Express Entry Guide · Updated October 2026
Your occupation is either on IRCC’s high-wage occupation list, at a specific tier — or it is not on the list at all, and that one fact decides up to 100 of your CRS points.
By Aria Sterling · Checked against IRCC rules · 13 min read
The high-wage occupation list is the lookup table, organised by NOC tier, behind the November 2026 Labour Market Integration factor. From November 3, 2026, a job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation can earn 50, 70 or 100 CRS points, and Canadian work experience in a listed occupation can earn a supplement of 20, 40 or 70 points — and both numbers depend entirely on which tier your occupation sits in. This post explains how IRCC sets the tiers, how to check your own occupation step by step, and what each tier is worth, with real examples from the official list.
Evidence and sources: This post is based on IRCC’s high-wage occupation list page on canada.ca, read October 2026. The list comes into effect on November 3, 2026, and is based on 2023–2025 data. Occupation examples below are taken from that official list. This is general information, not legal advice.
Hold notice: This article describes a list that takes effect on November 3, 2026. It is prepared for review and must not be published before that date.
Quick answer
A job counts as a high-wage occupation if the median wage of everyone in Canada doing that job is at least 1.3 times the average median wage of the whole Canadian workforce. There are three tiers: at least twice the average (job offer 100 points, supplement 70), at least 1.5 times (offer 70, supplement 40), and at least 1.3 times (offer 50, supplement 20). The tier is set by the occupation’s national median wage — never by the salary in your offer, and never by your job title.
To check your occupation, confirm your NOC from your duties, find that NOC on IRCC’s list, and note its tier. If your NOC is absent, the offer earns 0 points. That 1.3-times test is the entry point to the high-wage occupation list.
Key takeaways
How IRCC builds the high-wage occupation list tiers
Forget your own paycheque for a moment. IRCC looks at every person in Canada working under the same NOC code, takes the median wage of that whole group, and compares it with the average median wage of the entire Canadian workforce.
If the occupation’s median is at least twice that average, the occupation sits in the top tier. At least 1.5 times, the middle tier. At least 1.3 times, the lowest tier. Below 1.3 times, the occupation is not on the list at all.
Two details make the list fairer than a single-year snapshot. First, the wage data comes from three sources — Job Bank, the Labour Force Survey, and the Census — over the last three years. Second, each occupation’s level is the highest level its median wage met in the last three years, so a single weak year does not drag an occupation down a tier. The list effective November 3, 2026 is based on 2023–2025 data.
And one detail protects you after an invitation: if the list changes after your invitation is issued, IRCC keeps using the level that applied on your invitation date — whether your occupation moves tiers, is removed, or is added. You are not punished for a list change you could not foresee.
How to check your occupation on the high-wage occupation list
Tip:
Check the list in the month you plan to rely on it, and screenshot the tier you find with the date visible. Lists are updated, and a dated record of what the list said when you checked is useful if anything is questioned later.
Tier examples from the official list
The tables below give verified examples from IRCC’s high-wage occupation list so you can see what each tier looks like in practice. They are examples, not the whole list — always search for your own NOC on the official page.
NOC | Occupation |
|---|---|
00011 | Senior government managers and officials |
00012 | Senior managers — financial, communications and other business services |
20010 | Engineering managers |
20012 | Computer and information systems managers |
21330 | Mining engineers |
31100 | Specialists in clinical and laboratory medicine |
31102 | General practitioners and family physicians |
31302 | Nurse practitioners |
41101 | Lawyers and Quebec notaries |
41200 | University professors and lecturers |
60010 | Corporate sales managers |
90011 | Utilities managers |
NOC | Occupation |
|---|---|
00014 | Senior managers — trade, broadcasting and other services |
10022 | Advertising, marketing and public relations managers |
21211 | Data scientists |
21220 | Cybersecurity specialists |
21231 | Software engineers and designers |
21232 | Software developers and programmers |
21300 | Civil engineers |
21301 | Mechanical engineers |
31110 | Dentists |
31120 | Pharmacists |
31301 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses |
72600 | Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors |
NOC | Occupation |
|---|---|
00010 | Legislators |
11100 | Financial auditors and accountants |
11200 | Human resources professionals |
21200 | Architects |
21234 | Web developers and programmers |
22310 | Electrical and electronics engineering technologists and technicians |
31121 | Dietitians and nutritionists |
32102 | Paramedical occupations |
41300 | Social workers |
60020 | Retail and wholesale trade managers |
72013 | Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades |
72404 | Aircraft mechanics and aircraft inspectors |
Source: IRCC high-wage occupation list, canada.ca, read October 2026 (list effective November 3, 2026; based on 2023–2025 data). These are examples only — the full list is on canada.ca.
Notice two things. First, software developers sit in the middle tier here even though they were removed from the STEM category list — the high-wage list and the category lists are different lists, and an occupation can be on one and off the other. Second, senior managers split across tiers: some senior manager occupations are top tier, others middle tier. Never assume a whole family of jobs shares a tier.
