NOC 2021 · 21111 · TEER 1
NOC 21111: Forestry professionals
Official NOC 2021, Job Bank and IRCC data · checked 21 October 2026
Forestry professionals conduct research, develop plans and administer and direct programs related to the management and harvesting of forest resources. They are employed by the forest industry, provincial and federal governments, consulting companies, educational institutions and other industries, or they may be self-employed.
TEER
TEER 1
Usually needs a university degree
Median wage (Canada)
$47.00 / hour
Job Bank, 2023-2024
High-wage tier (from 3 Nov 2026)
Tier 2
+40 CRS for Canadian work, or 70 for a job offer
Express Entry categories
None
General and program draws only
Express Entry
How NOC 21111 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 21111 is in tier 2 of IRCC's high-wage list, in effect from 3 November 2026.
| 12+ months of Canadian work | +40 points on top of work-length points |
|---|---|
| Qualifying job offer (no LMIA) | 70 points |
You get whichever option scores higher, not both.
See all 186 high-wage occupationsCategory-based draws
NOC 21111 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:
- Plan and direct forest surveys and related studies and prepare reports and recommendations
- Establish short- and long-term plans for management of forest lands and forest resources
- Plan and direct woodlands harvesting, reforestation, silviculture and fire prevention and fire suppression programs, road building, wildlife management, environmental protection and insect and vegetation control programs
- Negotiate terms and conditions of agreements and contracts for forest harvesting, forest management and leasing of forest lands
- Monitor contract compliance and results of forestry activities
- Ensure adherence to government regulations and company objectives
- Plan and conduct public relations programs, and education and extension programs related to forestry
- Develop and oversee programs for tree seedling production and woodlands nursery operations
- Conduct advanced research in the areas of tree improvement, nursery seedling production, forest soils, forest ecology, forest mensuration, forest operations and other areas
- Provide advice and recommendations, as a consultant on forestry issues, to private woodlot owners, municipal, provincial or federal governments or to companies.
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
- appraisal forester
- consulting forester
- district forester
- forester
- regional inventory officer - forestry
- registered professional forester (RPF)
All 21 job titles in NOC 21111
- appraisal forester
- consulting forester
- Crown lands forester
- district forester
- extension forester
- forest engineer
- forest nursery forester
- forester
- industrial forester
- operations forester
- parks and recreation forester
- private lands forester
- professional forester
- project forester
- regional forest inventory officer
- regional inventory officer - forestry
- registered professional forester (RPF)
- research forester
- superintendent - forestry
- unit forester
- urban forester
Also includes: forest engineer, superintendent - forestry.
Requirements
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in forestry or forestry engineering is required.
- Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces except Prince Edward Island and Manitoba.
- A two-year practicum of supervised work experience and professional examinations are usually required before registration.
Additional information
- Supervisory and senior occupations in this unit group require additional experience.
- With experience, mobility is possible to management positions in government and industry.
Wages
Wages for NOC 21111 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 | $31.39 | $47.00 | $62.50 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Nova Scotia | $31.22 | $44.66 | $64.03 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| New Brunswick | $28.39 | $41.27 | $60.81 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Quebec | $35.00 | $49.00 | $57.69 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Ontario | $31.39 | $40.00 | $53.06 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Alberta | $30.58 | $45.88 | $65.54 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| British Columbia | $33.65 | $40.00 | $68.68 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
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's 3-year employment outlook for this occupation, by province and territory.
LimitedQuebec
The employment outlook will be Limited for forestry professionals (NOC 21111) in Quebec for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
Not many 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 forestry professionals in Quebec:
Approximately 1,400 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Forestry professionals mainly work in the following sectors:
Forestry and logging (NAICS 113, 1153): 38%
Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 24%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 9%
Wood product manufacturing (NAICS 321): 8%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 91% compared to 82% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 9% compared to 18% for all occupations
72% of forestry professionals work all year, while 28% 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.
19% of forestry professionals are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 84% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 16% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 11% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 56% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 22% compared to 11% for all occupations
LimitedOntario
The employment outlook will be Limited for forestry professionals (NOC 21111) in Ontario for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment decline will lead to the loss of some 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.
