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NOC 42202: Early childhood educators and assistants

Official definition ยท Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 ยท statcan.gc.ca โ†—

Early childhood educators plan, organize and implement programs for children between the ages of infancy and 12 years. Early childhood educator assistants provide care for infants and preschool- to school-age children under the guidance of early childhood educators. Early childhood educators and assistants lead children in activities to stimulate and develop their intellectual, physical and emotional growth and ensure their security and well-being. They are employed in child-care centres, daycare centres, kindergartens, agencies for exceptional children and other settings where early childhood education services are provided. Supervisors of early childhood educators and assistants are included in this unit group.

Median Pay$22.3/hrPrevailing median rate
TEER LevelLevel 2Express Entry pool
Priority StreamGeneral StreamCategory draws
Official Titles33 TitlesGovernment aliases
Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 42202

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.

33 official aliases
Checklist (19 official duties):Click each to toggle
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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 โ€” officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Scoreโš  Needs 12 More
0%
0 of 19 selected
0%60% Recommended100%
Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 42202, your employer letter should verify at least 12 main duties. Select 12 more to see if your experience matches.
Minimum Needed12 Duties
Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 42202

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Early childhood educators and assistants 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

Currently evaluated under standard General and CEC invitation rounds, or targeted through provincial in-demand lists such as Ontario (OINP), British Columbia (BC PNP), or Alberta (AAIP).

NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 Transition & Equivalency

Open Full NOC Converter Toolโ†’

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 42202.

Former NOC 42144-Digit Legacy
Early childhood educators and assistants
VC1 - Code Change
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)$16.95$22.3/hr$30.03
Newfoundland and Labrador โ†’$16/hr$20/hr$27.33/hr
Prince Edward Island โ†’$16.5/hr$21.55/hr$31.33/hr
Nova Scotia โ†’$16.5/hr$21.49/hr$28.21/hr
New Brunswick โ†’$16.9/hr$23.47/hr$25.6/hr
Quebec โ†’$18/hr$24/hr$30.03/hr
Ontario โ†’$17.6/hr$22/hr$31/hr
Manitoba โ†’$16/hr$18/hr$25.9/hr
Saskatchewan โ†’$15.35/hr$18.75/hr$26.92/hr
Alberta โ†’$15.6/hr$19/hr$28.85/hr
British Columbia โ†’$19/hr$24/hr$30/hr
Yukon โ†’$20/hr$30/hr$33.5/hr
Northwest Territories โ†’$17.99/hr$26.65/hr$37.15/hr
Nunavut โ†’$19/hr$25/hr$41.39/hr

๐Ÿ™๏ธ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.

Montrรฉal
$24/hr
$18 - $30.03
Ottawa
$23.08/hr
$17.6 - $29.59
Toronto
$22/hr
$17.6 - $32.97
Calgary
$20/hr
$16 - $31
Edmonton
$19.63/hr
$15.99 - $29.27
Vancouver
$23.5/hr
$20 - $29.75

Employment Requirements

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

  • Early childhood educators
  • Completion of a two- to four-year college program in early childhood education or A bachelor's degree in child development is required.
  • Licensing is required in Ontario and certification is required in British Columbia for early childhood educators. Licensing for early childhood educators is usually required in all other provinces and territories.
  • Early childhood educator assistants
  • Completion of secondary school is required.
  • Experience in child care is required.
  • Completion of an early childhood education assistant certificate program or post-secondary courses in early childhood education may be required.
  • Licensing by a provincial or territorial association as an early childhood educator may be required.

Official Job Titles for NOC 42202

33 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:

child care worker assistantdaycare helperdaycare supervisordaycare workerearly childhood assistantearly childhood education workerearly childhood educator - preschoolearly childhood educator (ECE)early childhood educator (ECE) assistantearly childhood program staff assistantearly childhood supervisorpreschool helperpreschool supervisorbaby-care workerbaby-care worker assistantbaby-care workers supervisorchild care worker - daycaredaycare aidedaycare attendantdaycare coordinatordaycare teacherdaycare worker assistantearly childhood educator - junior kindergartenearly childhood educator - kindergartenearly childhood educator assistant - junior kindergartenearly childhood educator assistant - kindergartenearly childhood program supervisoreducator assistant - junior kindergarteninfant daycare workers supervisorinfants' daycare workernursery school aidenursery school helpernursery school teacher

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

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

  • Child-care centre administrator (See 40030 Managers in social, community and correctional services)View NOC 40030โ†’
  • Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants (See 43100 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants)View NOC 43100โ†’
  • Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (See 41221 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers)View NOC 41221โ†’

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 42202 (Early childhood educators and assistants)

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

Yes. Because NOC 42202 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 $22.3/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, Early childhood educators and assistants was categorized under NOC 4214 (Early childhood educators and assistants). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 42202 under TEER 2.
According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 42202 is $24/hr in Montrรฉal, $23.08/hr in Ottawa, $22/hr in Toronto, $20/hr in Calgary, $19.63/hr in Edmonton.
Next Steps for NOC 42202

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Last verified: September 2026