NOC code finder: find your NOC 2021 code and TEER
Type your job title and this free NOC code finder searches all 516 unit groups of the National Occupational Classification, including Statistics Canada's own example titles, and returns the five-digit code, its TEER category and whether it counts as skilled work for Express Entry. It is the first number every Canadian immigration application asks for.
Try the title on your reference letter, for example “registered nurse”, “truck driver”, “software developer” or “line cook”. All 516 unit groups of NOC 2021 are searched.
Data: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0. The finder suggests the closest unit groups; the code you claim must match the duties in your reference letter, not just the title. That is what IRCC checks.
Key takeaways
The NOC code finder searches all 516 NOC 2021 unit groups by job title, example title, keyword or code. The code is chosen by duties, not title, and the TEER digit decides which immigration programs the job qualifies for.
- The five-digit NOC 2021 code identifies your unit group; the second digit is your TEER.
- TEER 0 to 3 qualify for Express Entry (FSW and CEC); TEER 4 and 5 qualify for many PNP streams instead.
- IRCC assesses the duties in your reference letter, not the job title on it.
- Choosing a higher code than your duties support is a leading cause of refusal, and can be treated as misrepresentation.
- Category-based draws and Alberta's tech and health pathways are defined by lists of specific codes, so the exact code matters more than ever in 2026.
How to use the NOC code finder
- 01
Search the generic title of your job
Use the everyday name of the role, for example "registered nurse" or "truck driver", not your employer's internal title. The finder also matches Statistics Canada's example titles, so "line cook" or "HGV driver" work too.
- 02
Open the details on the closest matches
Read the lead statement and the example titles. If your duties are in the description and your title is in the examples, you have your code.
- 03
Check the TEER against the program you want
TEER 0 to 3 for Express Entry. TEER 4 and 5 for streams like the Alberta Opportunity Stream. Category-based draws and Alberta's tech and health pathways use named codes; check those lists.
- 04
Match your reference letter to the main duties
This is the step people skip. The letter IRCC receives must describe duties that map to the lead statement and main duties of the code you claim.
- 05
Use the same code everywhere
Profile, work history, provincial EOI and job offer should agree. If they cannot, add a short letter of explanation.
The finder is deliberately literal. It matches on unit group titles, on Statistics Canada's illustrative example titles and on the five-digit code itself, so you can search forwards from a job title or backwards from a code an employer has already given you. Nothing you type is stored. If a search returns nothing useful, try the generic occupation rather than the branded one: search “customer service representative” rather than an internal title like “client success specialist”, and “heavy equipment operator” rather than the make of machine you drive.
What is a NOC code, and why does every application ask for it?
The National Occupational Classification is Canada's national system for describing occupations. Every job in the country sits in one of 516 unit groups, each with a five-digit code, a lead statement, a list of main duties and a set of example titles. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and every provincial nominee program use the same codes, which is why the number follows you from an LMIA work permit file to an Express Entry profile to a provincial nomination.
The current version is NOC 2021, in force with IRCC since 16 November 2022. It replaced the four-digit NOC 2016 codes and the old skill levels 0, A, B, C and D with five-digit codes and six TEER categories. If a website, an old job offer or a forum post still quotes a four-digit code, it is out of date, and IRCC will not accept it. There is no reliable one-to-one conversion either, because some 2016 groups were split across several 2021 groups, so the safest route is to look the job up again from scratch.
Statistics Canada owns the classification, ESDC attaches the wage data to it, and IRCC simply adopts whichever version is in force. That is why one five-digit number drives three separate decisions: whether your experience counts as skilled work, which targeted round of invitations you can be pulled in, and what an employer must pay you against the prevailing wage for your unit group and province.
NOC codes people search for most
These are the unit groups that come up most often in the work we do, with their TEER and the programs that usually apply. Search the NOC code finder above for the full lead statement, main duties and example titles before you settle on any of them.
| Occupation | NOC 2021 | TEER | Typical routes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software developers and programmers | 21232 | 1 | Express Entry (STEM category), Alberta Accelerated Tech Pathway, BC PNP Tech |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 31301 | 1 | Express Entry (healthcare category), Dedicated Health Care Pathway, BC Health Authority |
| Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates | 33102 | 3 | Express Entry (healthcare category), AAIP, caregiver pilots |
| Transport truck drivers | 73300 | 3 | Express Entry (transport category), Alberta Opportunity Stream, SINP |
| Cooks | 63200 | 3 | Alberta Opportunity Stream, Tourism & Hospitality Stream, LMIA work permits |
| Chefs | 62200 | 2 | Express Entry (CEC), AAIP, RCIP communities |
| Food and beverage servers | 65200 | 5 | PNP streams only; not Express Entry |
| Electricians (except industrial and power system) | 72200 | 2 | Express Entry (trades category, FST), AAIP |
| Carpenters | 72310 | 2 | Express Entry (trades category, FST), AAIP |
| Construction managers | 70010 | 0 | Express Entry (FSW, CEC), AAIP |
| Secondary school teachers | 41220 | 1 | Express Entry (education category), PNPs |
| Early childhood educators and assistants | 42202 | 2 | Express Entry (education category), AAIP, BC PNP |
| Administrative assistants | 13110 | 3 | Express Entry (CEC), Alberta Opportunity Stream |
| Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers | 64100 | 4 | PNP streams only; not Express Entry |
| Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations | 44101 | 4 | Home Care Worker pilots, PNPs |
TEER categories: what the second digit means
TEER stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. It is the second digit of your code and it is the single thing most immigration programs look at first.
