NOC 2021 · 21101 · TEER 1
NOC 21101: Chemists
Official NOC 2021, Job Bank and IRCC data · checked 21 October 2026
Chemists conduct research and analysis in support of industrial operations, product and process development, quality control, environmental control, medical diagnosis and treatment, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other applications. They also conduct theoretical, experimental and applied research into basic chemical and biochemical processes to create or synthesize new products and processes. They are employed in research, development and quality control laboratories; chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries; mineral, metal and pulp and paper industries; and a wide variety of manufacturing, utility, health, educational and government establishments.
TEER
TEER 1
Usually needs a university degree
Median wage (Canada)
$38.46 / hour
Job Bank, 2023-2024
High-wage tier (from 3 Nov 2026)
Tier 3
+20 CRS for Canadian work, or 50 for a job offer
Express Entry categories
None
General and program draws only
Express Entry
How NOC 21101 counts for Express Entry
- Federal Skilled Worker: eligible occupationNeeds 1 year of continuous skilled (TEER 0–3) work in the last 10 years and 67 points on the FSW grid.
- Canadian Experience Class: eligible occupationNeeds 1 year of skilled (TEER 0–3) work in Canada in the last 3 years.
- Federal Skilled Trades: not eligibleNeeds 2 years of work in an eligible trade group in the last 5 years, plus a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification.
High-wage CRS points
NOC 21101 is in tier 3 of IRCC's high-wage list, in effect from 3 November 2026.
| 12+ months of Canadian work | +20 points on top of work-length points |
|---|---|
| Qualifying job offer (no LMIA) | 50 points |
You get whichever option scores higher, not both.
See all 186 high-wage occupationsCategory-based draws
NOC 21101 is not on any of IRCC's 2026 occupation categories. You can still be invited through general, program-specific or French-language draws.
IRCC category listsDuties
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Analyze, synthesize, purify, modify and characterize chemical or biochemical compounds
- Develop and conduct programs of analysis to ensure quality control of raw materials, chemical intermediates or final products
- Conduct programs of sample and data collection and analysis to identify and quantify environmental toxicants
- Conduct research to develop new chemical formulations and processes and devise new technical applications of industrial chemicals and compounds
- Conduct research to discover, develop, refine and evaluate new products such as those used in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and other applications of chemistry
- Conduct fundamental and applied research into the synthesis and properties of chemical compounds and the mechanisms of chemical reactions
- Investigate chemical aspects of the mechanisms of drug action, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, organ function and the assessment of health
- Participate in interdisciplinary research and development projects working with chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists, agronomists, geologists or other professionals
- Act as technical consultant in a particular field of expertise
- May participate in the commercialization of new products
- May supervise other chemists and chemical technicians and technologists.
For Express Entry, your experience must match the lead statement and most of these duties, not only the job title.
Job titles
Example job titles
- agricultural chemist
- analytical chemist
- bioanalytical chemist
- biochemist
- chemist
- clinical chemist
- coatings chemist
- electrochemist
- environmental chemist
- food chemist
- inorganic chemist
- medicinal chemist
- nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopist
- oceanographic chemist
- organic chemist
- organic mass spectrometrist
- organometallic chemist
- pharmacological chemist
- physical chemist
- polymer chemist
- quality control chemist
- research chemist
- soil chemist
- textile chemist
- theoretical chemist
All 64 job titles in NOC 21101
- agricultural chemist
- agrochemist
- analytical biochemist
- analytical chemist
- atmospheric chemist
- bioanalytical chemist
- biochemist
- biochemistry research scientist
- biological chemist
- chemical spectroscopist
- chemist
- chemist - biomolecular assembly
- chemistry research scientist
- chemistry researcher
- clinical chemist
- coatings chemist
- control chemist
- dairy chemist
- detergent chemist
- dye chemist
- electrochemist
- environmental chemist
- enzyme chemist
- fermentologist
- food chemist
- forensic chemist
- glass chemist
- hydrochemist
- industrial chemist
- inorganic chemist
- laboratory chemist
- leather chemist
- medical biochemist
- medical chemist
- medicinal chemist
- nanochemist
- nuclear chemist
- nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopist
- nutritional chemist
- oceanographic chemist
- optical spectroscopist
- organic chemist
- organic mass spectrometrist
- organometallic chemist
- petroleum chemist
- pharmaceutical chemist
- pharmacological chemist
- physical chemist
- physical research chemist
- physiological chemist
- plastics and resins chemist
- polymer chemist
- process control chemist
- protective coatings chemist
- protein chemist
- quality control chemist
- research chemist
- soil chemist
- standards chemist
- textile chemist
- theoretical chemist
- water chemist
- water purification chemist
- wood chemist
Requirements
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry or a related discipline is required.
