Three teaching jobs in BC need a licence or approval: flight instructors (Transport Canada), driving instructors (ICBC) and OFA first aid instructors (WorkSafeBC-approved providers). The rest use industry certifications that employers ask for.
| Detail | Source |
|---|
| Job | Licence status | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Flight instructor | Required: Transport Canada rating | $57.69/h median (NOC 72600) |
| Driving instructor | Required: ICBC instructor licence | $21.67/h median (NOC 43109) |
| OFA first aid instructor | Required: teach through a WorkSafeBC-approved provider | $23.74/h median (WorkBC, NOC 54100) |
| Ski or snowboard instructor | No licence; CSIA or CASI is the industry standard | $23.74/h median (WorkBC, NOC 54100) |
| Golf professional | No licence; PGA of Canada is the industry standard | $30.00/h median (WorkBC, NOC 53201) |
| Fitness leader or personal trainer | No BC law requires it; many employers ask for BCRPA | $23.74/h median (WorkBC, NOC 54100) |
| Yoga teacher | No BC licence; Yoga Alliance RYT is a private registry | $23.74/h median (WorkBC, NOC 54100) |
| Sport coach | No licence; sport organizations often require NCCP | $30.00/h median (WorkBC, NOC 53201) |
| Tennis instructor | No licence; Tennis Canada TPA is the industry standard | $30.00/h median (WorkBC, NOC 53201) |
| Scuba instructor | No government licence; PADI or SSI is the industry standard | $23.74/h median (WorkBC, NOC 54100) |
| Swim or lifesaving instructor | No government licence; pools hire Lifesaving Society or Red Cross instructors | $23.74/h median (WorkBC, NOC 54100) |
To teach WorkSafeBC occupational first aid (OFA) courses, you teach through a training provider that has a formal agreement with WorkSafeBC. WorkSafeBC supervises training for OFA attendants and instructors source. Red Cross and St. John Ambulance instructor status is set by those agencies.
| Detail | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Who you teach for | A WorkSafeBC-approved first aid training provider | source |
| Pay | Median $23.74/h (NOC 54100) | source |
No licence is needed. Tennis Canada’s Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) certification is the industry standard: Community (age 14+), Instructor (16+), Club Professional and High Performance source. Tennis BC runs BC courses.
| Detail | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Instructor course entry | Turn 16 within a year of the course start; play level 3.0+ | source |
| Length | 5 days over two weekends | source |
| Fee | Price not published, ask provider | |
| Pay | Median $30.00/h (NOC 53201) | source |
No government licence applies to recreational scuba instructors. Agency certification such as PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor is the industry standard source. Commercial (occupational) diving is separate and regulated; this section does not cover it.
| Detail | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | 18+; certified diver for 6+ months; 60 logged dives to enroll, 100 for the instructor credential; pass the PADI Instructor Examination | source |
| Cost and length | Not stated; set by each dive centre | |
| Pay | Median $23.74/h (NOC 54100) | source |
No government licence. Pools hire instructors certified by the Lifesaving Society (or Red Cross) source.
| Detail | Source | |
|---|---|---|
| Swim Instructor | Bronze Cross (need not be current) and the online Adapted Swim Instructor course first | source |
| Lifesaving Instructor | Bronze Cross; teaches and certifies Bronze Star, Medallion and Cross; includes the Examiner Clinic | source |
| Cost and length | Not stated; set by the host pool | |
| Pay | Median $23.74/h (NOC 54100) | source |
We could not confirm these on an official page, so we left them out: Instructor course cost and length.
No law requires one, but many sport organizations require NCCP training or certification for their coaches.
Flight instructors, in WorkBC’s NOC 72600 (pilots and flying instructors): $57.69/h median.
This page relies on the official pages below. Rules, fees and processes change, so check the authority before you apply or spend money.
Links checked November 1, 2026. Found an error or a broken link? Report it.