NOC 2021 · 42203 · TEER 2
NOC 42203: Instructors of persons with disabilities
Official NOC 2021, Job Bank and IRCC data · checked 21 October 2026
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.
TEER
TEER 2
Usually needs a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory work
Median wage (Canada)
$30.00 / hour
Job Bank, 2023-2024
High-wage tier (from 3 Nov 2026)
Not on the list
No high-wage CRS points
Express Entry categories
Education
Category-based draws (2026)
Express Entry
How NOC 42203 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 42203 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 occupationsCategory-based draws
- Education
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 listsDuties
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Develop individualized education and intervention plans based on special needs of client to facilitate their readaptation and independence objectives
- Assess individuals in areas such as physical limitations, orientation and mobility skills, and cognitive, social and emotional barriers to establish client rehabilitation or adaptation goals
- Assist individuals with physical, intellectual, visual and hearing disabilities or multiple disorders to develop life skills and provide job training
- Instruct individuals with disabilities and their families in the use of rehabilitative techniques, prosthetic devices, wheelchairs and other equipment designed to maximize clients' independence and potential
- Instruct persons with a visual impairment in reading and writing braille and in the use of special equipment or supports such as human or animal guides, long canes and other adaptive mobility devices
- Instruct persons who are hard of hearing or deaf in lip-reading, finger spelling and sign language according to individual communication needs
- Instruct persons who are hard of hearing or deaf in the formation and development of sounds for speech using hearing aids, and other devices and techniques
- Collaborate with specialists, such as rehabilitation counsellors, speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists, to develop programs for clients' special needs
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
- braille instructor
- instructor of persons who are deaf
- instructor of persons who are hard of hearing
- instructor of persons with a learning disability
- instructor of persons with a mobility impairment
- instructor of persons with a visual impairment
- instructor of persons with special needs
- lip-reading instructor
- orientation and mobility instructor
- sign language instructor
- teacher for persons with intellectual disabilities
All 41 job titles in NOC 42203
- braille instructor
- braille teacher
- deafblind intervenor
- finger-spelling teacher
- instructor of persons who are blind
- instructor of persons who are deaf
- instructor of persons who are hard of hearing
- instructor of persons with a learning disability
- instructor of persons with a mobility impairment
- instructor of persons with a visual impairment
- instructor of persons with developmental disabilities
- instructor of persons with disabilities
- instructor of persons with intellectual disabilities
- instructor of persons with special needs
- job coach for persons with disabilities
- lip-reading instructor
- lip-reading teacher
- orientation and mobility instructor for persons with a visual impairment
- orientation and mobility instructor of persons who are blind
- orientation and mobility instructor
- orientation and mobility teacher for persons who are blind
- orientation and mobility teacher of persons with a visual impairment
- rehabilitation instructor for persons who are blind
- rehabilitation instructor of persons with a visual impairment
- rehabilitation teacher for persons who are blind
- rehabilitation teacher of persons with a visual impairment
- rehabilitation teacher
- sign language instructor
- sign language teacher
- special education technician - persons with disabilities
- special programs instructor for persons with disabilities
- teacher for persons with autism
- teacher for persons with intellectual disabilities
- teacher of braille
- teacher of persons who are blind
- teacher of persons who are deaf
- teacher of persons who are hard of hearing
- teacher of persons who are hearing impaired
- teacher of persons with a mobility impairment
- teacher of persons with a visual impairment
- teacher of persons with developmental disabilities
Requirements
Employment requirements
- 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.
Wages
Wages for NOC 42203 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 | $20.00 | $30.00 | $35.90 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.16 | $24.50 | $40.44 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Prince Edward Island | $21.96 | $31.89 | $42.66 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Nova Scotia | $19.50 | $30.21 | $43.50 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| New Brunswick | $16.43 | $21.60 | $29.59 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Quebec | $25.00 | $32.93 | $36.00 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Ontario | $19.23 | $27.50 | $35.90 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Saskatchewan | $19.85 | $26.43 | $39.62 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| Alberta | $18.86 | $27.91 | $41.64 | Small Area Estimation, 2024 |
| British Columbia | $20.00 | $29.01 | $33.00 | 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 instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203) 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 moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about instructors of persons with disabilities in Nova Scotia:
Instructors of persons with disabilities mainly work in the following sectors:
Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): 33%
Social assistance (NAICS 624): 25%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 19%
Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 13%
Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 6%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 86% compared to 82% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 14% compared to 18% for all occupations
73% of instructors of persons with disabilities 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 47 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 7% compared to 51% for all occupations
Women: 93% 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: 12% compared to 27% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 9% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 36% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 36% compared to 10% for all occupations
ModerateQuebec
The employment outlook will be Moderate for instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203) 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 small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about instructors of persons with disabilities in Quebec:
Approximately 3,300 people work in this occupation.
