How many CRS points does NOC 32103 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 32103, 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 32103 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 32103 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 32103?

As a TEER 2 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Which category draws include NOC 32103?

It is on IRCC’s list for the Healthcare and social services category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.

1.3× median wageTEER 2NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 32103: Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists

Respiratory therapists assist physicians in the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment and care of patients with respiratory and cardiopulmonary disorders. Clinical perfusionists provide technical support to patients undergoing cardiac surgery and patients requiring cardio-respiratory support. Cardiopulmonary technologists assist physicians in the technical aspects of diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. Respiratory therapists are employed in hospitals, extended care facilities, public health centres, sleep, private or dental clinics and respiratory home care companies. Clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists are primarily employed in hospitals. Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists who are supervisors or instructors are included in this unit group.

Express Entry eligibility

Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 2.
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 2: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory duties. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

Healthcare and social services
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 32103

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 32103
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:

Respiratory therapists
Perform diagnostic tests, such as arterial blood gas analysis and cardiopulmonary functions tests
Operate and monitor respiratory equipment to administer treatments such as oxygen, oxygen-air mixtures, humidified air or specialty medical gases
Operate, monitor, maintain and test a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment
Perform or assist with interventions such as airway maintenance, line insertions, inductions and intubations, and manage patients and associated equipment
Execute anesthesia assistance services
Perform artificial respiration and external cardiac massage
Evaluate and monitor patients' cardiorespiratory conditions
Provide and optimize patients' mechanical ventilation
Assist with transport of high-risk patients
May prepare and administer authorized medications
Supervise and train students and other respiratory therapists
Participate in home care programs for chronic respiratory patients and provide patient and family education
Participate in research related to cardiac and pulmonary disorders.
Respiratory therapists may work in specific areas of practice such as anesthesia, critical care, neonatal and pediatrics, cardiopulmonary diagnostics, respiratory home and community care, research and private health industry.
Clinical perfusionists
Assemble, maintain and operate extracorporeal circulation equipment, intra-aortic balloon pumps and other heart assist devices to support or temporarily replace patients' cardiopulmonary functions during open-heart surgery
Administer blood products, drugs and other substances through heart-lung machines and other devices as directed by cardiac surgeons and anaesthetists to maintain adequate flow of oxygenated blood to all organs of the body
Monitor vital signs to support and maintain patients' physiological functions and metabolic needs during cardiopulmonary surgery
Participate in routine maintenance, calibration and inspection of all perfusion related equipment
Supervise and train student clinical perfusionists and other clinical perfusionists.
Cardiopulmonary technologists
Perform diagnostic tests, such as pulmonary function and asthma stress, or assist physicians with cardiac and cardiopulmonary stress tests and bronchoscopies
Determine patients' blood characteristics such as activated clotting time and oxygen saturation
Operate, monitor, maintain, calibrate and test diagnostic and therapeutic equipment
Monitor patients and advise physician of any changes in patients' condition
Prepare medications and administer inhaler and other treatments under supervision of cardiologist
Provide information and care for patients during tests
Assist with the preparation of cardiac catheterization room, prepare specialized catheters and assist cardiologists during catheterization
Perform analysis, programming and monitoring of implanted devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators during surgery
Supervise and train students and other cardiopulmonary technologists
Provide technical support for research.

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

Example job titles

anesthesia assistant
cardiopulmonary technologist
cardiovascular perfusion supervisor
cardiovascular perfusionist
certified clinical perfusionist (CCP)
chief respiratory technologist
clinical perfusionist
perfusionist
registered respiratory therapist (RRT)
respiratory therapist
respiratory therapy chief
respiratory therapy clinical instructor

Employment requirements

Respiratory therapists require the completion of a three-year college or university degree program in respiratory therapy, both including clinical training.
Licensing is required for respiratory therapists in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
A national certification for respiratory therapists is available for therapists working in Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
In Quebec, a certificate is required for respiratory therapists to prescribe smoking cessation medication.
Clinical perfusionists require the completion of a respiratory therapy or registered nursing program with a minimum of one year of work experience as a respiratory therapist or registered nurse and completion of a college or university program in clinical perfusion, including clinical training.
Certification with the Canadian Society of Clinical Perfusion is required for clinical perfusionists.
Cardiopulmonary technologists require a two-year college diploma in an allied health discipline such as respiratory therapy, nursing diploma, or a university degree in a related science and completion of a college post-diploma program in cardiovascular technology and additional training in pulmonary technology through courses or supervised on-the-job clinical training.
Registration with the Canadian Association of Cardio-pulmonary Technologists (CACPT) may be required.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 32103 (Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 32103 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 32103 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 32103, 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 32103 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 32103 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 32103?: As a TEER 2 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Which category draws include NOC 32103?: It is on IRCC’s list for the Healthcare and social services category, so you can also be invited in those category draws.

Other 1.3× high-wage occupations

More in technical occupations in health

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

See your CRS score with NOC 32103

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