National Occupational Classification, TEER 3
NOC 33101: Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations
Medical laboratory assistants and workers in related technical occupations perform pre-analysis and pre-testing tasks such as collecting blood and other samples, processing specimens, and preparing special chemicals called reagents for use in testing. 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 33101?
NOC 33101 is the code for medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include medical laboratory aide, medical laboratory assistant, medical laboratory technician and phlebotomist. It is a TEER 3 occupation (usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training), 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 $27.00 an hour.
- NOC code
- 33101
- TEER
- 3: College diploma, apprenticeship under 2 years or 6+ months of training
- Broad category
- Health occupations
- Express Entry
- Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)
- Category draws
- Healthcare and social services
- Median wage
- $27.00 an hour
Job titles under NOC 33101
Medical laboratory assistants and workers in related technical occupations perform pre-analysis and pre-testing tasks such as collecting blood and other samples, processing specimens, and preparing special chemicals called reagents for use in testing. They conduct routine medical laboratory tests and set up, clean and maintain medical laboratory equipment. They are employed in medical laboratories in hospitals, clinics, research facilities, post-secondary educational institutions and government research laboratories.
Main job titles
- medical laboratory aide
- medical laboratory assistant
- medical laboratory technician
- phlebotomist
- phlebotomy aide
All 14 job titles in the NOC index
blood bank technician, clinical laboratory technician, community health technician - medical laboratory, histology technician, laboratory assistant - medical, medical laboratory aide, medical laboratory assistant, medical laboratory helper, medical laboratory technical assistant, medical laboratory technician, phlebotomist, phlebotomy aide, renal technician, technical assistant - medical laboratory.
Also included in this group
- blood bank technician
- renal technician
Main duties of NOC 33101
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Collect, label, sort and prepare blood, tissue and other samples from patients
- Log and validate patient samples and prepare them for testing
- Set up medical laboratory equipment
- Prepare chemical reagents to be combined with biological samples for testing
- Conduct routine laboratory tests and sample analyses
- Perform quality assurance of testing techniques and record results
- Clean and maintain medical laboratory and medical laboratory equipment.
Employment requirements
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical workers require completion of a college certificate program in medical laboratory science.
- Certification by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science is usually required by employers.
Additional information
- Some employers may require medical laboratory technicians to have a diploma.
- Medical laboratory technicians may progress to supervisory or technologist positions with a combination of additional education, training and experience.
Is NOC 33101 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes for the programs that need skilled work: TEER 3 is in the TEER 0 to 3 range IRCC accepts.
| Program or draw | NOC 33101 |
|---|---|
| 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 33101 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 | $19.18 | $27.00 | $36.11 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $21.00 | $26.50 | $33.00 |
| Prince Edward Island | $20.00 | $28.00 | $35.74 |
| Nova Scotia | $20.00 | $25.00 | $33.00 |
| New Brunswick | $23.00 | $25.20 | $34.00 |
| Quebec | $21.55 | $29.02 | $37.03 |
| Ontario | $17.62 | $26.25 | $36.00 |
| Manitoba | $16.00 | $26.00 | $37.95 |
| Saskatchewan | $22.00 | $25.75 | $39.22 |
| Alberta | $23.72 | $28.62 | $35.54 |
| British Columbia | $20.50 | $28.00 | $31.00 |
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 33101 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 33101 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 medical laboratory assistant?
NOC 33101, Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations, a TEER 3 occupation.
What TEER is NOC 33101?
TEER 3. Usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. The TEER is the second digit of the code. See all TEER categories.
Is NOC 33101 eligible for Express Entry?
Yes. As a TEER 3 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 33101 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 33101 pay in Canada?
The Job Bank median across Canada is $27.00 an hour, with most wages between $19.18 and $36.11. Pay varies by province: see the table above.
Where is the official description?
On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 33101 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.