- A master's or doctoral degree is usually required for employment as a research chemist.
- Licensing by a provincial association of chemists is required in Quebec and available but voluntary, in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Additional information
- Mobility between occupations in this group is possible with experience.
- Mobility is possible with experience, to occupations concerned with plant management, technical sales and the development and management of regulatory programs and teaching professions.
This occupation may be regulated in some provinces. You may need a licence or certificate from the provincial regulator before you can work in it in Canada, even if you hold permanent residence.
Wages
Wages for NOC 21101 in Canada
Low, median and high wages per hour in Canadian dollars, from ESDC Job Bank's 2025 wage data.
| Region | Low | Median | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $24.00 | $38.46 | $65.93 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $29.36 | $43.69 | $70.91 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Prince Edward Island | $22.00 | $36.41 | $51.79 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Nova Scotia | $26.52 | $39.23 | $56.76 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| New Brunswick | $25.30 | $36.83 | $56.10 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Quebec | $24.94 | $38.88 | $60.75 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Ontario | $27.09 | $39.49 | $66.67 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Manitoba | $27.22 | $39.40 | $67.01 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Saskatchewan | $27.86 | $42.97 | $72.14 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Alberta | $27.00 | $43.74 | $68.19 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| British Columbia | $26.69 | $39.95 | $59.34 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
Provinces with too little data are not shown. Wages vary by city and employer; see Job Bank for regional figures.
Job outlook
Job outlook by province, 2025–2027
Job Bank rates the 3-year outlook as good or very good in Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan.
GoodPrince Edward Island
The employment outlook will be Good for chemists (NOC 21101) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about chemists in Prince Edward Island:
Approximately 150 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 82%
76% of chemists work all year, while 24% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 44 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 33% compared to 51% for all occupations
Women: 67% compared to 49% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: n/a
bachelor's degree: 65% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 28% compared to 8% for all occupations
GoodSaskatchewan
The employment outlook will be Good for chemists (NOC 21101) in Saskatchewan for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about chemists in Saskatchewan:
Approximately 250 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 20%
Petroleum and coal product manufacturing (NAICS 324): 19%
Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 16%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 10%
Utilities (NAICS 22): 6%
67% of chemists work all year, while 33% work only part of the year, compared to 65% and 35% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 45 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 53% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 47% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: n/a
bachelor's degree: 63% compared to 18% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 31% compared to 7% for all occupations
ModerateNova Scotia
The employment outlook will be Moderate for chemists (NOC 21101) in Nova Scotia for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about chemists in Nova Scotia:
Approximately 250 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 28%
Plastics and rubber products and chemicals manufacturing (NAICS 325-326): 19%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 17%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 9%
Universities (NAICS 6113): 6%
89% of chemists work all year, while 11% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 50 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 52% compared to 51% for all occupations
Women: 48% compared to 49% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 50% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 46% compared to 10% for all occupations
ModerateQuebec
The employment outlook will be Moderate for chemists (NOC 21101) in Quebec for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about chemists in Quebec:
Approximately 4,450 people work in this occupation.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 35%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 13%
Food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (NAICS 311, 312): 8%
Wholesale trade (NAICS 41): 8%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 6%
76% of chemists work all year, while 24% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of chemists are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 52% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 48% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 6% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 45% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 48% compared to 11% for all occupations
ModerateOntario
The employment outlook will be Moderate for chemists (NOC 21101) in Ontario for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions.
