Province comparison
Optician 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.
- Licence required
- Not confirmed yet
- British Columbia: Licence required
- Alberta: Licence required
- Saskatchewan: Licence required
- Manitoba: Licence required
- Ontario: Licence required
- Quebec: Licence required
- New Brunswick: Licence required
- Nova Scotia: Licence required
- Prince Edward Island: Licence required
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Licence required
- Yukon: Not confirmed yet
- Northwest Territories: Not confirmed yet
- Nunavut: Not confirmed yet
Compare the provinces
Listed one-time fees
| Where | Fees | Route | No-fee steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 5 |
| Alberta | $3,100 | Trained outside Canada | 3 |
| Saskatchewan | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 3 |
| Manitoba | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 2 |
| Ontario | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 2 |
| Quebec | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 5 |
| New Brunswick | $950 | Trained outside Canada | 2 |
| Nova Scotia | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 4 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 0 |
Listed time
Time not stated for every step: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Side by side
| Where | Routes | Exams | Language | Listed fees | Listed time | Median wage | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | National Optical Sciences 1 – Eyeglasses Examination, National Optical Sciences 2 – Advanced Practice Contact Lens Examination | — | Not listed | 0.2 to 0.5 months (partial) | $30.82 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Alberta | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | NACOR Optical Sciences 1 (Eyeglass) Exam, NACOR Optical Sciences 2 (Advanced Practice, Contact Lens) Exam, Competency Gap Analysis (CGA), Jurisprudence examination | — | $3,100 (Trained outside Canada) | 1.4 months (partial) | $28.00 an hour | Good (4 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | NACOR Licensing examination, NACOR National Examination for eyeglasses and or contact lenses, Optical Sciences 1 – Eyeglasses Examination, Optical Sciences 2 – Advanced Practice Contact Lens Examination | — | Not listed | — | $30.10 an hour | Good (4 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | exam(s) related to the dispensing of eyeglasses and/or the fitting of contact lenses | — | Not listed | — | $29.69 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Ontario | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Optical Sciences 1 - Eyeglass Examination, Optical Sciences 2 - Advanced Practice Contact Lens Examination | — | Not listed | — | $24.04 an hour | Good (4 of 5) |
| Quebec | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Examen professionnel, Examens nationaux de l’Alliance nationale des autorités de règlementation des opticiens canadiens (NACOR) | — | Not listed | — | $30.00 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | National Optical Science practical exam (eyeglasses), National Optical Science practical exam (contact lenses), Competency Gap Assessment (CGA) | — | $950 (Trained outside Canada) | — | $28.50 an hour | Undetermined |
| Nova Scotia | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | NACOR (National Optical Sciences Examination) | — | Not listed | — | $28.07 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) | — | Not listed | — | $29.59 an hour | Undetermined |
Moving between provinces
- Direct transfer (45)
- Extra steps (18)
- Not stated (27)
All answers as a table
Demand and pay
Median wage
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $17.80 | $28.50 | $39.40 |
| British Columbia | $22.00 | $30.82 | $38.46 |
| Alberta | $17.36 | $28.00 | $39.40 |
| Saskatchewan | $22.24 | $30.10 | $36.51 |
| Manitoba | $21.16 | $29.69 | $37.86 |
| Ontario | $17.80 | $24.04 | $42.80 |
| Quebec | $17.00 | $30.00 | $36.50 |
| New Brunswick | $20.73 | $28.50 | $34.30 |
| Nova Scotia | $22.08 | $28.07 | $32.41 |
| Prince Edward Island | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.43 | $29.59 | $38.51 |
| Yukon | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Northwest Territories | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Nunavut | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Job outlook
| Where | Outlook |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Alberta | Good (4 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Good (4 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Ontario | Good (4 of 5) |
| Quebec | Limited (2 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Outlook not determined |
| Nova Scotia | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Prince Edward Island | Good (4 of 5) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Outlook not determined |
| Yukon | Outlook not determined |
| Northwest Territories | Outlook not determined |
| Nunavut | Outlook not determined |
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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