What Types of Employers Are Out There?
Support activities for forestry
Public administration, mostly at the municipal level
Electric power generation, transmission and distribution
What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?
Ongoing tariffs and other challenges in the forestry sector are expected to negatively affect job prospects
Public-sector investments in forestry should support the industry over the longer term
What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?
To work in professional forestry, individuals must be a Registered Professional Forester (R.P.F) and obtain full membership status with the regulatory body, the Ontario Professional Foresters Association (OPFA)
Limited work may be performed as an Associate member of the OPFA
What Other Information Will I Find Helpful?
Economic activity in the forestry sector is concentrated in northern Ontario.
Here are some key facts about forestry professionals in Ontario:
Approximately 650 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Forestry professionals mainly work in the following sectors:
Forestry and logging and fishing, hunting and trapping (NAICS 113, 114, 1153): 33%
Local, municipal, regional, aboriginal and other public administration (NAICS 913-919): 19%
Utilities (NAICS 22): 12%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 11%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 91% compared to 81% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 9% compared to 19% for all occupations
76% of forestry professionals work all year, while 24% 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 46 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
27% of forestry professionals are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 81% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 19% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 9% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 6% compared to 25% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 6% compared to 8% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 20% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 48% compared to 24% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 20% compared to 13% for all occupations
LimitedAlberta
The employment outlook will be Limited for forestry professionals (NOC 21111) in Alberta for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment decline will lead to the loss of some 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 forestry professionals in Alberta:
Approximately 450 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Forestry professionals mainly work in the following sectors:
Forestry and logging (NAICS 113, 1153): 27%
Wood product manufacturing (NAICS 321): 24%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 12%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 10%
Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 7%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 93% compared to 80% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 7% compared to 20% for all occupations
76% of forestry professionals work all year, while 24% 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.
18% of forestry professionals are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 67% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 33% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 6% compared to 13% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 13% compared to 19% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 57% compared to 21% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 18% compared to 9% for all occupations
LimitedBritish Columbia
The employment outlook will be Limited for forestry professionals (NOC 21111) in British Columbia 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.
Employment in forestry-related professions has been declining year-over-year, and the industry faces several curtailments at wood manufacturing facilities.
Stable job growth continues to be inhibited by difficulty accessing economic fibre, falling annual harvests, high U.S. duties and tariffs, and the impacts of extreme weather and wildfires, though the industry remains particularly important to rural and Indigenous communities.
Provincial and federal funding for reforestation projects as well as support for wood manufacturing and mass timber may provide some employment opportunities.
Here are some key facts about forestry professionals in British Columbia:
Approximately 1,650 people work in this occupation.
Forestry professionals mainly work in the following sectors:
Forestry and logging (NAICS 113, 1153): 42%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 13%
Wood product manufacturing (NAICS 321): 13%
Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 13%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 8%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 92% compared to 78% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 8% compared to 22% for all occupations
74% of forestry professionals work all year, while 26% 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.
23% of forestry professionals are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 78% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 22% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 13% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 14% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 60% compared to 22% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 19% 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.
UndeterminedPrince Edward Island
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNova Scotia
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.
UndeterminedManitoba
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedSaskatchewan
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 21111 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.
- 41401 Economists and economic policy researchers and analysts
- 80010 Managers in natural resources production and fishing
- 40011 Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration
- 40011 Government managers - economic analysis, policy development and program administration
- 20011 Architecture and science managers
- 80010 Managers in natural resources production and fishing
Same occupation group
Life science professionals
Questions
NOC 21111: common questions
What is the NOC code for forestry professionals?
What TEER category is NOC 21111?
Is NOC 21111 eligible for Express Entry?
Is NOC 21111 a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
Is NOC 21111 eligible for category-based Express Entry draws?
What is the median wage for NOC 21111 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
- 2111Life science professionalsMinor Group
- 21111Forestry professionals
Enquiry
Is NOC 21111 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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