NOC 21100: Physicists and astronomers

Physicists conduct theoretical and applied research to extend knowledge of natural phenomena and to develop new processes and devices in fields such as electronics, communications, power generation and distribution, aerodynamics, optics and lasers, remote sensing, biotechnology, medicine and health. They are employed by electronic, electrical and aerospace manufacturing companies, telecommunications companies, power utilities, university and government research laboratories, hospitals and by a wide range of other processing, manufacturing, and research and consulting firms. Astronomers conduct observational and theoretical research to extend knowledge of the universe. They are employed by government and universities.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 1.
• Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.5× tier.

TEER 1: Occupations that usually need a university degree. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 21100 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 21100

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Physicists
• Design and conduct research in experimental and theoretical physics
• Carry out analysis of research data and prepare research reports
• Participate as a member of a research or development team in the design and development of experimental, industrial or medical equipment, instrumentation and procedures.
• Physicists may specialize in fields such as aeronomy and space, acoustics, atomic and molecular physics, biophysics, condensed matter or solid state physics, electromagnetics, fluids and aerodynamics, health physics, medical physics, metrology, particle physics, optics and laser physics, nuclear physics and plasma physics.
• Astronomers
• Design and conduct observational surveys, conduct detailed analyses and develop numerical models to extend knowledge of celestial bodies and cosmic radiation
• Develop or participate in the development of instrumentation and software for astronomical observation and analysis.
• Astronomers may specialize in fields such as astrophysics, observational or optical astronomy and radio astronomy.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• acoustics physicist
• aerodynamicist
• aerospace research scientist
• astronomer
• astrophysicist
• atmospheric physicist
• biophysicist
• cosmologist
• electronics research scientist
• experimental physicist
• health physicist
• medical physicist
• metrologist
• nuclear physicist
• optics physicist
• physics research scientist
• plasma physicist
• radio astronomer
• remote sensing research scientist
• solid-state physicist

Employment requirements

• Physicists usually require a master's or doctoral degree in a field of physics, engineering physics, or in a related discipline.
• Astronomers usually require a master's or doctoral degree in astronomy or in a related discipline.

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