Is NOC 51101 (Conservators and curators) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 51101 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 51101 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 51101, 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 51101 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 51101 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 51101?

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 51101?

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 51101: Conservators and curators

Conservators restore and conserve artifacts belonging to museums, galleries and owners of cultural property. Curators recommend the acquisition of museum artifacts and gallery works of art and research their artistic history. Conservators and curators are employed in museums, art galleries, archives, libraries, government agencies and universities. Conservators 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, 1.3× 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 51101 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 51101

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 51101
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:

Conservators
Examine artifacts, determine their condition, suggest methods for treating them and recommend preventive conservation techniques to their owners
Restore and conserve paintings, photographs, books, papers, sculptures, furniture, pottery or other museum and art gallery artifacts as per particular field of specialization
Provide advice on display and storage of museum and gallery artifacts to ensure proper maintenance and preservation
Explore new conservation and restoration techniques
Provide consultation to museums, art galleries or private individuals
Supervise conservation technicians and other museum technicians.
Curators
Recommend the acquisition of paintings, photographs, sculptures, documents and other museum and art gallery artifacts
Conduct research into objects' methods of construction techniques, structure and materials to understand its physical and chemical makeup
Develop storylines and themes and organize displays and exhibitions
Coordinate the storage of collections and the setting up of displays and exhibitions
Oversee the conservation, display and circulation of collections
Supervise curatorial assistants and other museum technicians.

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

Example job titles

art gallery conservator
art objects conservator
conservator - museum
curator
historical artifact conservator
natural history museum curator

Employment requirements

Conservators require a master's degree in art conservation or completion of a two-year college program in conservation technology and several years of experience in conservation work.
Conservators may be accredited by the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators.
Curators require a master's or bachelor's degree in museology, art history or a field related to their specific area of work.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 51101 (Conservators and curators) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 51101 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 51101 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 51101, 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 51101 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 51101 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 51101?: 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 51101?: 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

More in professional occupations in art and culture

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

See your CRS score with NOC 51101

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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