| TEER | Usual requirement | Express Entry? | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Management occupations | Yes | Construction managers (70010), restaurant managers (60030) |
| 1 | University degree | Yes | Software developers (21232), registered nurses (31301) |
| 2 | College diploma, apprenticeship of two or more years, or supervisory roles | Yes | Electricians (72200), chefs (62200) |
| 3 | College diploma, apprenticeship under two years, or more than six months of training | Yes | Cooks (63200), truck drivers (73300) |
| 4 | High school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training | No | Retail salespersons (64100), home support workers (44101) |
| 5 | Short work demonstration, no formal education | No | Food and beverage servers (65200), landscaping labourers (85121) |
The title is not the test
Why the exact code matters more in 2026
Until 2023, the NOC mainly decided whether your experience was skilled. Since Express Entry category-based drawsbegan, it also decides whether you are in a targeted round at all. IRCC's 2026 categories, healthcare and social services, STEM, trades, transport, agriculture and agri-food, education and French-language proficiency, are each defined by a list of specific unit groups. Being in 31301 rather than 33102 changes which rounds you are eligible for and, in practice, the cut-off you face. Alberta's Accelerated Tech Pathway and Dedicated Health Care Pathway work the same way, and the Alberta PNP points calculator scores your work experience by TEER.
The code also drives the wage test on an LMIA, because the median wage ESDC compares your offer against is set per unit group and province. An employer who codes a role as TEER 3 to clear the low-wage cap when the duties are TEER 1 creates a mismatch that can sink both the LMIA and the later PR application. The same logic applies to the trades: a Red Seal ticket helps, but the Federal Skilled Trades Program still checks that your unit group sits on its list, which is why tradespeople should confirm the code before they build a plan around it. Our guide to immigrate to Canada as a tradesperson walks through that check.
What the NOC code finder can and cannot tell you
It is a search tool over a published classification, not an assessment. It can tell you which unit groups mention your job title, what the five-digit code and TEER category are, and what Statistics Canada says the main duties of that group look like. It cannot read your employment reference letter, weigh a contested duty list, or decide whether an officer will accept the code you claim.
Three things sit outside any finder. The first is the version question: IRCC applies the NOC in force on the day you submit, so a code that was right for a file sent in 2022 is not automatically right today. The second is the duties test, which is a judgement about the work you actually did rather than a lookup. The third is program design, because a code can be perfectly correct and still leave you outside a targeted category, a Federal Skilled Trades Program trade group or an Alberta pathway list. Where those three overlap, a second opinion is worth having, and a consultation with a licensed RCIC is free.
Common mistakes we see with NOC codes
- Using a four-digit NOC 2016 code. IRCC has used NOC 2021 since November 2022; the old codes are not accepted.
- Claiming the manager code for a team lead. TEER 0 needs genuine management duties: hiring, budgets, planning, not just seniority.
- Copying the job offer code without checking it. Offers and LMIAs sometimes carry the code that suited the employer's wage or advertising position.
- Reference letters that list titles, not duties. A letter that says “employed as Senior Analyst” with no duties gives the officer nothing to match.
- One code for two different jobs. If you were promoted, claim each period under the code that fits it.
- Searching an internal job title. The finder can only match the vocabulary Statistics Canada uses, so start from the generic occupation and work outwards.
- Assuming TEER 4 or 5 means no route. It means no Express Entry. The Alberta Opportunity Stream, the Tourism & Hospitality Stream and several other PNP streams accept these jobs.
What to do once you have your code
Run your profile through the free CRS calculator to see where you sit against the latest Express Entry draw cut-offs, or the Alberta PNP points calculator if Alberta is the plan. If your code sits in a targeted category, read how Express Entry category-based draws work, because the cut-off you need may be far lower than the general one. When you are ready to file, our step-by-step guide to how to create an Express Entry profile shows where the code goes and how the 60-day window runs. And before you submit anything, make sure your employment letter for Express Entry describes the duties the code requires.
