NOC 72600: Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors

What is NOC 72600?

NOC 72600 is the code for air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include air pilot, captain - air transport, check pilot and chief flying instructor. 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 transport category draw. The Job Bank median wage across Canada is $52.00 an hour.

NOC code

72600

TEER

2: College diploma or apprenticeship of 2+ years

Broad category

Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations

Express Entry

Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)

Category draws

Transport

Median wage

$52.00 an hour

Job titles under NOC 72600

Air pilots fly fixed wing aircraft and helicopters to provide air transportation and other services such as crop spraying and aerial surveying. Flight engineers assist air pilots with monitoring, troubleshooting and maintenance of aircraft systems and with pre- and post-flight inspections. Flying instructors teach flying techniques and procedures to student and licensed pilots. Air pilots, flight engineers and flight instructors are employed by airline and air freight companies, flying schools and by other public and private sector aircraft operators.

Main job titles

• air pilot
• captain - air transport
• check pilot
• chief flying instructor
• chief pilot
• co-pilot
• flight engineer
• flying instructor
• helicopter pilot
• pilot instructor
• relief pilot
• second officer - air transport
• test pilot

All 56 job titles in the NOC index

aerial crop duster, aerial crop dusting service contractor, aerial sprayer, aerial survey flight supervisor, aerial survey pilot, air navigator, air patrol pilot, air pilot, air pilot and flight engineer supervisor, air pilots and navigators supervisor, airline pilot, airline pilot instructor, airline test pilot, airplane pilot, bush pilot, business aircraft pilot, captain - air transport, charter pilot, check pilot, chief flying instructor, chief pilot, chief pilot - air transport, commercial airline pilot, commercial pilot, co-pilot, co-pilot - air transport, corporate pilot, engineering test pilot, executive pilot, experimental test pilot, fire patrol pilot, first officer - air transport, flight engineer, flight instructor, flight simulator instructor, flying instructor, forest spray pilot, forestry patrol pilot, helicopter chief pilot, helicopter flight instructor, helicopter pilot, mapping pilot, navigator - air transport, pilot - air transport, pilot - Canadian Armed Forces, pilot instructor, pipeline air patrol pilot, power line air patrol pilot, relief pilot, remote sensing pilot, second officer - air transport, spray pilot, survey pilot, test pilot, topographic survey pilot, water bomber pilot.

Main duties of NOC 72600

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Air pilots

• Conduct pre-flight inspection of aircraft and check passenger and cargo distribution to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met
• Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air-traffic control, inform crew members of flight and test procedures and direct activities of aircraft crew during flights
• Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions and other information
• Conduct in-flight tests and monitor functioning of aircraft equipment and systems during flights, maintain communications with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters and respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions
• Prepare flight evaluation reports
• Train pilots to use new equipment, or prepare them for examinations to revalidate or upgrade existing licences
• May fly new or experimental planes to examine their flight performance and safety
• May participate in search and rescue operations, forest firefighting, aerial surveying, crop dusting and other services.

Flight engineers

• Inspect aircraft prior to takeoff according to pre-flight checklist and verify passenger and cargo distribution to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met
• Assist air pilots in monitoring aircraft systems, equipment and functions during flight
• Make in-flight repairs, such as replacing fuses and adjusting instruments, and follow emergency procedures to compensate for equipment malfunction or failure
• Perform post-flight inspections, record equipment malfunctions and corrective actions taken during flight and report required repairs to ground maintenance personnel.

Flying instructors

• Instruct student pilots in procedures and techniques of flying aircraft and in ground-school subjects such as navigation, radio procedures and flying regulations
• Train licensed pilots for additional certification.

Employment requirements

• Pilots and flight engineers
• Completion of secondary school and graduation from a certified flying or aviation school are required.
• A university degree or college diploma may be required.
• A commercial pilot's licence (more than 200 hours of flight experience) or an air transport pilot's licence (more than 1500 hours of flight experience) is required.
• Additional licences or endorsements to fly different types of aircraft are required.
• Flight engineers require a flight engineer licence issued by Transport Canada.
• Structured training is provided by employers.
• Flight instructors
• Completion of secondary school and graduation from a certified flying or aviation school are required.
• A university degree or college diploma may be required.
• A commercial pilot's or an air transport pilot's licence is required.
• Transport Canada ratings and endorsements to provide instructions on different types of aircraft are required.

Additional information

• Flight engineers may progress to co-pilot and pilot positions with required hours of flying experience and completion of licensing and endorsement requirements.

Is NOC 72600 eligible for Express Entry?

Yes for the programs that need skilled work: TEER 2 is in the TEER 0 to 3 range IRCC accepts.

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 72600 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.

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.

Similar NOC codes to compare

If your work leans toward one of these, read its duties too. The closest match is the one whose lead statement and main duties describe most of what you did.

Classified somewhere else

• Air traffic controllers and related occupations: 72601 Air traffic controllers and related occupations
• Ground school instructor: 41210 College and other vocational instructors

Same minor group (7260 Transportation officers and controllers)

• 72601 Air traffic controllers and related occupations, TEER 2
• 72602 Deck officers, water transport, TEER 2
• 72603 Engineer officers, water transport, TEER 2
• 72604 Railway traffic controllers and marine traffic regulators, TEER 2

Match my duties with AI

Using NOC 72600 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 72600 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 a air pilot?

NOC 72600, Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors, a TEER 2 occupation in NOC 2021.

What TEER is NOC 72600?

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 72600 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 72600 in an Express Entry category-based draw?

Yes. IRCC’s 2026 list puts it in the transport 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 72600 pay in Canada?

The Job Bank median across Canada is $52.00 an hour, with most wages between $24.04 and $106.00. Pay varies by province: see the table above.

Where is the official description?

On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 72600 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.
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