What each high-wage occupation list tier is worth to you
Tier | Job offer points | Work experience supplement (12+ months) |
|---|---|---|
At least twice the average median wage | 100 | 70 |
At least 1.5 times | 70 | 40 |
At least 1.3 times | 50 | 20 |
Not on the list | 0 | 0 (work-length points still apply) |
And remember the split that saves many offers from being useless: a job offer can count for Federal Skilled Worker eligibility in any TEER 0–3 occupation, but it earns 0 CRS points if the occupation is not on the high-wage list. Eligibility and points are different questions. An offer in a non-listed TEER 2 occupation might be the reason you qualify for FSW at all, even while it adds nothing to your CRS score. Do not throw away a genuine offer just because it earns no points — check what it does for your eligibility first. The high-wage occupation list decides only the points, not the eligibility.
Common mistakes
Real cases
Real case: The developer who checked the right list (2026)
A software developer assumed that because his occupation had left the STEM category list, it had no value left. Checking the high-wage list showed it in the middle tier — worth 70 offer points or a 40 supplement — and he rebuilt his plan around that instead of giving up. No outcome was reported.
Real case: The accountant who trusted a copy (2026)
An accountant relied on a blog’s copy of the list that showed her occupation a tier higher than the official list did. She corrected her estimate before making any decisions, after checking canada.ca directly. No outcome was reported.
Real case: The nurse with two different numbers (2026)
A registered nurse found her occupation in the middle tier and initially counted both the 40 supplement and a 70 offer. The either/or rule means she gets the higher side only — and with several years of Canadian experience, her experience side was the higher one. No outcome was reported.
Real case: The tradesperson with a useful zero-point offer (2026)
A tradesperson’s offer was in an occupation not on the high-wage list, so it earned 0 points — but the same offer supported his Federal Skilled Worker eligibility, which was the part of his file that actually needed help. No outcome was reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check if my occupation is on the high-wage list?
Confirm your NOC code from your actual duties, then search for that NOC on IRCC’s high-wage occupation list on canada.ca. If it appears, note its tier. If it does not appear, the occupation earns 0 job-offer points and no supplement.
What are the three tiers?
Top tier: the occupation’s national median wage is at least twice the average median wage. Middle tier: at least 1.5 times. Lowest tier: at least 1.3 times. Each tier maps to job offer points of 100, 70 and 50, and to supplements of 70, 40 and 20.
Does my salary decide my tier?
No. The tier is set by the occupation’s national median wage, based on everyone in Canada doing that job, not by the salary in your offer. A high salary cannot lift a lower-tier occupation, and a modest salary cannot lower a top-tier one. Your tier comes from the high-wage occupation list, never from your own paycheque.
What happens if the list changes after I am invited?
IRCC keeps using the tier that applied on the date your invitation was issued, whether your occupation moves tiers, is removed, or is added afterwards. Your invitation-date tier is locked in and later changes do not touch it. Keep a dated record of the tier that applied when you were invited.
My occupation is not on the list. Do I get nothing?
You get 0 job-offer points and no high-wage supplement, but your Canadian work experience still earns work-length points, and a job offer in a TEER 0 to 3 occupation may still count for Federal Skilled Worker eligibility, which is separate from points.
When does the high-wage list take effect?
November 3, 2026, together with the Labour Market Integration factor. Until then, a job offer earns 0 CRS points under the old rules, so do not count list points before that date. Use the wait to confirm your NOC and prepare your documents.
Do I need an LMIA for a listed occupation’s points?
No. From November 3, 2026, a job offer in an eligible high-wage occupation can earn points with no LMIA needed. Officers still check that the offer is genuine and that the employer can meet its terms. A genuine offer from a real employer is still the whole foundation.
Should I trust a third-party copy of the list?
No. Use IRCC’s list on canada.ca itself. Third-party copies go stale, and a tier that changed since the copy was made could cost you points or give you false confidence at the worst possible moment. Check the official page in the month you plan to rely on it.
Final Thoughts
Checking the high-wage list takes ten minutes and decides up to 100 points. Do it properly: duties first, NOC second, official list third — and never a blog’s copy, never your salary, never your title. If your occupation is listed, work out which side of the factor pays you more and plan around that number. If it is not listed, do not mourn the points; check what the offer does for your eligibility, and put your energy into the levers that do move your score. For the full factor arithmetic, see our how we calculate your score page for the full factor arithmetic. That ten-minute check of the high-wage occupation list is the highest-value habit in this guide.
Sources
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and is not legal or immigration advice. It describes a list that takes effect on November 3, 2026; until then, the old rules apply. For advice about your own situation, talk to a licensed immigration consultant (RCIC) or an immigration lawyer, and always confirm the current list on canada.ca before relying on it.
Last reviewed: October 29, 2026
