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NOC 2021 · 31209 · TEER 1

NOC 31209: Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating

Official NOC 2021, Job Bank and IRCC data · checked 21 October 2026

Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating, who are not elsewhere classified, diagnose and treat the diseases and injuries of patients. This unit group includes doctors of podiatric medicine, naturopathic medicine and osteopathic medicine, and also includes chiropodists and podiatrists. They work in private practices, clinics and hospitals.

TEER

TEER 1

Usually needs a university degree

Median wage (Canada)

$56,800 / year

Job Bank, 2021

High-wage tier (from 3 Nov 2026)

Not on the list

No high-wage CRS points

Express Entry categories

Healthcare and social services

Category-based draws (2026)

Express Entry

How NOC 31209 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 31209 is not one of IRCC's 186 high-wage occupations, so Canadian work or a job offer in it earns no high-wage points. Your usual Canadian work-length points still count.

See all 186 high-wage occupations

Category-based draws

  • Healthcare and social services

At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or equal part-time) in the past 3 years in one listed occupation, plus Express Entry eligibility and the round instructions.

IRCC category lists

Duties

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Doctors of podiatric medicine
  • Diagnose diseases, deformities and injuries of the human foot and communicate diagnoses to patients
  • Treat patients using braces, casts, shields, orthotic devices, physical therapy, or prescribed medications
  • May also perform surgery on the bones of the forefoot and the subcutaneous soft tissues of the foot.
  • Chiropodists and diploma or first-degree trained podiatrists
  • Diagnose diseases, deformities and injuries of the human foot
  • Treat patients using braces, casts, shields, orthotic devices, physical therapy and subcutaneous soft-tissue foot surgery.
  • Doctors of naturopathic medicine
  • Diagnose patients' diseases and disorders
  • Employ natural methods of healing such as acupuncture and acupressure, spinal manipulation, reflexology, hydrotherapy, herbal medicines, biochemical therapy, clinical nutrition, homeopathy and counselling in their treatment.
  • Doctors of osteopathic medicine
  • Diagnose disorders and injuries of the musculoskeletal, circulatory and nervous systems
  • Treat patients with manipulative therapy, medications or surgery.

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

  • chiropodist
  • doctor of naturopathic medicine
  • doctor of osteopathic medicine
  • doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.)
  • foot specialist
  • naturopathic doctor (ND)
  • osteopathic physician
  • podiatrist
All 14 job titles in NOC 31209
  • chiropodist
  • doctor of naturopathic medicine
  • doctor of naturopathy
  • doctor of osteopathic medicine
  • doctor of osteopathy
  • doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.)
  • doctor of podiatry
  • foot specialist
  • naturopath - physician
  • naturopathic doctor (ND)
  • naturopathic physician
  • osteopath - physician
  • osteopathic physician
  • podiatrist

Requirements

Employment requirements

  • Doctors of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.)
  • A four-year doctoral degree program in podiatric medicine available in the United States and in Quebec, normally following completion of a bachelor's degree program, is required.
  • A medical residency is required in Alberta and British Columbia.
  • A doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.) degree is required to practice podiatry in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
  • Chiropodists and podiatrists
  • An advanced three-year diploma program in chiropody (DCh) obtained in Canada or a first-degree program in podiatric medicine (D.Pod.M.) obtained abroad (United Kingdom) is usually required.
  • A licence is required in New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
  • Doctors of naturopathic medicine
  • A university degree in pre-medical science is required.
  • Completion of a university program in naturopathic medicine, obtained abroad or a four-year program in naturopathic medicine from a private institute is required.
  • A licence is required in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
  • Doctors of osteopathic medicine
  • A bachelor's degree is required for admission to a doctor of osteopathic medicine program.
  • A four-year program in osteopathic medicine leading to a doctor of osteopathy degree and a minimum three-year medical residency are required. These qualifications are obtained in the United States.
  • Completion of certifying examinations of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and licensing by the provincial or territorial licensing authority are required.

Additional information

  • Chiropodist and podiatrist titles are used interchangeably, depending on the province or territory. The use of the podiatrist job title does not necessarily refer to doctors of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.).
  • Doctors of osteopathic medicine may obtain a licence as general practitioners.

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 31209 in Canada

Low, median and high wages per year in Canadian dollars, from ESDC Job Bank's 2025 wage data. This occupation is reported at an annual rate.

RegionLowMedianHighSource
Canada$32,867$56,800$123,0002021 Census, 2021
Quebec$33,109$46,800$123,0002021 Census, 2021
Ontario$37,561$62,000$122,0002021 Census, 2021
Alberta$32,867$64,000$139,0002021 Census, 2021
British Columbia$37,929$71,500$124,0002021 Census, 2021

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 Quebec, Ontario, Alberta.

GoodQuebec

The employment outlook will be Good for other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (NOC 31209) in Quebec 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.

Here are some key facts about other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating in Quebec:

Approximately 3,450 people work in this occupation.

Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating mainly work in the following sectors:

Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 87%

The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:

Full-time workers: 57% compared to 82% for all occupations

Part-time workers: 42% compared to 18% for all occupations

26% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating work all year, while 74% 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 39 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.

90% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.

The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:

Men: 25% compared to 52% for all occupations

Women: 75% 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: 5% compared to 19% for all occupations

apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 8% compared to 19% for all occupations

college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 32% compared to 22% for all occupations

bachelor's degree: 24% compared to 17% for all occupations

university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 31% compared to 11% for all occupations

GoodOntario

The employment outlook will be Good for other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (NOC 31209) in Ontario for the 2025-2027 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

Employment growth will lead to several 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 other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating in Ontario:

Approximately 2,800 people work in this occupation.

Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating mainly work in the following sectors:

Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 90%

The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:

Full-time workers: 67% compared to 81% for all occupations

Part-time workers: 33% compared to 19% for all occupations

47% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating work all year, while 53% 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 42 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.

82% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.

The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:

Men: 28% compared to 52% for all occupations

Women: 72% 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: less than 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: 11% compared to 22% for all occupations

bachelor's degree: 34% compared to 24% for all occupations

university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 53% compared to 13% for all occupations

GoodAlberta

The employment outlook will be Good for other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (NOC 31209) in Alberta 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.

Alberta’s population and its proportion of residents aged 65+ are predicted to increase over the next decade, contributing to demand for this occupation.

Alberta’s Budget 2025 allocates $28 billion for health services in 2025-26, an increase of $1.4 billion or 5.4% from 2024-25 across the refocused health care system.

The 2025 budget also includes a total of $3.6 billion in capital funding over three years to expand and improve health facilities and services across the system.

Here are some key facts about other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating in Alberta:

Approximately 400 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.

Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating mainly work in the following sectors:

Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): more than 95%

The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:

Full-time workers: 73% compared to 80% for all occupations

Part-time workers: 27% compared to 20% for all occupations

55% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating work all year, while 45% 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.

89% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.

The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:

Men: 33% compared to 53% for all occupations

Women: 68% 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: 25% compared to 21% for all occupations

university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 69% compared to 9% for all occupations

ModerateNova Scotia

The employment outlook will be Moderate for other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (NOC 31209) 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.

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 other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating in Nova Scotia:

Approximately 150 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.

Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating mainly work in the following sectors:

Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): more than 95%

The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:

Full-time workers: 64% compared to 82% for all occupations

Part-time workers: 36% compared to 18% for all occupations

32% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating work all year, while 68% 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 42 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.

92% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating are self-employed compared to an average of 11% for all occupations.

The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:

Men: 23% compared to 51% for all occupations

Women: 77% 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: 8% compared to 22% for all occupations

bachelor's degree: 19% compared to 20% for all occupations

university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 57% compared to 10% for all occupations

ModerateBritish Columbia

The employment outlook will be Moderate for other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating (NOC 31209) 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.

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.

Labour shortages continue to affect the delivery of health care services in various parts of the province, especially in northern and rural areas.

In early 2025, Northern Health reported a 42 per cent nursing vacancy rate in northern British Columbia emergency rooms and a 27 per cent overall nursing vacancy rate.

Demand for this occupation is expected to increase, as the provincial population continues to age.

Compared to 2020, there were 18.8% more people aged 65+ in the province in 2025.

Here are some key facts about other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating in British Columbia:

Approximately 950 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.

Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating mainly work in the following sectors:

Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): more than 95%

The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:

Full-time workers: 72% compared to 78% for all occupations

Part-time workers: 28% compared to 22% for all occupations

45% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating work all year, while 55% 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 43 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.

87% of other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.

The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:

Men: 24% compared to 52% for all occupations

Women: 76% 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: 6% compared to 17% for all occupations

bachelor's degree: 22% compared to 22% for all occupations

university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 70% 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.

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 31209 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

Therapy and assessment professionals

Questions

NOC 31209: common questions

What is the NOC code for other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating?
The NOC 2021 code is 31209 (Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating). Job titles in this group include chiropodist, doctor of naturopathic medicine, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine (D.P.M.), foot specialist. Your NOC is set by your actual duties, not your job title.
What TEER category is NOC 31209?
NOC 31209 is TEER 1. Usually needs a university degree.
Is NOC 31209 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes. As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class. You still need to meet each program's other requirements.
Is NOC 31209 a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
No. It is not on IRCC's list of 186 high-wage occupations, so work or a job offer in it does not earn the new high-wage CRS points from 3 November 2026.
Is NOC 31209 eligible for category-based Express Entry draws?
Yes: Healthcare and social services. You need at least 12 months of full-time work in a listed occupation in the past 3 years, as well as Express Entry eligibility.
What is the median wage for NOC 31209 in Canada?
The national median wage is $56,800 per year, according to Job Bank (2021 Census, 2021). It ranges from $32,867 to $123,000.

Classification

Where it sits in NOC 2021

  1. 3Health occupationsBroad Category
  2. 31Professional occupations in healthMajor Group
  3. 312Therapy and assessment professionalsSub-major Group
  4. 3120Therapy and assessment professionalsMinor Group
  5. 31209Other professional occupations in health diagnosing and treating

Enquiry

Is NOC 31209 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.

The more context you give, the more useful the first conversation will be.

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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