Province comparison
Plumber 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.
- Certification required
- Voluntary certification
- British Columbia: Voluntary certification
- Alberta: Certification required
- Saskatchewan: Certification required
- Manitoba: Voluntary certification
- Ontario: Certification required
- Quebec: Certification required
- New Brunswick: Certification required
- Nova Scotia: Certification required
- Prince Edward Island: Certification required
- 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 | 5 |
| Alberta | $150 | Trained in Canada | 3 |
| Saskatchewan | $125 | Trained outside Canada | 4 |
| Manitoba | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 7 |
| Ontario | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 3 |
| Quebec | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 2 |
| Nova Scotia | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 1 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 6 |
| Yukon | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 3 |
| Northwest Territories | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 2 |
Listed time
Time not stated for every step: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, 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, Red Seal exam | — | $120 (Trained outside Canada) | 1.8 to 2.3 months (partial) | $32.00 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Alberta | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | Theory exam, Entrance exam, Red Seal exam | — | $150 (Trained in Canada) | — | $30.00 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Trained in Canada, Trained outside Canada | Journeyperson exam, certification examination | — | $125 (Trained outside Canada) | — | $35.00 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | practical exam, Level Placement Exam | — | Not listed | — | $30.11 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Ontario | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | certifying exam, in-school exemption test | — | Not listed | — | $32.50 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Quebec | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | — | — | Not listed | — | $40.00 an hour | Very limited (1 of 5) |
| Nova Scotia | Trained in Canada, Trained outside Canada | trade qualifier exam, certification exam | — | Not listed | — | $33.00 an hour | Good (4 of 5) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | certification exam, Red Seal exam | — | Not listed | — | $27.50 an hour | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Yukon | Trained in Canada | apprenticeship level 1 exam, journeyperson Certificate of Qualification exam, Written Certification Examination, Written Level Examinations | — | Not listed | — | $31.02 an hour | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Northwest Territories | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | entrance examination, Written Level Examinations, Written Certification Examination, Red Seal exam | — | Not listed | — | $38.58 an hour | Good (4 of 5) |
Moving between provinces
- Direct transfer (60)
- Extra steps (12)
- Not stated (84)
All answers as a table
Demand and pay
Median wage
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $21.00 | $34.00 | $46.00 |
| British Columbia | $23.00 | $32.00 | $48.00 |
| Alberta | $20.00 | $30.00 | $43.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $22.00 | $35.00 | $43.00 |
| Manitoba | $21.00 | $30.11 | $43.00 |
| Ontario | $20.00 | $32.50 | $50.38 |
| Quebec | $24.50 | $40.00 | $45.00 |
| New Brunswick | $16.50 | $26.00 | $34.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $18.00 | $33.00 | $38.38 |
| Prince Edward Island | $20.00 | $30.00 | $38.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.50 | $27.50 | $36.03 |
| Yukon | $20.44 | $31.02 | $41.25 |
| Northwest Territories | $25.27 | $38.58 | $49.54 |
| Nunavut | $25.28 | $44.82 | $53.12 |
Job outlook
| Where | Outlook |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Alberta | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Saskatchewan | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Manitoba | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Ontario | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Quebec | Very limited (1 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Good (4 of 5) |
| Nova Scotia | Good (4 of 5) |
| Prince Edward Island | Good (4 of 5) |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Limited (2 of 5) |
| Yukon | Moderate (3 of 5) |
| Northwest Territories | Good (4 of 5) |
| Nunavut | Good (4 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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