National Occupational Classification, TEER 1
NOC 31103: Veterinarians
Veterinarians prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing and general care of animals. Below are the main duties, all 41 job titles it covers, what it means for Express Entry and what it pays in each province.
Updated
- Official NOC 2021 data
- Job Bank wages
What is NOC 31103?
NOC 31103 is the code for veterinarians in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include farm veterinarian, small animal veterinary specialist, veterinarian and veterinary inspector. It is a TEER 1 occupation (usually a university degree), so it counts as skilled work for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class, and IRCC lists it for the healthcare and social services category draw. The Job Bank median wage across Canada is $60.00 an hour.
- NOC code
- 31103
- TEER
- 1: University degree
- Broad category
- Health occupations
- Express Entry
- Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)
- Category draws
- Healthcare and social services
- Median wage
- $60.00 an hour
Job titles under NOC 31103
Veterinarians prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and disorders in animals and advise clients on the feeding, hygiene, housing and general care of animals. They can also perform surgical procedures. They work in private practice or may be employed by animal clinics, farms, laboratories, government or industry.
Main job titles
- farm veterinarian
- small animal veterinary specialist
- veterinarian
- veterinary inspector
- veterinary pathologist
- veterinary physiologist
- veterinary surgeon
- zoo veterinarian
All 41 job titles in the NOC index
animal behavior veterinarian, animal pathologist, avian veterinarian, companion animal veterinarian, doctor of veterinary medicine, emergency and intensive care veterinarian, equine veterinarian, farm veterinarian, food animal veterinarian, laboratory animal veterinarian, large animal veterinary internist, poultry veterinarian, preventive medicine veterinarian, research veterinarian, small animal veterinarian, small animal veterinary internist, small animal veterinary specialist, veterinarian, veterinarian practitioner, veterinary anatomist, Veterinary anesthesiologist, veterinary bacteriologist, veterinary dentist, veterinary dermatologist, veterinary epidemiologist, veterinary inspector, veterinary internist, veterinary laboratory diagnostician, veterinary microbiologist, veterinary neurologist, veterinary oncologist, veterinary ophthalmologist, veterinary parasitologist, veterinary pathologist, veterinary pharmacologist, veterinary physiologist, veterinary radiologist, veterinary surgeon, veterinary theriogenologist, veterinary virologist, zoo veterinarian.
Main duties of NOC 31103
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Diagnose diseases or abnormal conditions in individual animals, herds and flocks through physical examinations or laboratory tests
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds or performing surgery
- Vaccinate animals to prevent and treat diseases
- Perform routine, emergency and post-mortem examinations
- Advise clients on feeding, housing, behaviour, breeding, hygiene and general care of animals
- Provide a range of veterinary services including obstetrics, dentistry and euthanasia
- May supervise animal health technologists and animal care workers
- May be responsible for overall operation of animal hospital, clinic or mobile service to farms
- May conduct veterinary research related to areas such as animal nutrition, health care products development and disease prevention and control
- May enforce government regulations in disease control and food production including animal or animal-based food inspection.
Employment requirements
- Doctor of veterinary medicine
- Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
- A provincial licence to practice is required.
- Veterinary specialists
- Completion of a degree in veterinary medicine and three to four years of additional postgraduate studies or residency program in the specialty of their choice are required.
- Veterinary specialists must be accredited by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) or the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP). In Quebec, they must be accredited by the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec and only 18 specialties are recognized.
- A provincial license to practice is required.
- Research veterinarian
- Two years of pre-veterinary university studies or completion of a college program in health science and a four to five year university degree in veterinary medicine and successful completion of an examination leading to a national certification are required.
- Entry into research positions may require postgraduate study.
- A provincial licence to practice is required.
Additional information
- The duties of veterinarians performing research may be similar to those of some biologists.
- In its regulations, the 'Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec (OMVQ)' recognizes only the following specialties: Animal behavioural medicine; Laboratory animal medicine; Large animal internal medicine; Large animal surgery; Pet internal medicine; Pet surgery; Veterinary anesthesiology; Veterinary clinical pathology; Veterinary dermatology; Veterinary emergency and intensive care; Veterinary medical imaging; Veterinary microbiology; Veterinary neurology; Veterinary oncology; Veterinary ophthalmology; Veterinary pathology; Veterinary theriogenology; and Zoological medicine.
