The National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 sorts every job in Canada into a five-digit unit group, and its second digit is the TEER category (training, education, experience and responsibilities). Immigration programs use the NOC to decide whether work experience is skilled. This tool searches the 516 unit groups in the list on IRCC's page "Find your National Occupational Classification (NOC)", opened on October 18, 2026. A title match is only a starting point: you must still confirm the duties on the official NOC website.
| NOC code | TEER | Occupation title (official English wording) |
|---|
How to find your NOC
- Search the listType your job title, a key word or a code. Try the closest generic title, not your employer's internal title, and look at several possible matches.
- Open the official NOC websiteGo to noc.esdc.gc.ca, choose the version "NOC 2021 Version 1.0" as IRCC instructs, and search by the code or the title.
- Compare the duties, not only the titleRead the lead statement and the main duties. Your work must match the lead statement and most of the main duties. If it does not, look for another unit group whose duties match yours.
- Write down the code, title and TEERKeep all three, for example 72302 Gas fitters. The TEER is the second digit of the code.
- Check which programs your TEER can serveThe Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program count skilled work in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 (the trades program also limits the eligible NOC groups).
TEER categories
TEER describes the training, education, experience and responsibilities that an occupation usually involves. There are six categories, 0 to 5. The examples and counts below come from IRCC's list.
| TEER | Occupation type and usual requirements | Example unit groups | Unit groups in the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEER 0 | Management occupations. | 10010 Financial managers 10022 Advertising, marketing and public relations managers | 48 |
| TEER 1 | Usually require a university degree. | 11102 Financial advisors 21231 Software engineers and designers | 97 |
| TEER 2 | Usually involve a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. | 22220 Computer network and web technicians 32120 Medical laboratory technologists | 162 |
| TEER 3 | Usually involve a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. | 63202 Bakers 33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants | 69 |
| TEER 4 | Usually require a high school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training. | 44100 Home child care providers 64100 Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers | 95 |
| TEER 5 | Usually learned through a short work demonstration, with no formal education requirement. | 85121 Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers 75201 Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors | 45 |
How a NOC code is built
- The first digit is the broad occupational category, the first two digits are the major group, the first three the sub-major group, the first four the minor group, and all five the unit group.
- In IRCC's list, the second digit of each of the 516 codes is the TEER category of that unit group.
- Always quote the full five-digit code and the title together, and state that you used NOC 2021 Version 1.0.
Why duties matter more than the title
When two codes seem possible, keep the reference letters, contracts and pay records that show which duties you actually performed, so that your documents can support the code in your profile. A licensed adviser can compare the duties with you before you submit.
Wages and high-wage occupations
For wage information, Job Bank's Search wages tool compares wages by job title and by city or postal code (its search form asks for a job title and a location, not a NOC code). A regional wage does not by itself establish immigration eligibility: the wage rule, the date and the location depend on the program and the job offer.
IRCC has announced that, from November 3, 2026, the Express Entry labour market integration factor will use high-wage occupation levels set by each NOC's national median wage. See the high-wage occupations page and the CRS calculator.
Limits of this tool
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. No government endorsement is implied.
What to check next
- Check the minimum and points for your profile with the FSW 67-point calculator and the CRS calculator.
- Read the guides to the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Official sources
- IRCC: Find your National Occupational Classification (NOC), the source of the list in this tool
- Employment and Social Development Canada: National Occupational Classification website
- ESDC: Structure of the National Occupational Classification
- ESDC: TEER category
- IRCC: Federal Skilled Worker Program (choosing the NOC for your work experience)
- Job Bank: Search wages
- Open Government Licence - Canada