Licensing guide · Nova Scotia

How to Become a Machinist in Nova Scotia

Last checked 4 sources checkedNOC 72100

Do you need certification?

Certification is voluntary

Machinist is a voluntary trade in Nova Scotia. You can work in the trade without a certificate.

Protected titles
Not listed in the sources checked
Show the source
“Machinist Manufactures”

From nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/trades, checked October 11, 2026.

At a glance

Licence status
Voluntary certification See the source
Routes
Annual fees
Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Your roadmap

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

Trained in Canada

  • 5 steps without a listed fee

  1. You need to be employed in the trade and supervised in the workplace by a certified journeyperson.

    Source
    “To become an apprentice (including Youth Apprentice, 16 to 19 years old) in the trade in which you are employed, you must be supervised in the workplace by a certified journeyperson.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

  2. Complete, sign and submit the application package with proof of previous trades training and proof of previous work experience to the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.

    Source
    “Once a potential apprentice and an employer decide to enter into an apprenticeship agreement, an application package must be completed, signed and submitted to the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

  3. Contact the Industry Training Consultant for your trade and region to arrange a meeting with the Consultant, the employer and the apprentice.

    Source
    “After you've submitted the complete application package to the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, please contact the Industry Training Consultant for your trade/region to arrange a meeting with the Consultant, the employer and the apprentice.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

  4. The Industry Training Consultant has the employer and apprentice sign the agreement form, which is then signed by an Agency Director or Designate.

    Source
    “The Industry Training Consultant will then have the employer and apprentice sign the form, and will return the form to the Apprenticeship office for the Director/Designate's signature.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

  5. The Agency signs the agreement, sends a signed copy to the apprentice and employer, and forwards a logbook and Nova Scotia Apprentice ID Card to the apprentice.

    Source
    “An Agency Director/Designate will sign the agreement; The Agency will forward a signed copy of the agreement to the apprentice and employer; and The Agency will forward a logbook and a Nova Scotia Apprentice ID Card to the apprentice.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

Listed fees for this route

No one-time fees listed by the regulator for these steps Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

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

Official page for this route

Other listed fees

The regulator lists these without tying them to one step, so they are not in the route totals above. Check which apply to you.

  • Apprenticeship ID card: $20
    Source
    “As a Youth Apprentice, you will only need to pay the cost of issuing your apprenticeship ID card, which is less than $20.00.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

Requirements

Conditions the regulator sets on top of the roadmap steps.

Other

  • To register as an apprentice you must be employed full- or part-time in one of Nova Scotia's designated trades and supervised in the workplace by a certified journeyperson.

    Source
    “If you are employed full- or part-time in one of Nova Scotia's designated trades, you can register as an apprentice. To register, you must be supervised in the workplace by a certified journeyperson.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages only describe temporary apprentice mobility between provinces and do not state how a machinist already licensed in another Canadian province or territory registers in Nova Scotia.

Source
“If you are an Out-of-province/territory apprentice planning to work TEMPORARILY in Nova Scotia: Make sure you carry your apprentice ID card. You do NOT have to register again in Nova Scotia.”
nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/labour-mobility/apprentice-mobility

Processing time: Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Check a move between two provinces

Credential assessment

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Exams

Language tests

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Compare scores across provinces and professions

Canadian experience

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Supervised practice

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Demand and pay

Job Bank figures for NOC 72100, Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors. Wages for 2023-2024 in Canadian dollars an hour; outlook for 2025-2027.

Job Bank wages and outlook in Nova Scotia and Canada
WhereLowMedianHighOutlook
Nova Scotia $21.00 $31.00 $47.12 Good (4 of 5)
Canada $21.00 $30.00 $41.50 —

Wages by region and job outlook in Nova Scotia

Wages in every province and territory

Machinists in other provinces and territories

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

Compare machinist licensing across Canada

Sources checked

Pages read on October 11, 2026.

  1. Trades in Nova Scotia | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/trades · fetched October 9, 2026
  2. Register as an Apprentice | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/register-apprentice · fetched October 9, 2026
  3. TRADE CERTIFICATES | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/tradespersons/trade-certificates · fetched October 9, 2026
  4. Apprentice Mobility | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/labour-mobility/apprentice-mobility · fetched October 9, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a machinist in Nova Scotia?

No. Certification is available, but it is not required to work in the trade in Nova Scotia. Certification is managed by the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency.

Which exams are required?

Certification Exam.

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