A NOC (National Occupational Classification) code is the official number Canada uses to identify your occupation, paired with a TEER level (0 to 5) that reflects the training, education, and responsibilities a job requires. Your NOC matters because employers, Job Bank, and immigration programs like Express Entry all use it — to find yours, match your actual duties (not just your job title) to an occupation in the official NOC system.
What is a NOC code?
The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is Canada's official system for describing and grouping jobs, maintained by Statistics Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada (see the official NOC site). Every occupation has a unique code and a standard list of duties and requirements. Employers, the Government of Canada's Job Bank, and immigration programs all use these codes so everyone is describing the same job the same way.
TEER levels explained
Under the NOC 2021 system, each occupation has a TEER category (Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities) from 0 to 5:
- TEER 0 — management roles
- TEER 1 — usually require a university degree
- TEER 2 — college diploma, apprenticeship (2+ years), or supervisory roles
- TEER 3 — college program, shorter apprenticeship, or significant training
- TEER 4 — high school plus job-specific training
- TEER 5 — short demonstration or no formal education required
Why your NOC code matters
It's used everywhere that counts. Employers reference it in postings; Job Bank uses it for wages and outlook; and immigration programs like Express Entry use your NOC and TEER to decide eligibility and category-based draws. Getting the right code — and mirroring its duties on your resume — directly affects both your job search and any PR application.
How to find your NOC code
Match duties, not just your job title:
- List your actual day-to-day responsibilities
- Search your occupation on the official NOC system or Before Borders careers directory
- Compare the listed main duties to your real work — they should largely match
- Confirm the TEER level fits your role's training and responsibilities
- Note the 5-digit code and use its wording in your resume and applications
Look up your occupation
Before Borders has a profile for hundreds of Canadian occupations with duties, salary, and outlook — for example software developers and programmers, data scientists, or administrative assistants. Browse the full careers directory to find and confirm yours.
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