Express Entry Canada 2026: Full List of 186 High-Wage Occupations by NOC Code

One list now carries more weight in Express Entry Canada 2026 than any other: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) list of 186 high-wage occupations. From November 3, 2026, your National Occupational Classification (NOC) code on this list can add up to 70 Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points for Canadian work experience, or up to 100 points for a qualifying job offer.

If your occupation appears here, your CRS score 2026 could rise without a single change to your age, education, or language results. If it does not, you need to know that now too. This guide lists every occupation, sorted into its three wage levels, and explains what each level means for your path to Canadian permanent residency.

How IRCC Builds the High-Wage Occupation List

IRCC treats an occupation as high-wage when the median wage of everyone in Canada working under that NOC code reaches at least 1.3 times the average median wage of the Canadian workforce. The test looks at the whole occupation across Canada. Your own salary and job title do not decide your level.

IRCC uses three years of data from Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey, and the Census of Population. Each NOC receives the highest level its median wage reached during that period. The first list takes effect on November 3, 2026, and draws on data from 2023 to 2025.

IRCC may update the list over time. If it changes after you receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA), IRCC keeps the level that applied on the date it invited you, whether your occupation moves up, moves down, or leaves the list.

How Many CRS Points Each Level Can Earn You

The points depend on your level and on whether you claim them through Canadian work experience or a job offer:

• Level 1 (2 times the median): 70 points for 12 months of Canadian work experience, or 100 points for a qualifying job offer
• Level 2 (1.5 times the median): 40 points for 12 months of Canadian work experience, or 70 points for a qualifying job offer
• Level 3 (1.3 times the median): 20 points for 12 months of Canadian work experience, or 50 points for a qualifying job offer

Work experience points sit on top of your regular Canadian work experience points. IRCC can count combined months across occupations at the same level or higher; for example, 12 months split between Level 1 and Level 2 jobs qualifies for 40 points. A qualifying job offer must generally be for full-time, continuous work in Canada for at least one year after you become a permanent resident.

Level 1: Occupations at 2 Times the Average Median Wage (31 NOC Codes)

Level 1 holds Canada’s top-earning occupations. Senior executives, physicians, lawyers, judges, university professors, and engineering and IT managers dominate this group. Six of the 31 codes sit in health care, including family physicians, surgical specialists, nurse practitioners, and veterinarians.

These roles matter because they combine scarce expertise with high earnings, and IRCC links high-wage work to stronger economic outcomes for newcomers. A Level 1 occupation offers the largest boost in the new system: 70 points for Canadian work experience or 100 for a qualifying job offer. Many of these professions also involve licensing in Canada, so candidates should confirm their credential path early.

Level 2: Occupations at 1.5 Times the Average Median Wage (89 NOC Codes)

Level 2 is the largest group, and it reaches across almost every sector of the economy. Natural and applied sciences lead with 28 codes, covering software engineers, developers, data scientists, cybersecurity specialists, and civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineers. Health care adds 10 codes, including registered nurses, pharmacists, dentists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists.

This level also includes 16 skilled trades and transport codes, such as power system electricians, steamfitters, boilermakers, elevator mechanics, air pilots, and air traffic controllers. Teachers, police officers, firefighters, and economists round out the group. For many skilled workers already in the Express Entry pool, especially technology professionals, Level 2 is where the new points will land.

Level 3: Occupations at 1.3 Times the Average Median Wage (66 NOC Codes)

Level 3 brings the list into the trades in a big way. Eighteen of its 66 codes come from trades and transport, including industrial electricians, ironworkers, sheet metal workers, gas fitters, bricklayers, heavy-duty equipment mechanics, crane operators, and several construction contractor and supervisor roles.

Level 3 also covers accountants, financial analysts, human resources professionals, architects, web developers, social workers, and medical technologists such as sonographers and radiation technologists. These occupations keep Canada’s infrastructure, finances, and health system running. Level 3 earns smaller boosts of 20 or 50 points, but in a close draw, even 20 points can make a difference.

What the 186 Occupations Tell Us About Canada's Priorities

Across all three levels, three sectors stand out. Natural and applied sciences account for 45 codes, skilled trades and transport for 34, and health care for 22. That pattern matches the sectors IRCC already targets through category-based selection draws, which include health care, skilled trades, and transportation.

The list rewards occupations where Canada sees strong earnings and long-term labour market value. For candidates, it signals where Express Entry will place more weight. For employers, it shows which roles can now support a permanent residence job offer without an LMIA.

Best NOC Codes for Express Entry 2026: Check Yours Carefully

Similar job titles can sit under different NOC codes with different outcomes. The list includes industrial electricians (72201) and power system electricians (72202), but not construction electricians (72200). It includes contractors and supervisors in carpentry trades (72013), but not carpenters themselves (72310). Web developers and programmers (21234) sit at Level 3, while software developers and programmers (21232) sit at Level 2.

Your NOC code must match your actual duties, not just your job title. A wrong code can cost you points or create problems when an officer reviews your application. Read the lead statement and main duties for your NOC on the official classification before you rely on any level.

How These Occupations Help Your PR Application Canada

1. More CRS points. A listed occupation can lift your score by 20 to 70 points through Canadian work experience, or 50 to 100 points through a job offer.
2. No LMIA for job offers. From November 3, 2026, a qualifying job offer in a listed occupation does not need an LMIA, which removes a major barrier for employers.
3. Simpler Federal Skilled Worker and Federal Skilled Trades eligibility. A temporary public policy removes LMIA requirements for job offers used to meet eligibility under these programs, for candidates invited on or after November 3, 2026.
4. Automatic recalculation. IRCC will recalculate scores in the pool automatically. If you want job offer points, update your profile with the job offer details before November 3.

Over 10 years, Can X Global Solutions has helped clients from more than 30 countries match their experience to the right NOC code. With this list now shaping CRS scores directly, that step matters more than ever.

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