National Occupational Classification, TEER 2
NOC 32101: Licensed practical nurses
Licensed practical nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses or other health team members. Below are the main duties, all 14 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 32101?
NOC 32101 is the code for licensed practical nurses in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include graduate nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.), operating room technician and registered nursing assistant (R.N.A.). It is a TEER 2 occupation (usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or a supervisory role), 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 $31.32 an hour.
- NOC code
- 32101
- TEER
- 2: College diploma or apprenticeship of 2+ years
- Broad category
- Health occupations
- Express Entry
- Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)
- Category draws
- Healthcare and social services
- Median wage
- $31.32 an hour
Job titles under NOC 32101
Licensed practical nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses or other health team members. Operating room technicians prepare patients and provide assistance to medical practitioners prior to and during surgery. Licensed practical nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors' offices, clinics, companies, private homes and community health centres. Operating room technicians are employed in hospitals.
Main job titles
- graduate nursing assistant
- licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.)
- operating room technician
- registered nursing assistant (R.N.A.)
All 14 job titles in the NOC index
certified nursing assistant (CNA), graduate nursing assistant, licensed nursing assistant, licensed practical nurse (L.P.N.), medical technician - Canadian Armed Forces, nurse educator - cannabis, nursing assistant (registered - Québec), operating room technician, operating room technician - Canadian Armed Forces, operating room technician - nursing, registered nursing assistant (R.N.A.), registered practical nurse (R.P.N.), surgical nursing assistant, surgical technician - nursing.
Main duties of NOC 32101
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
Licensed practical nurses
- Provide nursing services, within defined scope of practice, to patients based on patient assessment and care planning procedures
- Perform nursing interventions such as taking vital signs, applying aseptic techniques including sterile dressing, ensuring infection control, monitoring nutritional intake and conducting specimen collection
- Administer medication and observe and document therapeutic effects
- Provide pre-operative and post-operative personal and comfort care
- Monitor established respiratory therapy and intravenous therapy
- Monitor patients' progress, evaluate and document effectiveness of nursing interventions and collaborate with appropriate members of health care team
- Provide safety and health education to individuals and their families.
Operating room technicians
- Prepare patients for surgery by washing, shaving and sterilizing the patients' operative areas
- Assist in surgery by laying out instruments, setting up equipment, assisting surgical teams with gowns and gloves and passing instruments to surgeons
- Monitor patients' status during surgery, such as intake, output and loss of blood, and communicate and document any changes
- Clean and sterilize the operating room and instruments.
Employment requirements
- Completion of a vocational, college or other approved program for licensed practical nurses is required.
- Registration with a regulatory body is required in all provinces and territories.
- Completion of a registration examination is required in all provinces and territories.
- Operating room technicians require additional academic training in operating room techniques.
Additional information
- Working under the direction of a medical practitioner or registered nurse is not required for licensed practical nurses in all jurisdictions.
Is NOC 32101 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes for the programs that need skilled work: TEER 2 is in the TEER 0 to 3 range IRCC accepts.
| Program or draw | NOC 32101 |
|---|---|
| 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 32101 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 | $25.00 | $31.32 | $38.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $26.44 | $29.58 | $32.08 |
| Prince Edward Island | $25.00 | $31.00 | $32.25 |
| Nova Scotia | $28.00 | $30.42 | $35.11 |
| New Brunswick | $27.00 | $31.50 | $35.00 |
| Quebec | $24.21 | $30.00 | $33.00 |
| Ontario | $25.32 | $31.00 | $37.94 |
| Manitoba | $25.00 | $33.57 | $38.57 |
| Saskatchewan | $33.00 | $38.09 | $42.00 |
| Alberta | $25.80 | $32.00 | $36.00 |
| British Columbia | $29.00 | $34.57 | $42.00 |
| Yukon | $38.00 | $43.50 | $53.00 |
| Northwest Territories | $30.00 | $44.15 | $48.86 |
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 32101 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 32101 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.
Turn my duties into a resume Free to start, no card.
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 licensed or registered practical nurse (LPN, RPN)?
NOC 32101, Licensed practical nurses, a TEER 2 occupation.
What TEER is NOC 32101?
TEER 2. Usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or a supervisory role. The TEER is the second digit of the code. See all TEER categories.
Is NOC 32101 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes. As a TEER 2 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 32101 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 32101 pay in Canada?
The Job Bank median across Canada is $31.32 an hour, with most wages between $25.00 and $38.00. Pay varies by province: see the table above.
Where is the official description?
On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 32101 in NOC 2021 Version 1.0. This page shows the same text, from the open data Statistics Canada publishes.
Your duties fit. Now show employers.
CVMaple turns the work you did into a Canadian resume: the right format, strong bullets and the keywords Canadian applicant tracking systems look for.
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.