Compliance note. Wild Mountain Immigration is a licensed RCIC practice (CICC R706497). This NOC code finder is an informational tool built on Statistics Canada's published classification. It does not decide your eligibility and no result guarantees an outcome; only IRCC decides an application. When a code is genuinely arguable, or when your reference letter and your chosen unit group do not line up, that is exactly the situation to talk to us about.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my NOC code?
Type your job title or a keyword into the NOC code finder above and it searches every unit group of NOC 2021, including Statistics Canada's example job titles, and returns the five-digit code and TEER. Then open the details and check that the lead statement and example titles describe what you actually do. IRCC assesses your duties, not your title, so the right code is the one whose main duties match your reference letter. If two codes look close, read both descriptions on the official NOC site before choosing.
What is the difference between a NOC code and a TEER?
The NOC code is the five-digit number that identifies your unit group, for example 31301 for registered nurses. TEER is the second digit of that code, from 0 to 5, and stands for Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities. It replaced the old skill levels A, B, C and D in November 2022. TEER 0 to 3 count as skilled work for Express Entry; TEER 4 and 5 do not, although many provincial streams accept them.
Is this NOC code finder free to use?
Yes. The NOC code finder on this page is free, needs no account and stores nothing you type. It runs on Statistics Canada's published NOC 2021 data, and we built it because the first question in almost every consultation is which unit group a job belongs to. If you then want a licensed RCIC to confirm the code against your reference letter, that consultation is free as well, and our fees page lists what the paid work costs if you decide to go further.
Does the NOC code finder use NOC 2021 or the old NOC 2016 codes?
NOC 2021 Version 1.0, the five-digit system IRCC has used since 16 November 2022. The four-digit NOC 2016 codes and the old skill levels 0, A, B, C and D are no longer accepted on an Express Entry profile or a provincial Expression of Interest. There is no clean one-to-one conversion between the two versions, because some 2016 groups were split and others merged, so look your job up again rather than translating an old code by hand.
Which NOC codes qualify for Express Entry?
Any occupation in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 counts as skilled work for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class. The Federal Skilled Trades Program is narrower and uses specific TEER 2 and 3 trade groups. Category-based draws go further and target named unit groups, for example healthcare, STEM, trades, transport and agriculture occupations. TEER 4 and 5 jobs do not qualify for Express Entry, but they can qualify for provincial nominee streams such as the Alberta Opportunity Stream.
Can I choose a higher NOC code to get more points?
No. The code you enter must match the duties you actually performed, and IRCC verifies this against your employment reference letter. Claiming a TEER 1 code for a job whose duties match TEER 3 is one of the most common reasons an Express Entry application is refused, and if an officer decides it was deliberate it can be treated as misrepresentation with a five-year ban. Pick the code whose main duties fit, then make sure your reference letter describes those duties.
What if my job fits two NOC codes?
Compare the lead statements and the main duties of both unit groups and choose the one that covers the majority of your day-to-day work, especially the duties your reference letter lists. If you performed two distinct jobs for the same employer, say a cook who was promoted to chef, you can claim both codes for the respective periods, as long as the letter breaks the duties down by period. Do not blend two codes into one claim.
Can I use the NOC code finder for an LMIA or a work permit?
Yes, because the same classification applies across the system. ESDC uses the NOC unit group to set the median wage an employer's offer is compared against on a Labour Market Impact Assessment, and the code carries through to the work permit application that follows. Employers sometimes pick the code that suited the wage bracket or the advertising rules rather than the duties, so check it before you rely on it for permanent residence.
Is the NOC code on my job offer or LMIA the one I use for Express Entry?
Usually, but check it. Employers and LMIA applications sometimes use the code that suited the wage or the advertising rules rather than the one that best matches the duties. Your Express Entry profile must reflect the duties you performed. If the LMIA or job offer code differs from the code you claim, be ready to explain why, ideally in a short letter of explanation.
Where does this data come from?
The finder uses Statistics Canada's National Occupational Classification 2021 Version 1.0, the classification structure and elements files, which list every unit group with its definition and illustrative example titles. The data was loaded in August 2026 and this page was reviewed again in September 2026. The official search on the NOC website remains the final reference, and IRCC applies the version of the NOC in force on the day you submit.
Do I need the NOC code for a provincial nomination or an AAIP application?
Yes. Provincial programs, including the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program, use the same NOC 2021 codes to decide whether your job is eligible and to score your Expression of Interest. Alberta's Worker EOI points for work experience depend on your TEER, and the Accelerated Tech Pathway and Dedicated Health Care Pathway are defined by lists of specific NOC codes.
Two codes look right? Let's settle it before you file.
A licensed RCIC checks your reference letter against the NOC duties, so the code you claim is the one IRCC will accept.