Instructors of persons with disabilities mainly work in the following sectors:
Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): 47%
Social assistance (NAICS 624): 21%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 16%
Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 5%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 80% compared to 82% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 20% compared to 18% for all occupations
45% of instructors of persons with disabilities work all year, while 55% 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 43 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of instructors of persons with disabilities are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 12% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 88% 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: 75% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 15% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations
ModerateOntario
The employment outlook will be Moderate for instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203) in Ontario 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 instructors of persons with disabilities in Ontario:
Approximately 2,000 people work in this occupation.
Instructors of persons with disabilities mainly work in the following sectors:
Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): 30%
Social assistance (NAICS 624): 25%
Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 19%
Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 8%
Other schools and instruction (NAICS 6115-6117): 7%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 81% compared to 81% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 19% compared to 19% for all occupations
51% of instructors of persons with disabilities work all year, while 49% 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 41 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
8% of instructors of persons with disabilities are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 12% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 88% 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: 10% 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: 33% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 36% compared to 24% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 18% compared to 13% for all occupations
ModerateManitoba
The employment outlook will be Moderate for instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203) in Manitoba 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 instructors of persons with disabilities in Manitoba:
Instructors of persons with disabilities mainly work in the following sectors:
Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 41%
Social assistance (NAICS 624): 38%
Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): 14%
Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 7%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 89% compared to 81% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 11% compared to 19% for all occupations
57% of instructors of persons with disabilities work all year, while 42% 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 40 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 26% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 74% compared to 47% 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: 20% compared to 31% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 9% compared to 12% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 13% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 33% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 26% compared to 8% for all occupations
ModerateAlberta
The employment outlook will be Moderate for instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203) in Alberta 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 instructors of persons with disabilities in Alberta:
Instructors of persons with disabilities mainly work in the following sectors:
Social assistance (NAICS 624): 43%
Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): 28%
Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 15%
Other schools and instruction (NAICS 6115-6117): 8%
Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 5%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 79% compared to 80% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 21% compared to 20% for all occupations
47% of instructors of persons with disabilities work all year, while 53% 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 40 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of instructors of persons with disabilities are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 12% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 88% 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: 23% 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: 22% compared to 19% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 28% compared to 21% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 19% compared to 9% for all occupations
ModerateBritish Columbia
The employment outlook will be Moderate for instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203) 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.
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 instructors of persons with disabilities in British Columbia:
Instructors of persons with disabilities mainly work in the following sectors:
Social assistance (NAICS 624): 45%
Elementary and secondary schools (NAICS 6111): 23%
Other schools and instruction (NAICS 6115-6117): 10%
Ambulatory health care services (NAICS 621): 9%
Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 8%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 49% compared to 78% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 51% compared to 22% for all occupations
32% of instructors of persons with disabilities work all year, while 68% 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 37 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
27% of instructors of persons with disabilities are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 14% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 86% 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: 31% 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: 20% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 28% compared to 22% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 15% 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.
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 42203 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
Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education services
- 42200 Paralegals and related occupations
- 42201 Social and community service workers
- 42202 Early childhood educators and assistants
- 42204 Religion workers
Questions
NOC 42203: common questions
What is the NOC code for instructors of persons with disabilities?
What TEER category is NOC 42203?
Is NOC 42203 eligible for Express Entry?
Is NOC 42203 a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
Is NOC 42203 eligible for category-based Express Entry draws?
What is the median wage for NOC 42203 in Canada?
Classification
Where it sits in NOC 2021
- 4Occupations in education, law and social, community and government servicesBroad Category
- 42Front-line public protection services and paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community, education servicesMajor Group
- 422Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education servicesSub-major Group
- 4220Paraprofessional occupations in legal, social, community and education servicesMinor Group
- 42203Instructors of persons with disabilities
Enquiry
Is NOC 42203 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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