NOC Codes Explained: Find Your NOC and TEER in 2 Minutes

A NOC code is the 5-digit number Canada uses to classify a job in the National Occupational Classification (NOC). The first digit shows the broad occupational category and the second digit shows the TEER category (0 to 5). You find yours by searching your job title on the official NOC website, then checking that the main duties match the work you actually do.

This guide covers NOC 2021 Version 1.0, the version Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) use as of September 2026. It is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm anything that affects an application on canada.ca.

What is a NOC code?

A NOC code identifies one of 516 occupational unit groups in NOC 2021. Each unit group gathers similar jobs based on the work performed, and its profile lists a lead statement, example job titles, main duties, employment requirements and exclusions. The NOC is maintained jointly by ESDC and Statistics Canada and covers more than 40,000 job titles.

NOC 2021 replaced NOC 2016, which used 4-digit codes and skill levels. To convert an older 4-digit code, use the concordance tables on the NOC versions page.

The 5-digit code is built in five levels, and each extra digit narrows the group. Here is how Statistics Canada describes the structure, using software developers as the example:

Level	Digits	Groups in NOC 2021	Example
Broad occupational category	1	10	2: Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
Major group (category plus TEER)	2	45	21: Professional occupations in natural and applied sciences
Sub-major group	3	89	212: Professional occupations in applied sciences (except engineering)
Minor group	4	162	2123: Computer, software and Web designers and developers
Unit group	5	516	21232: Software developers and programmers

The 10 broad occupational categories

The first digit of every NOC code places the job in one of 10 broad occupational categories, numbered 0 to 9. Categories are defined by the type of work, the field of study or the industry. Category 0 now holds only legislators and senior managers; middle managers sit in the category for their industry.

First digit	Broad occupational category
0	Legislative and senior management occupations
1	Business, finance and administration occupations
2	Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
3	Health occupations
4	Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services
5	Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport
6	Sales and service occupations
7	Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations
8	Natural resources, agriculture and related production occupations
9	Occupations in manufacturing and utilities

What are the TEER categories?

TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. It is the second digit of a NOC code and runs from 0 (management) to 5 (short work demonstration, no formal education). TEER describes what the occupation usually requires, not your personal education, so a software developer with no degree is still in TEER 1.

TEER	What the occupation usually requires	Examples (NOC 2021 code)
0	Management responsibilities	Computer and information systems managers (20012); Restaurant and food service managers (60030)
1	A university degree	Software developers and programmers (21232); Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (31301)
2	A college program of 2 to 3 years, an apprenticeship of 2 to 5 years, or supervisory or significant safety responsibilities	Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (72410); Food service supervisors (62020)
3	A college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training	Bakers (63202); Transport truck drivers (73300)
4	A high school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training	Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers (64100); Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (44101)
5	A short work demonstration and no formal education	Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (65201); Construction trades helpers and labourers (75110)

Immigration programs draw a line at TEER: the main Express Entry programs count skilled work experience only in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.

How to find your NOC code in 2 minutes

Search your job title on the official NOC website, open the unit group that looks closest, and compare its lead statement and main duties with what you actually do every day. The right code is the one whose duties match your work, even if the job title on your offer letter is different.

1. Open the official tool. Go to noc.esdc.gc.ca and make sure the version selector shows NOC 2021 Version 1.0.
2. Search by job title. Type your title. If nothing fits, try a shorter or more common version, such as "programmer" instead of your company's internal title.
3. Open the closest unit group. Read the lead statement (the paragraph under the title that sums up the occupation), then the list of main duties.
4. Check the exclusions. Each profile lists similar jobs that belong to other codes. If one of those describes your work better, open it and compare.
5. Record the result. Write down the 5-digit code, the official unit group title and the TEER (the second digit).

IRCC applies the same test. For the Federal Skilled Worker Program, your experience must show that you performed the actions in the lead statement of your NOC and most of the main duties listed. IRCC's Find your NOC page also has a job title filter. If you have held several jobs, look each one up separately.

Worked examples: three common jobs

Three examples show how the lookup works in practice: a software developer, a registered nurse and a kitchen helper. The same steps apply to any job: search the title, confirm the duties, read the exclusions, then note the code and its TEER category.

Software developer: 21232 or 21231?

Searching "software developer" leads to 21232 (Software developers and programmers): broad category 2, TEER 1. The lead statement says these workers "design, write, and test code for new systems and software", and example titles include application programmer, mobile applications developer and cloud developer.

