Is NOC 21330 (Mining engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21330 is in the 2× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 2 times the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 21330 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21330, you add 70 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 134 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21330 is worth 100 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 2× 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 21330 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

To get the 70-point add-on, all 12 months must be in 2× occupations. Months here also count toward the 40-point (1.5×) and 20-point (1.3×) add-ons when combined with other high-wage jobs.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21330?

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 21330?

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

2× median wageTEER 1NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 21330: Mining engineers

Mining engineers plan, design, organize and supervise the development of mines, mine facilities, systems and equipment; and prepare and supervise the extraction of metallic or non-metallic minerals and ores from underground or surface mines. They are employed by mining companies, consulting engineering companies, manufacturers, government and in educational and research institutions.

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, 2× 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 21330 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 21330

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 21330
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	110	35	105
2	53	123	46	116
3	64	134	56	126
4	72	142	63	133
5 or more	80	150	70	140

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Conduct preliminary surveys and studies of ore, mineral or coal deposits to assess the economic and environmental feasibility of potential mining operations
Determine the appropriate means of safely and efficiently mining deposits
Determine and advise on appropriate drilling and blasting methods for mining, construction or demolition
Design shafts, ventilation systems, mine services, haulage systems and supporting structures
Design, develop and implement computer applications such as for mine design, mine modelling, mapping or for monitoring mine conditions
Plan and design or select mining equipment and machinery and mineral treatment machinery and equipment in collaboration with other engineering specialists
Plan, organize and supervise the development of mines and mine structures and the operation and maintenance of mines
Prepare operations and project estimates, schedules and reports
Implement and coordinate mine safety programs
Supervise and co-ordinate the work of technicians, technologists, survey personnel, and other engineers and scientists.

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

Example job titles

mine design engineer
mine development engineer
mine layout engineer
mine production engineer
mine safety engineer
mine ventilation engineer
mineral engineer
mining engineer

Employment requirements

A bachelor's degree in mining 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.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 21330 (Mining engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21330 is in the 2× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 2 times the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 21330 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21330, you add 70 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 134 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21330 is worth 100 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 2× 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 21330 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: To get the 70-point add-on, all 12 months must be in 2× occupations. Months here also count toward the 40-point (1.5×) and 20-point (1.3×) add-ons when combined with other high-wage jobs.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21330?: 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 21330?: It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

Other 2× 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 21330

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.

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