National Occupational Classification, TEER 1

NOC 31303: Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals

Physician assistants and midwives provide primary health care and treatment in conjunction with physicians and in collaboration with other health professionals. Below are the main duties, all 10 job titles it covers, what it means for Express Entry and what it pays in each province.

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  • Official NOC 2021 data
  • Job Bank wages

What is NOC 31303?

NOC 31303 is the code for physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include genetic counsellor, midwife, orthoptist and pathology assistant. 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 $46.81 an hour.

NOC code
31303
TEER
1: University degree
Broad category
Health occupations
Express Entry
Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)
Category draws
Healthcare and social services
Median wage
$46.81 an hour

Job titles under NOC 31303

Physician assistants and midwives provide primary health care and treatment in conjunction with physicians and in collaboration with other health professionals. Physician assistants provide a range of health services to patients delivering preventive and continuous care toward the management of patients' health. Midwives provide full-course care to women and their babies during the pre- and post-natal period. This unit group also includes professionals such as genetic counsellors, orthoptists and pathologists' assistants, who work in collaboration with primary health occupations. Genetic counsellors assess individual or family risk of genetic conditions, and provide information to individuals, families and healthcare providers to promote informed choice. Orthoptists diagnose and treat binocular disorders. Pathologists' assistants assist at autopsies and examinations of surgical specimens, or perform autopsies under a pathologist's supervision. Physician assistants usually work under physicians in private practice, including group or team practices, hospitals and clinics. Midwives are employed in hospitals, clinics, birthing centres or in private practice. Genetic counsellors usually work in private practice, hospitals, clinics and research institutes. Orthoptists work under an ophthalmologist, particularly in private practices or clinics. Pathologists' assistants are usually employed in hospitals and universities.

Main job titles

  • genetic counsellor
  • midwife
  • orthoptist
  • pathology assistant
  • physician assistant

All 10 job titles in the NOC index

chief orthoptist, clinical orthoptist, genetic counsellor, licensed midwife, midwife, orthoptist, pathologists' assistant, pathology assistant, physician assistant, registered midwife (RM).

Main duties of NOC 31303

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Physician assistants

  • Conduct patient interviews, physical assessments and take medical histories
  • Perform or order diagnostic tests and interpret results
  • In consultation with a supervising physician, formulate and implement treatment plans and monitor patients' progress
  • Perform and assist in minor surgery
  • Provide health maintenance education
  • May participate in research activities
  • May prescribe from a limited list of medications.
  • Midwives
  • Provide primary, full-course, care to women and their babies during pregnancy, such as physical examinations, screening and diagnostic tests to monitor the health of mother and baby and make referrals to medical specialists as required
  • Manage labour and spontaneous normal deliveries
  • Care for, assess and monitor the health of newborns and refer infants to appropriate medical services as required
  • Provide advice and guidance regarding care for newborns and young infants.

Genetic counsellors

  • Provide information and support to families affected by or at risk of a genetic disorder
  • Gather and analyze family history and inheritance patterns, calculate risks of recurrence, and provide information about genetic testing and related procedures
  • Develop, implement or coordinate action plans and refer individuals and families to other health professionals
  • Design and conduct genetics training programs for other healthcare professionals or the general public
  • May conduct research in the field of medical genetics and genetic counselling.

Orthoptists

  • Work alongside ophthalmologists to diagnose and treat eye disorders by performing specialized eye tests to measure and assess defective binocular vision or abnormal eye movement in patients
  • Prescribe treatment such as eye exercises or patching regimens.

Pathologists' assistants

  • Prepare for autopsies by obtaining patients' medical records and arranging for radiographic examinations
  • Prepare, assist with or perform autopsies and surgical specimen examinations under pathologists' supervision
  • Assist with preparation of provisional autopsy report
  • Dissect, examine, weigh, photograph and X-ray organs and specimens, collect tissue samples for chemical analysis and record findings
  • Discard specimens according to established safety procedures
  • Clean and maintain instruments, equipment and supplies
  • Develop and maintain processes for laboratory quality control
  • May prepare bodies for release to funeral homes following completion of autopsies
  • May supervise and train junior resident pathologists and morgue attendants.

Employment requirements

  • Physician assistants
  • Physician assistants require completion of a university degree in a physician assistant program.
  • Physician assistants require registration with a regulatory body in Manitoba and New Brunswick.
  • Midwives
  • Midwives require completion of an undergraduate university degree program in midwifery or its equivalent and a period of supervised practical training.
  • Registration with a regulatory body is required for midwives in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
  • Genetic counsellors
  • Genetic counsellors usually require a master's degree in genetic counselling and the certification with the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors (CAGC).
  • Orthoptists
  • A bachelor's degree and completion of a two-year accredited training program in orthoptics are required.
  • Certification with the Canadian Orthoptic Council is required.
  • Continuing education is required for recertification with the Canadian Orthoptic Council.
  • Pathologists' assistants
  • Pathologists' assistants usually require completion of a master's degree in a pathologists' assistant program.
  • Certification by the Canadian Certification Council of Pathologists' Assistants, the American Society for Clinical Pathology - Board of Certification, or Pathologists' Assistant Certification Examination is usually required by employers.
  • Membership in the national association, Canadian Association of Pathologists, is voluntary, but may be required by some employers.

Additional information

  • There is no mobility between these occupations without further training.

Is NOC 31303 eligible for Express Entry?

Yes for the programs that need skilled work: TEER 1 is in the TEER 0 to 3 range IRCC accepts.

NOC 31303 and Express Entry
Program or drawNOC 31303
Federal Skilled Worker ProgramCounts as skilled work (TEER 0 to 3)
Canadian Experience ClassCounts as skilled work (TEER 0 to 3)
Federal Skilled Trades ProgramNot 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 31303 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.

NOC 31303 wages by province and territory
AreaLowMedianHigh
Canada$24.09$46.81$60.26
Nova Scotia$34.24$46.11$58.81
New Brunswick$32.18$49.34$55.35
Quebec$29.43$43.98$66.16
Ontario$24.47$43.93$56.37
Manitoba$35.49$49.43$63.03
Saskatchewan$34.54$43.15$49.78
Alberta$24.97$38.28$53.71
British Columbia$30.77$44.20$56.00

Source: Job Bank, Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank 2025 wages, revised November 19, 2025), data from 2024 (Small Area Estimation). 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 31303 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 31303 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 genetic counsellor?

NOC 31303, Physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals, a TEER 1 occupation in NOC 2021.

What TEER is NOC 31303?

TEER 1. Usually a university degree. The TEER is the second digit of the code. See all TEER categories.

Is NOC 31303 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 31303 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 31303 pay in Canada?

The Job Bank median across Canada is $46.81 an hour, with most wages between $24.09 and $60.26. Pay varies by province: see the table above.

Where is the official description?

On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 31303 in NOC 2021 Version 1.0. This page shows the same text, from the open data Statistics Canada publishes.

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