NOC 2021 · 21211 · TEER 1
NOC 21211: Data scientists
Official NOC 2021, Job Bank and IRCC data · checked 21 October 2026
Data scientists use advanced analytics technologies, including machine learning and predictive modelling, to support the identification of trends, scrape information from unstructured data sources and provide automated recommendations. They are employed by consulting firms, universities, banks and information technology departments in the public and private sectors.
TEER
TEER 1
Usually needs a university degree
Median wage (Canada)
$46.15 / 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 21211 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 21211 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 21211 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:
- Implement cutting-edge techniques and tools in machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence to make data analysis more efficient
- Perform large-scale experimentation to identify hidden relationships between variables in large datasets
- Create advanced machine learning algorithms such as regression, simulation, scenario analysis, modeling, clustering, decision trees and neural networks
- Prepare and extract data using programming language
- Implement new statistical, machine learning, or other mathematical methodologies to solve specific business problems
- Visualize data in a way that allows a business to quickly draw conclusions and make decisions
- Develop artificial intelligence models and algorithms and implement them to meet the needs of the organization
- Coordinate research and analysis activities using unstructured and structured data and use programming to clean and organize data
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
- data scientist
- machine learning engineer
- machine learning specialist
- quantitative analyst
All 20 job titles in NOC 21211
- artificial intelligence (AI) analyst
- artificial intelligence (AI) consultant
- artificial intelligence (AI) designer
- artificial intelligence analyst
- artificial intelligence consultant
- big data analyst
- big data developer
- big data engineer
- data analytics consultant
- data analytics specialist
- data architect
- data engineer
- data miner
- data mining analyst
- data modeler
- data scientist
- lead data scientist
- machine learning engineer
- machine learning specialist
- quantitative analyst
Also includes: artificial intelligence (AI) analyst, artificial intelligence (AI) consultant, artificial intelligence (AI) designer.
Requirements
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, computer systems engineering or a related discipline or completion of a college program in computer science is usually required.
- A master's or doctoral degree in machine learning, data science, or a related quantitative field is usually required.
- Experience in programming is usually required.
- Experience in statistical modelling and machine learning is usually required.
Wages
Wages for NOC 21211 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 | $30.00 | $46.15 | $69.74 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00 | $41.76 | $66.67 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Nova Scotia | $24.09 | $44.06 | $65.75 | Employment Insurance Survey Data, 2023-2024 |
| New Brunswick | $20.80 | $39.32 | $82.42 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Quebec | $31.73 | $46.00 | $64.84 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Ontario | $31.25 | $47.69 | $71.79 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Manitoba | $29.09 | $45.00 | $60.10 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Saskatchewan | $32.69 | $42.05 | $57.69 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Alberta | $28.00 | $43.27 | $57.69 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| British Columbia | $32.45 | $48.08 | $88.94 | 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.
ModerateNova Scotia
The employment outlook will be Moderate for data scientists (NOC 21211) in Nova Scotia 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 small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about data scientists in Nova Scotia:
Approximately 200 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 33%
Universities (NAICS 6113): 15%
Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 11%
Monetary Authorities - central bank and securities, commodity contracts and other intermediation and related activities (NAICS 521, 522, 523): 11%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 9%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 95% compared to 82% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 5% compared to 18% for all occupations
79% of data scientists work all year, while 21% 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 42 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of data scientists are self-employed compared to an average of 11% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 83% compared to 51% for all occupations
Women: 17% 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: 22% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 63% compared to 10% for all occupations
ModerateNew Brunswick
The employment outlook will be Moderate for data scientists (NOC 21211) in New Brunswick 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 small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
These workers can be found across a variety of industries as their services are useful to a variety of operations. They are primarily employed in the professional, scientific and technical services industry, particularly in computer systems design firms, as well as various levels of government, financial institutions, healthcare, retail and e-commerce, and other large organisations.
Ongoing developments in cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other technologies will continue to support demand for data scientists going forward. The demand for data-driven decision making across businesses and governments will also support growth in this occupation. However, artificial intelligence has automated parts of a data scientist job, particularly routine junior-level tasks such as code writing and data cleaning, which will likely shift the tasks for data scientists going forward. As a result, the availability of junior-level roles may become limited, while intermediate and senior-level roles are more in demand.
Experience and up-to-date skills in programming languages such as Python, Structured Query Language (SQL), and R will have the best employment prospects. In addition, experience with data visualization tools, such as Power BI and Tableau, big data platforms (Hadoop) and cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Azure, are common in job postings.
Those who are willing to accept temporary or contract-based assignments may have greater employment opportunities.
