TRADE REPORT · LAST VERIFIED 2026-07-10
Cook (415A) Wages & Outlook in Canada — Trade Report
Also known as: 415A, line cook.
Here's the cook (red seal) trade in Canada without the filler: real pay data, real demand signals, the actual certification steps, and how the exam is built — every number sourced.
The trade in 30 seconds
This trade employed about 171,700 people across Canada as of 2023 (NOC 63200 (group covers all cooks incl. apprentices and non-certified; chefs are a separate group)) [2]. This trade has been Red Seal-designated since 1964 [7]. Trade certification is voluntary in Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut. [4]
Practice Cook (Red Seal) free →
What you'll earn
Job Bank's federal wage figures (reference period 2023-2024) show a national median of $18.00/hour, with a spread from $15.00 to $25.00 [1]. The published spread runs from $16.40/hour in New Brunswick to $28.37/hour in Yukon.
Median hourly wage by province/territory, highest to lowest
View exact numbers
| Province / territory | Median | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Yukon | $28.37 | $20.00–$41.67 |
| Northwest Territories | $25.00 | $18.50–$37.50 |
| Nunavut | $25.00 | $19.75–$35.00 |
| British Columbia | $20.00 | $18.25–$26.00 |
| Ontario | $18.00 | $17.60–$24.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $18.00 | $17.00–$25.73 |
| Quebec | $18.00 | $16.60–$25.00 |
| Alberta | $17.50 | $15.00–$23.50 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | $17.00 | $16.35–$27.54 |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | $16.75–$22.50 |
| Saskatchewan | $17.00 | $15.35–$23.08 |
| Manitoba | $16.50 | $16.00–$21.00 |
| New Brunswick | $16.40 | $15.90–$22.00 |
Source: Job Bank wage report, NOC 63200, updated 2025-11-19 [1]. The same page shows 57.4% of the national workforce here also gets a non-wage benefit.
One advantage of the Red Seal system: it's portable across jurisdictions, so the spread above is a real guide if you're weighing a move.
Where the jobs are
Canada's own 10-year projection for this trade reads: moderate risk of labour shortage, 2024-2033, per COPS's labour-market outlook [3] The workforce is 22% aged 50 or older, with a median retirement age of 65 [2]. Most work is in food services 74%; health care 9% (top-2 partial breakdown — does not sum to 100%; food services growing 0.7%/yr) [3].
Why openings exist
job creation ~21%; replacement demand ~79%; annual employment growth 0.5%/yr vs 1.2% national avg.
Job Bank 3-year employment outlook by province
View as a table
| Rating | Provinces |
|---|---|
| Very good | Prince Edward Island |
| Good | Nova Scotia, New Brunswick |
| Moderate | Newfoundland & Labrador, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Yukon, Northwest Territories |
| Limited | Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Nunavut |
Source: Job Bank outlook report, NOC 63200, updated 2025-12-10 [2].
The path to Red Seal
Total apprenticeship hours, by jurisdiction
- 5,400 total hours (3 levels) in NL/NS/PE/MB/SK/AB/NT/NU (e.g. AB/SK/NT/NU: 4,680 on-job + 720 in-school; Alberta runs it as 3 periods of 1,560 work hours + 8 weeks classroom)
- Ontario 6,000 (5,280 on-job + 720 in-school, ~3 years, 2 levels)
- BC 5,540 (5,000 + 540)
- Quebec: a 20-month program, not hours-based
- NB and YT hours not yet confirmed
Source: interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison [4].
For those already in the trade but not yet certified:
Challenge / trade-qualifier hours, by jurisdiction
- 8,100 in NL/NS/PE/MB/SK
- 7,200 NT/NU
- 7,020 AB (Tradesecrets: 54 months + 7,020 verifiable hours + theory exam)
- 6,000 ON
- 5,000 BC
- Quebec n/a
Source: interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison [4].
