Is NOC 73310 (Railway and yard locomotive engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 73310 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 73310 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 73310, 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 73310 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 73310 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 73310?

As a TEER 3 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.

Which category draws include NOC 73310?

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

1.5× median wageTEER 3NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 73310: Railway and yard locomotive engineers

Railway locomotive engineers operate railway locomotives to transport passengers and freight. They are employed by railway transport companies. Yard locomotive engineers operate locomotives within yards of railway, industrial or other establishments. They are employed by railway transport companies and industrial or commercial users of rail transport.

Express Entry eligibility

Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 3.
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: an eligible skilled trade (2 years in the last 5 years).
High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.5× tier.

TEER 3: Occupations that usually need a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 73310 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 73310

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 73310
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:

Railway locomotive engineers
Operate locomotives to transport passengers and freight on railways
Operate communication systems to communicate with train crews and traffic controllers to ensure safe operation and scheduling of trains
Inspect assigned locomotives and test operating controls and equipment.
Yard locomotive engineers
Operate locomotives to switch, couple and uncouple cars for loading and unloading
Perform switching operations according to written switching orders or dispatched instructions
Inspect locomotives, replenish fuel or perform routine maintenance on locomotives.

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

Example job titles

locomotive engineer - railway
railway engineer
switch engineer - railway
transfer hostler - railway
yard engineer - railway

Employment requirements

Completion of secondary school is usually required.
Experience as a conductor is required for railway locomotive engineers and may be required for yard locomotive engineers.
Experience as a railway yard worker may be required for yard locomotive engineers.
Railway locomotive engineers require a Canadian Rail Operating Rules certificate.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 73310 (Railway and yard locomotive engineers) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 73310 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 73310 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 73310, 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 73310 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 73310 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 73310?: As a TEER 3 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class, the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Federal Skilled Trades Program.
Which category draws include NOC 73310?: It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

Other 1.5× high-wage occupations

More in general trades

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

See your CRS score with NOC 73310

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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