Several positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about chemists in Ontario:
Approximately 8,200 people work in this occupation.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 40%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 11%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 10%
Wholesale trade (NAICS 41): 7%
Food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (NAICS 311, 312): 6%
80% of chemists work all year, while 20% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of chemists are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 51% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 49% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 25% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 46% compared to 24% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 50% compared to 13% for all occupations
ModerateManitoba
The employment outlook will be Moderate for chemists (NOC 21101) in Manitoba for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment decline will lead to the loss of some positions.
Several positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about chemists in Manitoba:
Approximately 400 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 41%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 12%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 10%
Food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (NAICS 311, 312): 9%
Wholesale trade (NAICS 41): 9%
81% of chemists work all year, while 19% work only part of the year, compared to 65% and 35% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 39% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 61% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 31% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 51% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 42% compared to 8% for all occupations
ModerateAlberta
The employment outlook will be Moderate for chemists (NOC 21101) in Alberta for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about chemists in Alberta:
Approximately 1,650 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 21%
Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 19%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 10%
Oil and gas extraction (NAICS 211): 8%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 6%
77% of chemists work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of chemists are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 60% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 40% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 44% compared to 21% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 52% compared to 9% for all occupations
ModerateBritish Columbia
The employment outlook will be Moderate for chemists (NOC 21101) in British Columbia for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
Several positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
In health sciences, chemistry expertise is applied in computational modeling and molecular design to use machine learning (generative AI) to for drug discovery/ compound generation.
Job titles could include: Cheminformatics, Computational chemist, Chemistry data analyst, Medicinal chemistry.
Here are some key facts about chemists in British Columbia:
Approximately 1,750 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Chemists mainly work in the following sectors:
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 19%
Chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325): 15%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 15%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 7%
Food, beverage and tobacco product manufacturing (NAICS 311, 312): 7%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 95% compared to 78% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
77% of chemists work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of chemists are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 48% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 52% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: n/a
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 54% compared to 22% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 44% compared to 12% for all occupations
UndeterminedNewfoundland and Labrador
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNew Brunswick
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNorthwest Territories
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNunavut
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
Source: ESDC Job Bank, 3-year employment outlooks 2025–2027 (released December 2025).
Provinces
Provincial Nominee Programs
A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Most provinces run occupation-targeted draws or in-demand lists, and some accept TEER 4 and 5 occupations that Express Entry does not.
Provincial lists change often, sometimes between draws. We check whether NOC 21101 is being targeted by any province as part of a consultation.
Similar occupations
Related NOC codes
Classified elsewhere
If your duties fit one of these better, use that code instead.
Same occupation group
Physical science professionals
Questions
NOC 21101: common questions
What is the NOC code for chemists?
What TEER category is NOC 21101?
Is NOC 21101 eligible for Express Entry?
Is NOC 21101 a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
Is NOC 21101 eligible for category-based Express Entry draws?
What is the median wage for NOC 21101 in Canada?
Classification
Where it sits in NOC 2021
- 2Natural and applied sciences and related occupationsBroad Category
- 21Professional occupations in natural and applied sciencesMajor Group
- 211Professional occupations in natural sciencesSub-major Group
- 2110Physical science professionalsMinor Group
- 21101Chemists
Enquiry
Is NOC 21101 your occupation? Ask us about your options.
Tell us your duties, experience and language scores. We will confirm your NOC code and the Canadian routes that fit.
Sources: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0, Job Bank wages (2025), Job Bank outlooks 2025–2027 and IRCC. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Checked 21 October 2026.
NOC 2026 is due from Statistics Canada in December 2026. IRCC still uses NOC 2021 codes, and this page will show any change once IRCC switches.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada, IRCC or ESDC.
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