National Occupational Classification, TEER 3
NOC 63200: Cooks
Cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of foods. Below are the main duties, all 38 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 63200?
NOC 63200 is the code for cooks in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include apprentice cook, cook, dietary cook and first cook. 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. The Job Bank median wage across Canada is $18.00 an hour.
- NOC code
- 63200
- TEER
- 3: College diploma, apprenticeship under 2 years or 6+ months of training
- Broad category
- Sales and service occupations
- Express Entry
- Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)
- Category draws
- None
- Median wage
- $18.00 an hour
Job titles under NOC 63200
Cooks prepare and cook a wide variety of foods. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, hospitals and other health care institutions, central food commissaries, educational institutions and other establishments. Cooks are also employed aboard ships and at construction and logging campsites. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main job titles
- apprentice cook
- cook
- dietary cook
- first cook
- grill cook
- hospital cook
- institutional cook
- journeyman/woman cook
- licensed cook
- line cook
- second cook
- short order cook
All 38 job titles in the NOC index
apprentice cook, assistant cook, banquet cook, breakfast cook, broiler cook, cafeteria cook, camp cook, caterer cook, construction camp cook, cook, cook - Canadian Armed Forces, diet kitchen cook, dietary cook, domestic cook, ethnic food cook, first cook, fishing and merchant vessel cook, grill cook, hospital cook, institutional cook, journeyman/woman cook, kosher foods cook, licensed cook, line cook, logging camp cook, mess cook, pastry cook, pizza cook, railway cook, restaurant cook, second cook, ship's cook, short order cook, small establishment cook, special diet cook, special order cook - hospital, therapeutic diet cook, third cook.
Main duties of NOC 63200
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Prepare and cook complete meals or individual dishes and foods
- Prepare and cook special meals for patients as instructed by dietitian or chef
- Schedule and supervise kitchen helpers
- Oversee kitchen operations
- Maintain inventory and records of food, supplies and equipment
- May set up and oversee buffets
- May clean kitchen and work area
- May plan menus, determine size of food portions, estimate food requirements and costs, and monitor and order supplies
- May hire and train kitchen staff.
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a three-year apprenticeship program for cooks or completion of college or other program in cooking or food safety or several years of commercial cooking experience may be required.
- Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in all provinces and territories.
- Red Seal endorsement is also available to qualified cooks upon successful completion of the interprovincial Red Seal examination.
Additional information
- The Red Seal endorsement allows for interprovincial mobility.
- There is mobility among the various types of cooks in this group.
- Progression to supervisory or more senior positions, such as chef, is possible with experience and training.
Is NOC 63200 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 63200 |
|---|---|
| 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 | A listed skilled trade |
| Occupation category draws (2026) | Not on any occupation 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 63200 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 | $15.00 | $18.00 | $25.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00 | $17.00 | $27.54 |
| Prince Edward Island | $16.50 | $18.00 | $25.73 |
| Nova Scotia | $16.50 | $17.00 | $22.50 |
| New Brunswick | $15.65 | $16.40 | $22.00 |
| Quebec | $16.10 | $18.00 | $25.00 |
| Ontario | $17.60 | $18.00 | $24.00 |
| Manitoba | $16.00 | $16.50 | $21.00 |
| Saskatchewan | $15.35 | $17.00 | $23.08 |
| Alberta | $15.00 | $17.50 | $23.50 |
| British Columbia | $17.85 | $20.00 | $26.00 |
| Yukon | $20.00 | $28.37 | $41.67 |
| Northwest Territories | $18.50 | $25.00 | $37.50 |
| Nunavut | $19.00 | $25.00 | $35.00 |
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 63200 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 63200 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.
- See a Canadian resume example for this job.
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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 cook?
NOC 63200, Cooks, a TEER 3 occupation.
What TEER is NOC 63200?
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 63200 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, and it is also a listed Federal Skilled Trades occupation. You still have to meet every other requirement, and your duties must match the NOC description.
Is NOC 63200 in an Express Entry category-based draw?
No. It is not on any 2026 occupation list. The French-language proficiency category is open to any occupation if you reach NCLC 7 in French. See every category.
How much does NOC 63200 pay in Canada?
The Job Bank median across Canada is $18.00 an hour, with most wages between $15.00 and $25.00. Pay varies by province: see the table above.
Where is the official description?
On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 63200 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.