Money on the table: the federal Team Canada Strong package includes: $6B plan to recruit 80,000-100,000 new Red Seal trades workers over five years; $400/week Apprenticeship Training Grant during in-class technical training, worth up to $16,000 per apprentice, in addition to EI; one-time $5,000 Red Seal completion bonus. amounts are 'up to' figures; first payments expected no earlier than fall 2026; core funding starts 2026-27 [12]
- provincial trade titles vary: 'Professional Cook 3' in BC, 'Cook - Level 2' in Quebec [7]
- Baker is a separate Red Seal trade (NOC 63202, designated 1988) — a Cook ticket does not cover it
The exam — and what to study most
The Red Seal exam for this trade is 150 questions, pass mark 70% [9], writing time four hours [5]. Weighting isn't even across the exam — this is the real, source-published breakdown:
Official exam weightings, highest to lowest
Sorted highest to lowest — Meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats (top) carries the most marks on its own (11%).
View exact numbers
| Block | Share of exam | ≈ Questions |
|---|---|---|
| I — Meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats | 11% | ~16 |
| J — Fish and seafood | 10% | ~15 |
| A — Hygiene, sanitation and safety | 9% | ~13 |
| E — Sauces | 9% | ~13 |
| C — Produce | 8% | ~12 |
| D — Stocks, broths and soups | 8% | ~12 |
| B — Common occupational skills | 7% | ~11 |
| F — Cheese, dairy, plant-based alternatives, eggs and egg products | 7% | ~10 |
| G — Pastas, noodles, stuffed pastas and dumplings | 7% | ~10 |
| H — Grains, pulses, seeds, nuts and alternative proteins | 7% | ~11 |
| K — Salads and sandwiches | 6% | ~9 |
| M — Sweet and savoury baked goods and desserts | 6% | ~10 |
| L — Specialty preparation | 5% | ~8 |
Source: Red Seal exam information [5].
The math that matters: Meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats alone is 11% of your score. A per-block diagnostic run is the fastest way to find real gaps. Try a free diagnostic on Cook (Red Seal) →
Practice against the same standard
The cook (red seal) question bank here follows the same official standard as the real exam, block for block — so your practice results tell you something real. Start free, no account needed. The full bank runs 868 questions.
Practice Cook (Red Seal) free →
The best links
- red-seal.ca — Official Red Seal Cook page: the standard, exam info, weightings, and sample questions.
- red-seal.ca — The exam's actual structure from the source: 150 questions across 13 blocks.
- red-seal.ca — Red Seal's own free sample questions for this trade.
- red-seal.ca — The official exam guide: 70% pass mark, four-hour writing time, question style.
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Government of Canada wage data by province (2023-2024 LFS).
- www.jobbank.gc.ca — Job Bank: 3-year prospects by province + the 10-year national outlook.
- ellischart.ca — Ellis Chart (ESDC): hours, levels, and challenge pathways across all 13 jurisdictions.
- www.skilledtradesontario.ca — Ontario's authority page for Cook 415A: the 6,000-hour program and C of Q.
- tradesecrets.alberta.ca — Alberta's apprenticeship profile: 3-period structure and the 7,020-hour challenge route.
Sources
- Job Bank — Wages: Cook (NOC 63200). Data period 2023-2024; updated 2025-11-19. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Job Bank — Outlook (NOC 63200). updated 2025-12-10. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- ESDC — Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) 2024-2033. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Ellis Chart (ESDC) — interjurisdictional apprenticeship comparison. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Red Seal — exam information. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Red Seal — exam weightings. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Official Red Seal Cook page: the standard, exam info, weightings, and sample questions. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Red Seal's own free sample questions for this trade. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- The official exam guide: 70% pass mark, four-hour writing time, question style. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Ontario's authority page for Cook 415A: the 6,000-hour program and C of Q. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Alberta's apprenticeship profile: 3-period structure and the 7,020-hour challenge route. Accessed 2026-07-10.
- Prime Minister's Office — Team Canada Strong announcement. updated 2026-04-29. Accessed 2026-07-10.
This is a sourced reference page, not advice of any kind. The wage/outlook figures are dated government data and will shift — the source links above stay current.