Express Entry high-wage occupations list: 186 NOCs and their bands

What makes an occupation "high-wage"

IRCC goes by the median wage of the occupation itself: when everyone in Canada working under the same NOC (National Occupational Classification) has a median wage of at least 1.3 times the median wage of the overall Canadian workforce, that occupation counts as high-wage. IRCC states on the list page that the determination is not based on a person's specific job position or salary (IRCC · High-wage occupations).

That rules out two readings. Earning well in an occupation that is not on the list does not make it high-wage; earning an ordinary wage in an occupation that is on the list still scores at the band of that occupation.

The data comes from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey and the Census of Population over the last three years, and each NOC is set at the highest band it reached in that period. The current list is built on 2023 to 2025 data.

Points for each band

Each band is worth a different number of points on each of the two routes. Both are scored inside one factor, the Labour Market Integration factor, and you get whichever is higher, not both (IRCC · Changes to Express Entry).

The points in the Canadian experience column are added to the work-length points: with no accompanying spouse, work length caps at 80 points at five years, and 70 more at twice the median brings this factor to 150. Job offer points replace the work-length points rather than adding to them. The arithmetic, the work-length bands and worked examples are in Express Entry: how the CRS score works.

Canadian experience needs at least 12 months, which IRCC states as 12 months or 1,560 hours. It does not have to be continuous, part-time counts at an equivalent amount, and several high-wage jobs can be combined; two jobs at once count only up to 30 hours a week. The bands do not stack — you fall to a lower band only if you do not qualify for the higher one.

The high-wage occupations list (186 occupations)

Filter by band, or search the NOC code and the occupation name directly.

Finding your NOC code

The most reliable source is the 5-digit NOC code your employer entered on the offer or the employment contract; provincial nominee and work permit paperwork usually carries it too. Without one, use the official NOC search and match the duty statements against the work you actually do. Do not go by job title alone — the same title can fall under different NOCs at different employers, and the NOC sets the band, which sets the points.

When the list changes

IRCC states that if the list changes after an Invitation to Apply is issued, the band that applied on the date you were invited is the one that counts. That holds whether an occupation moves band, is removed from the list, or is added to it.

The list on this page is generated by parsing the official page row by row, checked on 2026-11-05. IRCC refreshes it against the last three years of data, so confirm against the official list before you file.

Common questions