Province comparison
Water Well Driller 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
- Not confirmed yet
- British Columbia: Voluntary certification
- Alberta: Voluntary certification
- Saskatchewan: Voluntary certification
- Manitoba: Not confirmed yet
- Ontario: Voluntary certification
- Quebec: Not confirmed yet
- New Brunswick: Voluntary certification
- Nova Scotia: Certification required
- Prince Edward Island: Not confirmed yet
- Newfoundland and Labrador: Not confirmed yet
- Yukon: Not confirmed yet
- Northwest Territories: Not confirmed yet
- Nunavut: Not confirmed yet
| Where | Licence status | Regulator | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | Voluntary certification | SkilledTradesBC | Read the guide for British Columbia |
| Alberta | Voluntary certification | Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training | Read the guide for Alberta |
| Saskatchewan | Voluntary certification | — | Read the guide for Saskatchewan |
| Manitoba | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Ontario | Voluntary certification | Skilled Trades Ontario | Read the guide for Ontario |
| Quebec | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| New Brunswick | Voluntary certification | New Brunswick Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour | Read the guide for New Brunswick |
| Nova Scotia | Certification required | Nova Scotia Environment (Department of Environment and Climate Change) | Read the guide for Nova Scotia |
| Prince Edward Island | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | Not confirmed yet | — | — |
| 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 | $120 | Trained outside Canada | 5 |
| Alberta | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 3 |
| Ontario | Not listed | Trained in Canada | 3 |
| New Brunswick | $100 | Trained outside Canada | 4 |
| Nova Scotia | Not listed | Trained outside Canada | 2 |
Listed time
Time not stated for every step: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, 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 | Certificate of Qualification Exam | — | $120 (Trained outside Canada) | 1.8 to 2.3 months (partial) | — | Undetermined |
| Alberta | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | entrance exam | — | Not listed | — | — | Undetermined |
| Ontario | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province | — | — | Not listed | — | — | Good (4 of 5) |
| New Brunswick | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | Certification Exam, Practical examination, Red Seal exam | — | $100 (Trained outside Canada) | — | — | Undetermined |
| Nova Scotia | Trained in Canada, Licensed in another province, Trained outside Canada | written test of competence in well drilling, field test | — | Not listed | — | — | Undetermined |
Moving between provinces
- Direct transfer (10)
- Extra steps (10)
- Not stated (10)
All answers as a table
Demand and pay
Median wage
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $21.60 | $30.00 | $41.92 |
| British Columbia | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Alberta | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Saskatchewan | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Manitoba | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Ontario | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Quebec | $24.00 | $30.33 | $41.86 |
| New Brunswick | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Nova Scotia | Not stated | Not stated | 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 | Outlook not determined |
| Alberta | Outlook not determined |
| Saskatchewan | Outlook not determined |
| Manitoba | Outlook not determined |
| Ontario | Good (4 of 5) |
| Quebec | Moderate (3 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.
Getting Licensed? Get Your Resume Ready Too
Nainly pairs expert resume assessment with a done-for-you career marketing campaign, so your profile keeps reaching decision-makers while you work through the licensing steps.
Schedule a CallFree consultation. No commitment.