Licensing guide · Northwest Territories

How to Become a Mobile Crane Operator in Northwest Territories

Last checked 2 sources checkedNOC 72500

Do you need certification?

Certification is voluntary

Mobile crane operator is a voluntary trade in Northwest Territories. You can work in the trade without a certificate.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“Compulsory/Voluntary (C/V) Certification Required by Apprenticeship Authority Provinces and Territories designate each trade as compulsory or voluntary. Work in Compulsory trades can only be performed by certified journeypersons or registered apprentices. Work in Voluntary trades may legally be performed with or without certification or apprenticeship training”

From ellischart.ca/eng/trades/mobile-crane-op/ellis-chart.shtml, checked October 11, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Voluntary certification See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations

Your roadmap

Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations has no page of its own for this trade. These are the steps it gives for every designated trade in Northwest Territories.

Every route is listed. Follow the one that matches where you trained.

Trained in Canada

  • 3 steps without a listed fee

  1. Pass an entrance examination to meet the minimum educational requirements for the apprenticeship program.

    Source
    “To get into an apprenticeship program, you must pass an entrance examination to meet the minimum educational requirements. A pass is 70% and there are different tests, depending on the trade.”
    ece.gov.nt.ca/en/career-in-trades

  2. Work and train as an apprentice, splitting time between working and technical training at school.

    Source
    “The length of time it takes to become a journeyperson depends on the trade, but it is usually four years, with time split between working (80%) and technical training at school (20%).”
    ece.gov.nt.ca/en/career-in-trades

  3. Complete the Red Seal program by passing an interprovincial standards exam after finishing an apprenticeship with a journeyperson certificate of qualification.

    Source
    “This applies to skilled tradespeople in certain trades who have completed an apprenticeship program with a journeyperson level certificate of qualification, and passed an interprovincial standards (Red Seal) exam.”
    ece.gov.nt.ca/en/career-in-trades

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations

3 steps without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Education

  • Applicants to an apprenticeship program must pass an entrance examination with a mark of 70% to meet the minimum educational requirements.

    Source
    “To get into an apprenticeship program, you must pass an entrance examination to meet the minimum educational requirements. A pass is 70% and there are different tests, depending on the trade.”
    ece.gov.nt.ca/en/career-in-trades

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages do not state how someone already licensed in another Canadian province or territory registers in the Northwest Territories.

Source
“Apprenticeship Training Provided (Yes/No) Indicates whether or not the province or territory provides a designated apprenticeship training program for this trade”
ellischart.ca/eng/trades/mobile-crane-op/ellis-chart.shtml

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 72500, Crane operators. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Northwest Territories and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Northwest Territories — — — Undetermined
Canada $26.50 $42.77 $52.19 —

Wages in every province and territory

Mobile crane operators in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 11 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare mobile crane operator licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 11, 2026.

  1. Mobile Crane Operator – Ellis Chart ellischart.ca/eng/trades/mobile-crane-op/ellis-chart.shtml · fetched October 9, 2026
  2. Thinking about a Career in the Trades? | Education, Culture and Employment ece.gov.nt.ca/en/career-in-trades · fetched October 9, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a mobile crane operator in Northwest Territories?

No. Certification is available, but it is not required to work in the trade in Northwest Territories. Certification is managed by Apprenticeship, Trades and Occupations.

Which exams are required?

entrance examination, Practical Level Examinations, Written Level Examinations, Practical Final Examination, Written Certification Examination, interprovincial standards (Red Seal) exam.

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