Licensing guide · Nova Scotia

How to Become a Tilesetter in Nova Scotia

Last checked 2 sources checkedNOC 73101

Do you need certification?

Certification is voluntary

Tilesetter 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
“Tilesetter Covers, repairs”

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

  • 1 step without a listed fee

  1. Begin working with a certified journeyperson and start your apprenticeship right away, with no experience needed.

    Source
    “Start working with a certified journeyperson and begin your apprenticeship right away - no experience needed.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/discover-trades/tilesetter

Listed fees for this route

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

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Licensed in another province

  • 1 step without a listed fee

  1. If you already have experience, you may be able to challenge the trade qualifier exam and become certified.

    Source
    “If you already have experience – whether in Canada or internationally – you may be able to challenge the trade qualifier exam and become certified.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/discover-trades/tilesetter

Listed fees for this route

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

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Trained outside Canada

  • 1 step without a listed fee

  1. If you already have experience gained internationally, you may be able to challenge the trade qualifier exam and become certified.

    Source
    “If you already have experience – whether in Canada or internationally – you may be able to challenge the trade qualifier exam and become certified.”
    nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/discover-trades/tilesetter

Listed fees for this route

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

1 step without a listed fee, so the total may not be the full cost.

Official page for this route

Requirements

Not stated by the regulator Check with Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency

Already licensed in another province?

Not stated

The pages do not state how someone already licensed in another Canadian province or territory registers in Nova Scotia as a tilesetter.

Source
“If you already have experience – whether in Canada or internationally – you may be able to challenge the trade qualifier exam and become certified.”
nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/discover-trades/tilesetter

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 73101, Tilesetters. 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 — — — Undetermined
Canada $24.04 $34.76 $44.00 —

Wages in every province and territory

Tilesetters in other provinces and territories

Regulated in 8 of the other 12 jurisdictions checked so far. The rules differ from one place to the next.

Compare tilesetter 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. Tilesetter | Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency nsapprenticeship.ca/get-started/discover-trades/tilesetter · fetched October 9, 2026

Frequently asked questions

2

Do you need a licence to work as a tilesetter 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?

trade qualifier exam.

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