Here are some key facts about data scientists in New Brunswick:
Approximately 150 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 37%
Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 17%
Insurance Carriers and related activities (NAICS 524, 526): 14%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 14%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 7%
72% of data scientists 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 44 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 67% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 33% 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: 14% compared to 30% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: n/a
bachelor's degree: 34% compared to 16% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 48% compared to 7% for all occupations
ModerateSaskatchewan
The employment outlook will be Moderate for data scientists (NOC 21211) in Saskatchewan for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Demand for this occupation is driven by rapid technological advancement, the expansion of digital services, and the increasing complexity of software and systems.
This occupation is highly susceptible to automation, as recent research shows over 70 per cent of its associated duties and work activities could potentially be performed by automation technologies.
Increased private and public-sector investments in digital infrastructure, including broadband projects and AI data centers.
Workers in this occupation are concentrated in the Regina region where job prospects are the strongest.
Here are some key facts about data scientists in Saskatchewan:
Approximately 550 people work in this occupation.
Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
Monetary Authorities - central bank and securities, commodity contracts and other intermediation and related activities (NAICS 521, 522, 523): 21%
Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 10%
Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 10%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 9%
Universities (NAICS 6113): 9%
93% of data scientists work all year, while 7% 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 48 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 73% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 27% 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: 6% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 42% compared to 18% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 45% compared to 7% for all occupations
ModerateAlberta
The employment outlook will be Moderate for data scientists (NOC 21211) in Alberta for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few 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.
Demand for this occupation is driven by rapid technological advancement, the expansion of digital services, and the increasing complexity of software and systems.
Key trends for this occupation are in artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual and augmented reality, blockchain, cybersecurity, and cloud technologies.
Most employment opportunities will be in Calgary or Edmonton.
Here are some key facts about data scientists in Alberta:
Approximately 4,150 people work in this occupation.
Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 34%
Oil and gas extraction (NAICS 211): 10%
Monetary Authorities - central bank and securities, commodity contracts and other intermediation and related activities (NAICS 521, 522, 523): 7%
Architectural, engineering and design services (NAICS 5413): 6%
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
77% of data scientists 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 45 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
11% of data scientists 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: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: 7% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 6% compared to 19% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 34% 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 data scientists (NOC 21211) in British Columbia for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several 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.
Some analytical duties of this occupation are likely to change with adoption of digital innovations, which may enable workers to do their jobs more efficiently.
Examples include cloud computing to improve data management and analysis (for example forecasting, optimizing, natural language processing), and blockchain for transparent and secure digital transactions.
Some technology companies, particularly software engineering teams, are transforming to adapt to AI as a product feature and to replace staff as a central operational strategy.
Here are some key facts about data scientists in British Columbia:
Approximately 4,400 people work in this occupation.
Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 37%
Monetary Authorities - central bank and securities, commodity contracts and other intermediation and related activities (NAICS 521, 522, 523): 9%
Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 9%
Insurance Carriers and related activities (NAICS 524, 526): 6%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 5%
73% of data scientists work all year, while 27% 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 45 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
7% of data scientists are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 72% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 28% 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 28% 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: 34% compared to 22% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 57% compared to 12% for all occupations
LimitedQuebec
The employment outlook will be Limited for data scientists (NOC 21211) in Quebec for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few 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 data scientists in Quebec:
Approximately 8,300 people work in this occupation.
Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 24%
Finance, insurance, real estate and leasing (NAICS 52, 53): 23%
Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 11%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 9%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 6%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 92% compared to 82% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 8% compared to 18% for all occupations
73% of data scientists work all year, while 27% 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 45 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of data scientists are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 72% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 28% 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: less than 5% compared to 19% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 7% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 26% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 63% compared to 11% for all occupations
LimitedOntario
The employment outlook will be Limited for data scientists (NOC 21211) in Ontario for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment is expected to remain relatively stable.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
Here are some key facts about data scientists in Ontario:
Approximately 23,450 people work in this occupation.
Data scientists mainly work in the following sectors:
Computer systems design services (NAICS 5415): 27%
Monetary Authorities - central bank and securities, commodity contracts and other intermediation and related activities (NAICS 521, 522, 523): 20%
Information and cultural industries (NAICS 51): 7%
Other professional, scientific and technical services (NAICS 5414, 5416-5419): 7%
Federal government public administration (NAICS 911): 6%
76% of data scientists 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.
6% of data scientists are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 70% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 30% 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: 5% compared to 25% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 33% compared to 24% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 56% compared to 13% 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.
UndeterminedManitoba
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 21211 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
Mathematicians, statisticians, actuaries and data scientists
Questions
NOC 21211: common questions
What is the NOC code for data scientists?
What TEER category is NOC 21211?
Is NOC 21211 eligible for Express Entry?
Is NOC 21211 a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
Is NOC 21211 eligible for category-based Express Entry draws?
What is the median wage for NOC 21211 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
- 212Professional occupations in applied sciences (except engineering)Sub-major Group
- 2121Mathematicians, statisticians, actuaries and data scientistsMinor Group
- 21211Data scientists
Enquiry
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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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