Is NOC 21300 (Civil engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21300 is in the 1.5× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.5 times, but less than 2 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 21300 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21300, you add 40 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 104 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21300 is worth 70 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 1.5× 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 21300 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

Months here combine with months in 2× occupations for the 40-point add-on, and with any high-wage occupation for the 20-point add-on.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21300?

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 21300?

It is on IRCC’s list for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.

1.5× median wageTEER 1NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 21300: Civil engineers

Civil engineers plan, design, develop and manage projects for the construction or repair of buildings, earth structures, powerhouses, roads, airports, railways, rapid transit facilities, bridges, tunnels, canals, dams, ports and coastal installations and systems related to highway and transportation services, water distribution and sanitation. Civil engineers may also specialize in foundation analysis, building and structural inspection, surveying, geomatics and municipal planning. They are employed by engineering consulting companies, in all levels of government, by construction firms and in many other industries, or they may be self-employed.

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

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math)
At least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in this occupation within the last 3 years, in Canada or abroad.

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

CRS points for work in NOC 21300

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 21300
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	80	35	75
2	53	93	46	86
3	64	104	56	96
4	72	112	63	103
5 or more	80	120	70	110

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Confer with clients and other members of the engineering team and conduct research to determine project requirements
Plan and design major civil projects such as buildings, roads, bridges, dams, water and waste management systems and structural steel fabrications
Develop construction specifications and procedures
Evaluate and recommend appropriate building and construction materials
Interpret, review and approve survey and civil design work
Conduct field services for civil works
Ensure construction plans meet guidelines and specifications of building codes and other regulations
Establish and monitor construction work schedules
Conduct feasibility studies, economic analyses, municipal and regional traffic studies, environmental impact studies or other investigations
Monitor air, water and soil quality and develop procedures to clean up contaminated sites
Conduct technical analyses of survey and field data for development of topographic, soil, hydrological or other information and prepare reports
Act as project or site supervisor for land survey or construction work
Prepare contract documents and review and evaluate tenders for construction projects
Supervise technicians, technologists and other engineers and review and approve designs, calculations and cost estimates.

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

Example job titles

bridge engineer
civil engineer
construction engineer
construction project engineer
environmental engineer
geodetic engineer
geomatics engineer
highway engineer
hydraulics engineer
municipal engineer
public works engineer
sanitation engineer
structural engineer
surveying engineer
traffic engineer
transportation engineer
water management engineer

Employment requirements

A bachelor's degree in civil engineering or in a related engineering discipline is required.
A master's degree or doctorate in a related engineering discipline may be required.
Licensing by a provincial or territorial association of professional engineers is required to approve engineering drawings and reports and to practise as a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
Engineers are eligible for registration following graduation from an accredited educational program, and after three or four years of supervised work experience in engineering and passing a professional practice examination.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is offered by the Canada Green Building Council and may be required by some employers.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 21300 (Civil engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21300 is in the 1.5× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.5 times, but less than 2 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 21300 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21300, you add 40 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 104 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21300 is worth 70 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 1.5× 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 21300 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: Months here combine with months in 2× occupations for the 40-point add-on, and with any high-wage occupation for the 20-point add-on.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21300?: 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 21300?: It is on IRCC’s list for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.

Other 1.5× high-wage occupations

More in professional occupations in natural and applied sciences

Find any NOC code · All high-wage occupations · Source: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0

See your CRS score with NOC 21300

Quick CRS adds up every factor and shows your score under today’s rules and the rules from November 3, 2026, side by side. Free, about 3 minutes.

Calculate my score free