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NOC 32109: Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment

Official definition · Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 · statcan.gc.ca ↗

Other technical workers in therapy and assessment perform various technical therapy and assessment functions. Some may assist professionals such as audiologists, speech-language pathologists, ophthalmologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. They are employed in hospitals, clinics, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, community health centres, educational institutions, hearing aid retail stores, in the private practices of the professionals they assist, or they may be self-employed.

Median Pay$26.85/hrPrevailing median rate
TEER LevelLevel 2Express Entry pool
Priority StreamHealthcare PriorityCategory draws
Official Titles57 TitlesGovernment aliases
Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 32109

Select the duties you perform in your actual job. Under IRCC guidelines, you must perform at least 60% of these duties for a successful work permit or PR reference letter.

57 official aliases
Checklist (30 official duties):Click each to toggle
💡
IRCC Reference Letter Rule:

Your employer reference letter must confirm you performed the main actions described in the duties above. Avoid copying words directly from the NOC description — officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Score⚠ Needs 18 More
0%
0 of 30 selected
0%60% Recommended100%
Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 32109, your employer letter should verify at least 18 main duties. Select 18 more to see if your experience matches.
Minimum Needed18 Duties
Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 32109

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment is categorized under TEER 2. Occupations in this tier typically require completion of a 2- to 3-year post-secondary diploma, apprenticeship training, or specialized technical certifications.

Express Entry Alignment

Qualifies directly for the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under Express Entry. Work experience must be full-time (or equivalent part-time) and continuous for at least one year.

Target Category Status

Designated under IRCC's Healthcare Priority Stream →. Candidates with 6 months of qualifying Canadian or foreign experience in this NOC can receive Invitations to Apply (ITAs) at significantly lower CRS cutoff thresholds.

NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 Transition & Equivalency

Open Full NOC Converter Tool

Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, this occupation was mapped under the following 4-digit code(s). When preparing your Express Entry profile or work reference letters, you must use the new 5-digit code NOC 32109.

Former NOC 31424-Digit Legacy
Physiotherapists
RC5 - Transfer

3142 continues as 31202 and part transferred to 32109

Former NOC 32374-Digit Legacy
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
RC5 - Transfer

3237 continues as 32109 and part transferred to 33109

Former NOC 34144-Digit Legacy
Other assisting occupations in support of health services
RC5 - Transfer

3414 continues as 33109 and part transferred to 32109 and part split off to emerging item 33103

Job Bank Open Data (2025/2026)

Regional Wages Across Canada

Legal Benchmark for LMIA

Under Canadian immigration law, an employer hiring you under an LMIA must pay you at least the median wage listed below for your province.

Province / TerritoryLow WageMedian WageHigh Wage
Canada (National Average)$17.62$26.85/hr$36.71
Newfoundland and Labrador$16.55/hr$26.67/hr$29.33/hr
Prince Edward Island$19/hr$27/hr$28.37/hr
Nova Scotia$20.45/hr$26.82/hr$42.95/hr
New Brunswick$20.32/hr$26.13/hr$27.77/hr
Quebec$22.54/hr$30/hr$38/hr
Ontario$17.6/hr$25.68/hr$36/hr
Manitoba$17/hr$21.17/hr$26/hr
Saskatchewan$22.97/hr$28/hr$32.88/hr
Alberta$15/hr$25.41/hr$36.71/hr
British Columbia$22/hr$30/hr$39.56/hr
Yukon$25.32/hr$34.97/hr$43.65/hr

🏙️Top Metropolitan Cities Wage Rates (ESDC 2025/2026)

Economic Region Benchmarks

Official ESDC prevailing median wages across major Canadian metropolitan regions. Crucial for LMIA prevailing wage compliance and local job offer evaluations.

Montréal
$30/hr
$22.54 - $38
Ottawa
$27.79/hr
$17.6 - $39.71
Toronto
$25.68/hr
$17.6 - $36
Calgary
$25.41/hr
$15 - $36.71
Edmonton
$25.41/hr
$15 - $36.71
Vancouver
$30/hr
$26.7 - $39.56

Employment Requirements

These are the education, training, and certification standards usually required by Canadian employers for this occupation:

