September and have since eased to 78 in the week of 26 October, down 26% from that high.
Two of the bigger banks show the slowdown clearly. RBC posted 16 new roles in the latest 30 days, down 54% from 35 in the prior window. TD posted 23, down 30% from 33. Both still have open roles, RBC with 14 and TD with 18, but they are adding fewer new ones than they were two months ago.
If you do land an interview, expect them to care about experience. The median posting asks for at least 5 years, and 17% of roles want 10 years or more. Only 61% of postings state a years requirement at all, so check the listing closely before assuming it rules you out.
Pay information is posted on 38% of roles, 260 of them. Across all levels the typical range is C$111k to C$158k. By level, mid roles (128 of them) typically run C$100k to C$137k, senior and lead roles (102) run C$118k to C$165k, and principal or staff roles (22) run C$151k to C$187k. Remote work is scarce: just 11% of open roles are remote, so most hiring is happening in person or hybrid.
On the skills side, Python shows up in 67% of postings and AI and machine learning in 57%, with SQL close behind at 48%. Cloud tools matter too: AWS appears in 28%, Azure in 22%, and Databricks in 21%. For visa sponsorship, only 16% of open roles sit at employers with recent LMIA approvals; Capgemini, eBay, and Huawei Canada are among the employers on that list.
What this means for you
Three things you can act on this week
- Expect fewer new postings weekly
New roles are down 19% over 30 days and weekly postings are off 26% from their September peak. Apply promptly to roles that match you, since the pace of fresh listings has slowed.
- Check the years requirement closely
The median posting asks for 5 years minimum, and 17% want 10 or more. Only 61% of postings state a years figure, so read the full listing rather than assuming you are ruled out.
- Look to sponsor-list employers for visa needs
Only 16% of open roles sit at employers with recent LMIA approvals. Capgemini, eBay, and Huawei Canada are named on that list if sponsorship matters to you.
Pay
What Data / ML roles in Canada pay, by level
The middle (median) of the pay ranges employers post. Read each bar from the typical low end to the typical high end of a posting. 38% of open roles post their pay.
See the numbers
| Level | Roles with pay | Typical low | Typical high |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal / Staff | 22 | C$151k | C$187k |
| Senior / Lead | 102 | C$118k | C$165k |
| Mid level | 128 | C$100k | C$137k |
Yearly CAD ranges only (hourly pay and other currencies are left out). Level is read from the job title.
Momentum
New Data / ML roles each week
Last 30 days: 293 new roles, against 363 the 30 days before (-19%). Each week counts the same companies, and a role counts as new only in the week it was posted, so a careers site we start reading never shows up as growth.
See the numbers
| Week starting | New roles |
|---|---|
| 7 Sep | 71 |
| 14 Sep | 106 |
| 21 Sep | 84 |
| 28 Sep | 91 |
| 5 Oct | 71 |
| 12 Oct | 73 |
| 19 Oct | 80 |
| 26 Oct | 78 |
Who is hiring
The companies with the most open Data / ML roles
364 companies are hiring. The top eight hold 18% of the open roles.
| Company | Open roles | Change in new roles | LMIA approvals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emplois sur GROUPE TEHORA | 22 | ||
| LTIMindtree | 19 | ||
| TD | 18 | -30% | |
| Capgemini | 17 | On the list | |
| RBC | 14 | -54% | |
| BMO | 13 | ||
| eBay | 9 | On the list | |
| Huawei Canada | 9 | On the list |
Change compares new roles in the last 30 days with the 30 days before, shown where a company posted 25 or more in the earlier 30 days. Staffing agencies are left out. A company name links to its Ashney company page where there is one.
What they ask for
The technology Data / ML roles ask for most
Ask Rate is the share of roles that name a skill, from 629 postings read in full. Ways of working (methods such as Agile, tools such as Jira) are listed apart; office tools and soft skills are left out.
Ways of working
Industries named most: Financial services 8%, SaaS 5%, Healthcare 4%. 11% of open roles say they are remote.
Cite this report