The exclusions list points to a close neighbour, 21231 (Software engineers and designers), whose workers "research, design, evaluate, integrate and maintain software applications". Its example titles include backend engineer, DevOps engineer, site reliability engineer and software architect. If your work is mostly designing and integrating systems rather than writing code to a specification, compare both profiles carefully.

Both codes are TEER 1, so the experience can count toward the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class if you meet the other requirements. At the time of writing, neither code appears on the STEM list for Express Entry category-based draws, which is why you should check the current list instead of assuming a tech job qualifies. To see how employers describe these roles, compare your duties with current software engineering jobs in Canada.

Registered nurse: 31301

31301 (Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses) sits in broad category 3 (Health occupations) and TEER 1. Its employment requirements say registered nurses must register with a regulatory body in every province and territory, so matching the code does not by itself let you practise in Canada. If you mainly coordinate or supervise nursing staff, check 31300 (Nursing coordinators and supervisors). Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates are a separate unit group, 33102, in TEER 3. The healthcare and social services category for Express Entry currently lists 31301.

Kitchen helper: 65201

Kitchen helpers, dishwashers and food counter attendants fall under 65201 (Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations): broad category 6, TEER 5. The profile says on-the-job training is provided and some secondary school education is usually required. Because this is TEER 5, the experience does not meet the skilled work requirement for the Federal Skilled Worker Program or the Canadian Experience Class, which both require TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3.

Why your NOC code matters

Your NOC code decides which immigration programs your experience counts for, how a work permit describes your job, and what wage an employer must offer a temporary foreign worker. A code whose duties do not match your real work can mean your experience does not meet a program's requirements, so get it right before you apply.

Where it is used	What the NOC code affects
Federal Skilled Worker Program	At least 1 year of continuous full-time work (or 1,560 hours) in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 within the last 10 years, in the same NOC as your primary occupation
Canadian Experience Class	At least 1 year (1,560 hours) of work in Canada in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 in the 3 years before you apply
Federal Skilled Trades Program	2 years of full-time experience (3,120 hours) within 5 years in listed trade groups, including major groups 72, 73, 82, 83, 92 and 93, with some exclusions
Express Entry category-based draws	At least 12 months of full-time experience (or the equivalent part-time) within 3 years in one NOC code on the category list
LMIA and employer-specific work permits	The offered wage is checked against Job Bank wage data for the occupation, and the permit lists your occupation
Open work permits for spouses	Often depends on the principal worker's TEER, for example a TEER 0 or 1 occupation or a select TEER 2 or 3 occupation

Work permits. When an employer applies for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), ESDC tells it to find the median wage on Job Bank using "the job title or the NOC code that best describes the duties and requirements of the position". Eligibility for open work permits for spouses can also depend on the principal worker's TEER category.

Job Bank. Job Bank wage data is searchable by job title or NOC code, which makes your code a quick way to check whether a salary offer is in line with the local market. When you read current Canadian job postings, compare the listed duties with your NOC profile, and use the Canadian hiring report to see which fields have the most active postings.

NOC 2026: what changes and when

A new version, NOC 2026 Version 1.0, is scheduled for release in December 2026. The NOC website says 165 unit groups will be affected, 24 of them with structural changes. Until IRCC and ESDC announce that their programs have switched, keep using NOC 2021 codes, and check canada.ca before you submit anything.

According to the NOC website, the revision focuses on Indigenous-related content, specific occupations in health, science and public protection, and selected occupations in education and emergency services. The consultation summary names occupations reviewed in this cycle, such as 21211 (Data scientists). If your occupation is in one of these areas, look it up again after the new version is published.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my NOC code?

Search your job title on noc.esdc.gc.ca with NOC 2021 Version 1.0 selected, open the closest unit group, and confirm that its lead statement and main duties match your work. The 5-digit number on that profile is your NOC code.

What TEER is my job?

Your TEER is the second digit of your 5-digit NOC code. For example, 21232 (Software developers and programmers) is TEER 1 and 65201 (Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations) is TEER 5.

Which TEER categories qualify for Express Entry?

The Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class count work experience in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3. The Federal Skilled Trades Program uses a specific list of trade groups instead.

Does my job title decide my NOC code?

No. Your duties decide it. IRCC requires that you performed the actions in the lead statement and most of the main duties of the NOC you claim, whatever your title was.