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NOC 42203: Instructors of persons with disabilities

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

Instructors of persons with disabilities teach children and adults using a variety of techniques to facilitate communication, rehabilitation, social skills and increased independence. They are employed in rehabilitation centres, specialized educational institutes and throughout the school system.

Median Pay$30/hrPrevailing median rate
TEER LevelLevel 2Express Entry pool
Priority StreamGeneral StreamCategory draws
Official Titles41 TitlesGovernment aliases
Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 42203

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.

41 official aliases
Checklist (8 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 — officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Score⚠ Needs 5 More
0%
0 of 8 selected
0%60% Recommended100%
Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 42203, your employer letter should verify at least 5 main duties. Select 5 more to see if your experience matches.
Minimum Needed5 Duties
Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 42203

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Instructors of persons with disabilities 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

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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 42203.

Former NOC 42154-Digit Legacy
Instructors of persons with disabilities
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)$20$30/hr$35.9
Newfoundland and Labrador$18.16/hr$24.5/hr$40.44/hr
Prince Edward Island$21.96/hr$31.89/hr$42.66/hr
Nova Scotia$19.5/hr$30.21/hr$43.5/hr
New Brunswick$16.43/hr$21.6/hr$29.59/hr
Quebec$25/hr$32.93/hr$36/hr
Ontario$19.23/hr$27.5/hr$35.9/hr
Saskatchewan$19.85/hr$26.43/hr$39.62/hr
Alberta$18.86/hr$27.91/hr$41.64/hr
British Columbia$20/hr$29.01/hr$33/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
$32.09/hr
$23.32 - $39.52
Ottawa
$30.36/hr
$21.78 - $41.6
Toronto
$29.83/hr
$20.89 - $41.68
Calgary
$26.52/hr
$18 - $37.19
Edmonton
$28.63/hr
$19.92 - $39.83
Vancouver
$29.01/hr
$20 - $33

Employment Requirements

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

  • Completion of a college program in special education, rehabilitation, orientation and mobility, visual impairment, hearing impairment or intellectual disability is required.
  • A bachelor's degree in special education or a related field such as social work or psychology may be required.

Official Job Titles for NOC 42203

41 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:

braille instructorinstructor of persons who are deafinstructor of persons who are hard of hearinginstructor of persons with a learning disabilityinstructor of persons with a mobility impairmentinstructor of persons with a visual impairmentinstructor of persons with special needslip-reading instructororientation and mobility instructorsign language instructorteacher for persons with intellectual disabilitiesbraille teacherdeafblind intervenorfinger-spelling teacherinstructor of persons who are blindinstructor of persons with developmental disabilitiesinstructor of persons with disabilitiesinstructor of persons with intellectual disabilitiesjob coach for persons with disabilitieslip-reading teacherorientation and mobility instructor for persons with a visual impairmentorientation and mobility instructor of persons who are blindorientation and mobility teacher for persons who are blindorientation and mobility teacher of persons with a visual impairmentrehabilitation instructor for persons who are blindrehabilitation instructor of persons with a visual impairmentrehabilitation teacher for persons who are blindrehabilitation teacher of persons with a visual impairmentrehabilitation teachersign language teacherspecial education technician - persons with disabilitiesspecial programs instructor for persons with disabilitiesteacher for persons with autismteacher of brailleteacher of persons who are blindteacher of persons who are deafteacher of persons who are hard of hearingteacher of persons who are hearing impairedteacher of persons with a mobility impairmentteacher of persons with a visual impairmentteacher of persons with developmental disabilities

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

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

  • Occupational therapy rehabilitation consultant (See 31203 Occupational therapists)View NOC 31203
  • Special education technician - social and community services (See 42201 Social and community service workers)View NOC 42201
  • Special needs educational assistant (See 43100 Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants)View NOC 43100
  • Special needs teacher - elementary school (See 41221 Elementary school and kindergarten teachers)View NOC 41221
  • Special needs teacher - secondary school (See 41220 Secondary school teachers)View NOC 41220
  • Speech and hearing therapist (See 31112 Audiologists and speech-language pathologists)View NOC 31112

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 42203 (Instructors of persons with disabilities)

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

Yes. Because NOC 42203 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 $30/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, Instructors of persons with disabilities was categorized under NOC 4215 (Instructors of persons with disabilities). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 42203 under TEER 2.
According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 42203 is $32.09/hr in Montréal, $30.36/hr in Ottawa, $29.83/hr in Toronto, $26.52/hr in Calgary, $28.63/hr in Edmonton.
Next Steps for NOC 42203

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Last verified: September 2026