  • Hearing instrument practitioners require completion of a two or three-year college diploma in a hearing instrument specialist program, and a period of supervised training.
  • Licensure with a regulatory body is required for hearing instrument practitioners in all provinces except in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Ontario. Ontario requires membership with the Association of Hearing Instrument Practitioners of Ontario (AHIP). Hearing instrument practitioners can prescribe and dispense hearing instruments except in Ontario where dispensing is dependent on a prescription from a physician or audiologist.
  • Communicative disorders assistants and speech-language pathology assistants require completion of a three- to four-year college program.
  • Ophthalmic medical technicians require completion of a one-year hospital based ophthalmic technician training program or a minimum of one year on-the-job training working as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant under the supervision of an ophthalmologist.
  • Ophthalmic medical technologists require completion of a two-year hospital-based training program in ophthalmic medical technology, or a 4 year bachelor's degree program in Ophthalmic Medical Technology or a minimum of two years of on-the-job training working as a Certified Ophthalmic technician under the supervision of an ophthalmologist.
  • Certification by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology may be required by employers.
  • Physical rehabilitation therapists, who are only found in Quebec, require completion of a three-year physiotherapy or rehabilitation techniques college program and a period of internship.
  • A permit to practice issued by the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ) is required for physical rehabilitation therapists.
  • Physiotherapy assistants require completion of a two-year physical therapy assistant (PTA) college program, or a two-year rehabilitation therapy assistant program and supervised practical training.
  • Occupational therapy assistants require completion of a two-year occupational therapy assistant (OTA) college program.

Official Job Titles for NOC 32109

57 Titles Listed

If your current job title matches any of these official examples, this NOC code is likely the right choice for your Express Entry reference letter:

audiology techniciancommunicative disorders assistanthearing instrument practitionerhearing instrument specialistoccupational therapy assistantophthalmic technicianophthalmic technologistphysical rehabilitation therapistphysical therapist assistant (PTA)physiotherapy assistantphysiotherapy technicianrehabilitation assistantspeech aidespeech technicianspeech therapy assistantassistive listening device technicianaudiological technicianaudiometricianaudiometristcertified ophthalmic medical technologistcertified ophthalmic techniciancommunication aide - medicalcommunication assistant - medicalcommunication disorders assistantcommunication disorders instructorcommunicative disorders instructorhearing aid assistanthearing aid consultanthearing aid dealerhearing aid practitionerhearing aid specialisthearing aid technicianhearing assessment technicianhearing disorder technicianhearing instrument dispenserhearing instrument practitioner assistantkinesitherapistlicensed hearing instrument specialistmanual arts therapistoccupational therapy technicianophthalmic medical technicianophthalmic medical technologistophthalmic technician (except retail)physical rehabilitation technicianphysical therapy aidephysical therapy technicianphysiotherapist assistant (PTA)physiotherapy aiderecreation therapy assistantspeech correctionist - medicalspeech language assistantspeech therapist aidespeech therapist assistantspeech therapy aidespeech-language pathology assistanttherapist assistanttherapy assistant

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

Check this list to make sure your actual job is not classified under one of these related codes:

  • Licensed practical nurses (See 32101 Licensed practical nurses)View NOC 32101
  • Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (See 33101 Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations)View NOC 33101
  • Medical technologists and technicians (See 3212 Medical technologists and technicians)
  • Opticians (See 32100 Opticians)View NOC 32100
  • Other assisting occupations in support of health services (See 33109 Other assisting occupations in support of health services)View NOC 33109
  • Paramedical occupations (See 32102 Paramedical occupations)View NOC 32102
  • Physiotherapists (See 31202 Physiotherapists)View NOC 31202
  • Practitioners of natural healing (See 3220 Practitioners of natural healing)
  • Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (See 32103 Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists)View NOC 32103

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 32109 (Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment)

Essential answers regarding Express Entry eligibility, LMIA prevailing wage compliance, and official reference letter rules.

Yes. Because NOC 32109 is classified as TEER 2, it qualifies for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW) and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) under Express Entry.
For an LMIA work permit, your employer must offer at least the median wage of $26.85/hr (or the prevailing median rate in your specific Canadian province of employment).
Under Section 75(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), your employment reference letter must confirm you perform the actions in the lead statement and a substantial number (recommended at least 60%) of the official main duties listed above. You do not need to perform 100% of the duties.
Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment was categorized under NOC 3142 (Physiotherapists) and 3237 (Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment) and 3414 (Other assisting occupations in support of health services). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 32109 under TEER 2.
According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 32109 is $30/hr in Montréal, $27.79/hr in Ottawa, $25.68/hr in Toronto, $25.41/hr in Calgary, $25.41/hr in Edmonton.
No. You do not need a provincial medical or nursing license just to submit your Express Entry profile or receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA). However, you must complete foreign credential evaluation (ECA) and will need licensing after landing in Canada to practice clinically.
Next Steps for NOC 32109

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Last verified: September 2026