Pay on every BC job ad: what the Pay Transparency Act requires of a restaurant

Every restaurant in BC hires all the time, and every public job ad now has to carry a pay figure. The requirement comes from section 2 of the Pay Transparency Act, and unlike some provinces, it has no headcount threshold: it applies to all provincially regulated employers with employees in BC. The province's guidance, last updated on 24 February 2026, sets out how it works.

Who has to follow it?

All employers with employees in BC, except federally regulated ones. A one-person café is covered as much as a hotel group. The requirement covers jobs you post on your own website and jobs posted for you by third parties on job search websites, job boards and other recruitment platforms. It also covers jobs advertised outside BC if the position is open to BC residents and may be filled by someone living in BC, in person or remotely.

What does the posting have to say?

Wage or salary information that is the employer's reasonable expectation of pay for the job at the time of posting. The guidance gives examples that meet the requirement:

• 20 to 25 dollars per hour
• 40,000 dollars per year
• 40,000 to 60,000 dollars per year

and examples that do not: "20 dollars per hour and up", "up to 30 dollars per hour" and "competitive wage". So a range with two numbers is fine, an open-ended range is not.

How wide can the range be?

The province says it is not setting limits on how wide an advertised range can be, and that it is up to the employer. It adds that it may provide more guidance or introduce regulations on maximum ranges in future. A range that is honest about your pay scale for the role, such as a line cook who might start at one rate and reach another with experience, is the point of the rule.

Do tips have to be in the number?

No. Employers do not need to include, but may voluntarily include, bonus pay, overtime pay, commissions, tips or benefits. If you want to attract servers, you can add a line such as "plus tips", but the figure the law needs is your wage. How tips reach your payroll is covered in tips on payroll. Keep the wage at or above the minimum, which is covered in BC minimum wage for restaurants.

Can you pay outside the range?

Yes. The guidance says applicants can request a salary outside the advertised range and employers can offer one. The final figure is agreed between the two parties.

What is not covered?

General "help wanted" posters that do not advertise a specific opportunity, general recruitment campaigns that do not mention specific job openings and jobs that are not posted publicly. A window sign that says "now hiring servers" names a role, so assume it needs a wage on it.

What happens if you do not comply?

The guidance page gives employers a Pay Transparency inbox for questions, and the Act is enforced by the province. Treat a missing wage as a defect to fix the same day, not a risk to weigh. Most owners find the fix is a single line in the template they already use for every ad.

Where do restaurant ads usually go wrong?

Three places. The wage is on the website but not on the job board copy someone else posted. The ad says "up to" a figure, which the province says does not meet the requirement. Or an old ad from last summer is still live with no pay on it. Search your name on the main job boards once a quarter, and take down anything that is out of date.

What should you do now?

1. Decide the wage range for each recurring role.
2. Put it in your standard ad text.
3. Check ads placed through agencies and job boards.
4. Update old postings that are still live.
5. Keep your ranges consistent with what you pay existing staff.

Questions about the requirement go to the province's pay transparency inbox, which is listed on the guidance page. For the tips side of pay, see tip pooling and gratuity rules, and for temporary foreign workers, hiring temporary foreign workers. Hiring under 16? See hiring under-16s.

More in the Canadian guides for food businesses.