Is NOC 21332 (Petroleum engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21332 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 21332 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21332, 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 21332 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 21332 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 21332?

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 21332?

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 21332: Petroleum engineers

Petroleum engineers conduct studies for the exploration, development and extraction of oil and gas deposits; and plan, design, develop and supervise projects for the drilling, completion, testing and re-working of oil and gas wells. They are employed by petroleum producing companies, consulting companies, well logging or testing companies, government, and research and educational 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 21332 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 21332

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 21332
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 feasibility assessment studies for developing new oil and gas fields
Direct and monitor oil and gas drilling operations
Develop drilling programs, select sites and specify drilling fluids, bit selection, drill stem testing procedures and equipment
Direct and monitor the completion and evaluation of wells, well testing and well surveys
Design and select artificial lift machinery, and well and surface production equipment and systems, and specify programs for corrosion control and oil or gas treatment
Develop specifications for and monitor and supervise well modification and stimulation programs to maximize oil and gas recovery
Analyze reservoir rock and fluid data to design optimum recovery methods and to predict reservoir performance and reserves
Monitor and forecast oil and gas reservoir performance and recommend oil recovery techniques which extend the economic life of wells
Design, develop and coordinate the installation, maintenance and operation of subsea well-head and production equipment.
Petroleum engineers may specialize in drilling, production, reservoir analysis or subsea operations.

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

Example job titles

oil and gas drilling engineer
oil and gas production engineer
petroleum engineer
petroleum reservoir engineer
petroleum well completion engineer
subsea engineer

Employment requirements

A bachelor's degree in petroleum 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 21332 (Petroleum engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21332 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 21332 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21332, 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 21332 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 21332 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 21332?: 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 21332?: 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

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

See your CRS score with NOC 21332

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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