Appendix 3: How are occupations defined?

The National Occupational Classification (NOC) is the system that's used to classify jobs into occupations. Jobs are classified based on skill level and skill type.

Skill types

Skill types are defined in terms of the type of work performed (we've used skill types in our description of various occupations in each industry). There are ten occupational groups that are defined in the NOC based on skill type:

0. Management Occupations—legislators, senior management occupations, and middle and other management occupations.
1. Business, finance and administration—occupations that involve supervising and providing financial and business services, administrative and regulatory services, and clerical support services.
2. Natural and applied sciences and related occupations—professional and technical occupations in the sciences, including physical and life science, engineering and architecture.
3. Health Occupations—occupations involving providing health care services directly to patients and occupations that provide support to professional and technical staff.
4. Occupations in social science, education, government service and religion—a range of occupations concerned with law, teaching, counseling, conducting social science research, developing government policy and administering government and other programs.
5. Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport—professional and technical occupations related to art and culture, including the performing arts, film and video, broadcasting, journalism, writing, creative design, libraries and museums. It also includes occupations in recreation and sport.
6. Sales and service—sales occupations, personal and protective service occupations, and occupations related to the hospitality and tourism industries.
7. Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations—construction and mechanical trades, trades supervisors and contractors and operators of transportation and heavy equipment.
8. Occupations unique to primary industry—non-technical occupations in mining, oil and gas production, forestry and logging, agriculture, horticulture and fishing.
9. Occupations unique to processing, manufacturing and utilities—supervisory and production occupations in manufacturing, processing and utilities.

Skill levels

Skill levels are defined in terms of the amount and type of education and training that are required to enter and work in an occupation. Four skill levels are identified in the NOC:

Skill Level A

• University degree (bachelor, master, or post-graduate)

Skill Level B

• Two to three years of post-secondary education at a community college or institute of technology, or
• Two or four years of apprenticeship training, or
• Three to four years of secondary school and more than two years of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience
• Also supervisory occupations and those with significant health or safety responsibilities

Skill Level C

• Usually high school completion,
• Up to two years of on-the-job training, training courses or specific work experience

Skill Level D

• Up to two years of secondary school, and
• Short demonstration or on-the-job-training

This table shows the relationship between skill levels and skill types. A brief description of the major occupational groups can be found in the following tables.

National Occupational Classification Matrix

	Skill level
	0	A	B	C	D
Skill type:	Management Occupations	Major Groups
Senior management occupations	00, 001
Business, finance and administration	011, 012, 013	11	12	14
Natural and applied science & related	021	21	22
Health occupations	031, 041	31	32	34
Social science, education, government service & religion	031, 041	41	42
Art, culture, recreation & sport	051	51	52
Sales & service	061, 062, 063, 064, 065		62	64	66
Trades, transport & equipment operators & related	071, 072		72/73	74	76
Unique to primary industry	081		82	84	86
Unique to processing, manufacturing & utilities	091		92	94/95	96

The 26 Major Groups of the National Occupational Classification (NOC)

Major Group	Occupation
0	Senior Management
01/09	Middle Management & Other Management Occupations
11	Professional Occupations in Business & Finance
12	Skilled Administrative & Business & Finance
14	Clerical Occupations, General Office Skills
21	Professional Occupations in Natural & Applied Sciences
22	Technical Occupations Related to Natural & Applied Sciences
31	Professional Occupations in Health
32	Technical Skilled Occupations in Health
34	Assisting Occupation in Support of Health Services
41	Professional Occ. in Social Science, Education Gov't Services & Religion
42	Paraprofessional Occupations in Law, Social Services, Education & Religion
51	Professional Occupations in Art & Culture
52	Technical & Skilled Occupations in Art, Culture, Recreation & Sport
62	Skilled Sales & Service Occupations
64	Intermediate Sales & Service Occupations
66	Elemental Sales & Service Occupations
72/73	Trades & Skilled Transport & Equipment Operators
74	Intermediate Occ. in Transport, Equipment Operation, Installation & Maintenance
76	Trades Helpers, Construction Labourers & Related Occupations
82	Skilled Occupation in Primary Industry
84	Intermediate Occupations in Primary Industry
86	Labourers in Primary Industry
92	Processing, Manufacturing & Utilities Supervisors & Skilled Operators
94/95	Processing & Manufacturing Machine Operators & Assemblers
96	Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing & Utilities