Province comparison
Cook Licensing by Province
Licence status by province and territory
Boundaries simplified for display. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census boundary files.
- Voluntary certification
- British Columbia: Voluntary certification
- Alberta: Voluntary certification
- Saskatchewan: Voluntary certification
- Manitoba: Voluntary certification
- Ontario: Voluntary certification
- Quebec: Voluntary certification
- New Brunswick: Voluntary certification
- Nova Scotia: Voluntary certification
- Prince Edward Island: Voluntary certification
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Voluntary certification
- Yukon: Voluntary certification
- Northwest Territories: Voluntary certification
- Nunavut: Voluntary certification
Compare the provinces
Listed one-time fees
| Where | Fees | Route | No-fee steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $120 | Trained outside Canada | 3 |
| Alberta | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 6 |
| Saskatchewan | Not listed | — | — |
| Manitoba | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 4 |
| Ontario | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 4 |
| Quebec | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 5 |
| New Brunswick | $350 | Trained outside Canada | 3 |
| Nova Scotia | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 1 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 7 |
| Yukon | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 4 |
| Northwest Territories | Not listed | — | — |
Listed time
Time not stated for every step: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, and Northwest Territories.
Side by side
| Where | Routes | Exams | Language | Listed fees | Listed time | Median wage | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Certification exam, Practical assessment | — | $120 (Trained outside Canada) | — | $20.00 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Alberta | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | Entrance exam, Theory exam, Red Seal exam, Challenge exam | — | Not listed | — | $17.50 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | — | Journeyperson certification exam, Interprovincial Journeyperson Examination, Level One Examination, Level Two Examination, Red Seal exam | — | Not listed | — | $17.00 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Level Placement Exam | — | Not listed | 1.4 months (partial) | $16.50 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Ontario | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | certifying exam, in-school exemption test | — | Not listed | — | $18.00 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Quebec | Trained in Canada | — | — | Not listed | — | $18.00 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Certification Exam, final examination, Red Seal exam | — | $350 (Trained outside Canada) | — | $16.40 an hour | Good (4 of 5) |
| Nova Scotia | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Certification Exam, Trade qualifier exam, Red Seal exam | — | Not listed | — | $17.00 an hour | Good (4 of 5) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | certification exam, practical exam, Red Seal exam | — | Not listed | — | $17.00 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Yukon | Trained in Canada | apprenticeship level 1 exam, journeyperson Certificate of Qualification exam | — | Not listed | — | $28.37 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Northwest Territories | — | Written Level Examinations, Written Certification Examination, entrance examination | — | Not listed | — | $25.00 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
Moving between provinces
- Direct transfer (48)
- Extra steps (12)
- Not stated (96)
All answers as a table
Demand and pay
Median wage
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $15.00 | $18.00 | $25.00 |
| British Columbia | $17.85 | $20.00 | $26.00 |
| Alberta | $15.00 | $17.50 | $23.50 |
| Saskatchewan | $15.35 | $17.00 | $23.08 |
| Manitoba | $16.00 | $16.50 | $21.00 |
| Ontario | $17.60 | $18.00 | $24.00 |
| Quebec | $16.10 | $18.00 | $25.00 |
| New Brunswick | $15.65 | $16.40 | $22.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $16.50 | $17.00 | $22.50 |
| Prince Edward Island | $16.50 | $18.00 | $25.73 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00 | $17.00 | $27.54 |
| Yukon | $20.00 | $28.37 | $41.67 |
| Northwest Territories | $18.50 | $25.00 | $37.50 |
| Nunavut | $19.00 | $25.00 | $35.00 |
Job outlook
| Where | Outlook |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Alberta | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Ontario | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Quebec | Limited (2 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Good (4 of 5) |
| Nova Scotia | Good (4 of 5) |
| Prince Edward Island | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Yukon | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Northwest Territories | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Nunavut | Limited (2 of 5) |
Tools and tables
- Licence transfer checker Already licensed in one province? See what another province asks for.
- Roadmap builder Your steps, listed fees and time for one occupation and province.
- Language test scores Minimum IELTS, CELPIP and other scores, by occupation and province.
- Credential assessments Which regulators ask for an assessment of your education.
- Licensing exams Which exams each regulator asks for.
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