Province comparison
Optometrist 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: Not confirmed yet
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Not confirmed yet
- Yukon: Not confirmed yet
- Northwest Territories: Licence required
- Nunavut: Not confirmed yet
Compare the provinces
Listed one-time fees
| Where | Fees | No-fee steps |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Not listed | 6 |
| Alberta | Not listed | 6 |
| Saskatchewan | Not listed | 1 |
| Manitoba | Not listed | 1 |
| Ontario | $474.60 | 5 |
| Quebec | Not listed | 4 |
| Nova Scotia | Not listed | 4 |
Listed time
Time not stated for every step: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.
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 | OEBC Exam, NBEO Exam | — | Not listed | — | $69,500 a year | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Alberta | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | ACO Jurisprudence Exam | — | Not listed | — | $84,000 a year | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Optometry Examining Board of Canada entry-to-practice exam, SAO Jurisprudence Exam | — | Not listed | — | $68,500 a year | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Optometry Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) National Examination, CACO (Canadian Assessment of Competence in Optometry) | — | Not listed | — | $119,000 a year | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Ontario | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Internationally Graduated Optometrist Evaluating Examination (IGOEE), Optometry Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) exam, Ontario Optometric Jurisprudence Exam, National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) Exam | — | $474.60 (Trained outside Canada) | — | $78,000 a year | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Quebec | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | TECCO (Test d’évaluation des connaissances et compétences en optométrie) | — | Not listed | — | $97,000 a year | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Nova Scotia | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | OEBC, jurisprudence exam | — | Not listed | — | $85,000 a year | Undetermined |
Moving between provinces
- Direct transfer (40)
- Extra steps (8)
- Not stated (24)
All answers as a table
Demand and pay
Median wage
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $32,867 | $81,000 | $162,000 |
| British Columbia | $37,929 | $69,500 | $145,000 |
| Alberta | $32,867 | $84,000 | $178,000 |
| Saskatchewan | Not stated | $68,500 | Not stated |
| Manitoba | Not stated | $119,000 | Not stated |
| Ontario | $37,561 | $78,000 | $156,000 |
| Quebec | $33,109 | $97,000 | $178,000 |
| New Brunswick | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Nova Scotia | Not stated | $85,000 | Not stated |
| Prince Edward Island | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| 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 | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Alberta | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Ontario | Very good (5 of 5) |
| Quebec | Very good (5 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Outlook not determined |
| Nova Scotia | Outlook not determined |
| Prince Edward Island | Outlook not determined |
| 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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