Is NOC 21101 (Chemists) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21101 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 21101 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21101, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21101 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).

Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?

No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 21101 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21101?

As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Which category draws include NOC 21101?

It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

1.3× median wageTEER 1NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 21101: Chemists

Chemists conduct research and analysis in support of industrial operations, product and process development, quality control, environmental control, medical diagnosis and treatment, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other applications. They also conduct theoretical, experimental and applied research into basic chemical and biochemical processes to create or synthesize new products and processes. They are employed in research, development and quality control laboratories; chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries; mineral, metal and pulp and paper industries; and a wide variety of manufacturing, utility, health, educational and government establishments.

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, 1.3× 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 21101 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 21101

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

Canadian work CRS points with 12 or more months in NOC 21101
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	60	35	55
2	53	73	46	66
3	64	84	56	76
4	72	92	63	83
5 or more	80	100	70	90

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Analyze, synthesize, purify, modify and characterize chemical or biochemical compounds
Develop and conduct programs of analysis to ensure quality control of raw materials, chemical intermediates or final products
Conduct programs of sample and data collection and analysis to identify and quantify environmental toxicants
Conduct research to develop new chemical formulations and processes and devise new technical applications of industrial chemicals and compounds
Conduct research to discover, develop, refine and evaluate new products such as those used in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and other applications of chemistry
Conduct fundamental and applied research into the synthesis and properties of chemical compounds and the mechanisms of chemical reactions
Investigate chemical aspects of the mechanisms of drug action, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, organ function and the assessment of health
Participate in interdisciplinary research and development projects working with chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists, agronomists, geologists or other professionals
Act as technical consultant in a particular field of expertise
May participate in the commercialization of new products
May supervise other chemists and chemical technicians and technologists.

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

Example job titles

agricultural chemist
analytical chemist
bioanalytical chemist
biochemist
chemist
clinical chemist
coatings chemist
electrochemist
environmental chemist
food chemist
inorganic chemist
medicinal chemist
nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopist
oceanographic chemist
organic chemist
organic mass spectrometrist
organometallic chemist
pharmacological chemist
physical chemist
polymer chemist
quality control chemist
research chemist
soil chemist
textile chemist
theoretical chemist

Employment requirements

A bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry or a related discipline is required.
A master's or doctoral degree is usually required for employment as a research chemist.
Licensing by a provincial association of chemists is required in Quebec and available but voluntary, in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 21101 (Chemists) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21101 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 21101 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21101, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21101 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).
Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?: No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 21101 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21101?: As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Which category draws include NOC 21101?: It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

Other 1.3× high-wage occupations

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See your CRS score with NOC 21101

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