Is NOC 31103 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes for the programs that need skilled work: TEER 1 is in the TEER 0 to 3 range IRCC accepts.
| Program or draw | NOC 31103 |
|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker Program | Counts as skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) |
| Canadian Experience Class | Counts as skilled work (TEER 0 to 3) |
| Federal Skilled Trades Program | Not a listed trade |
| Healthcare and social services occupations (category draw) | On the eligible list |
| French-language proficiency (category draw) | Open to any occupation with NCLC 7 in French |
Read how TEER categories work and the full list of NOC codes in each 2026 category draw. Category draws also need at least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in one listed occupation within the past 3 years.
How much does NOC 31103 pay?
Job Bank wages for this occupation, per hour. Low and high are, in most cases, the 10th and 90th percentiles, so 8 in 10 workers earn somewhere between them.
| Area | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $34.15 | $60.00 | $84.13 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $40.13 | $57.35 | $76.72 |
| Prince Edward Island | $29.33 | $51.82 | $71.23 |
| Nova Scotia | $49.31 | $52.20 | $71.23 |
| New Brunswick | $29.33 | $51.82 | $71.23 |
| Quebec | $25.00 | $64.10 | $70.00 |
| Ontario | $29.81 | $60.00 | $86.54 |
| Manitoba | $38.46 | $50.48 | $72.12 |
| Saskatchewan | $38.65 | $52.88 | $65.00 |
| Alberta | $40.75 | $62.50 | $88.94 |
| British Columbia | $35.58 | $60.00 | $86.54 |
Source: Job Bank, Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank 2025 wages, revised November 19, 2025), data from 2023-2024 (Labour Force Survey). Wages for job offers in LMIA and provincial programs are compared with these figures, so check the current numbers on Job Bank before you rely on them.
Using NOC 31103 duties on your resume
Canadian resumes do not list NOC codes. Employers read your job titles, what you did and what came of it. The NOC duties are still a useful checklist: if you did these tasks, say so in your own words and add the numbers that prove it.
For Express Entry, the reference letter from your employer should describe the duties you really performed, in line with this lead statement and most of the main duties, without copying the NOC text word for word. The free reference letter generator checks your duties against NOC 31103 as you write.
- Start each bullet with a strong verb and end it with a result: how many, how often, how fast.
- Use the job title your employer used, even if the NOC title is different.
- Keep immigration details such as your NOC code and permit type off the resume.
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Where this information comes from
Occupation codes, titles and descriptions are adapted from Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Wages come from Job Bank, Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank 2025 wages, revised November 19, 2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Express Entry rules come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): the program pages for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the category-based selection page as modified on June 22, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for a farm veterinarian?
NOC 31103, Veterinarians, a TEER 1 occupation in NOC 2021.
What TEER is NOC 31103?
TEER 1. Usually a university degree. The TEER is the second digit of the code. See all TEER categories.
Is NOC 31103 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 have to meet every other requirement, and your duties must match the NOC description.
Is NOC 31103 in an Express Entry category-based draw?
Yes. IRCC’s 2026 list puts it in the healthcare and social services category. You need at least 12 months of full-time work (or the same part-time) in it within the past 3 years.
How much does NOC 31103 pay in Canada?
The Job Bank median across Canada is $60.00 an hour, with most wages between $34.15 and $84.13. Pay varies by province: see the table above.
Where is the official description?
On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 31103 in NOC 2021 Version 1.0. This page shows the same text, from the open data Statistics Canada publishes.
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More on NOC codes and Canadian resumes
- NOC Code Finder: Describe your duties and get your NOC 2021 code, TEER and Express Entry eligibility. Free.
- NOC Codes Canada: Full List: All 516 NOC 2021 codes with their TEER, duties and wages.
- TEER Categories Explained: What TEER 0 to 5 means, which count for Express Entry, and every job in each one.
- Express Entry Category Draws: NOC Codes: Every NOC code on the 2026 healthcare, STEM, trades, education and other lists.
- Canadian Resume Examples by Job: Real examples for cashiers, caregivers, trades, tech, students and more.
- Newcomer Resume Guide: Turn international experience into a resume Canadian employers understand.