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. 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.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 33101 (Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations) is a TEER 3 occupation, so it counts as skilled work for Express Entry. It is not on IRCC's high-wage list. It is eligible for Healthcare category draws.
TEER
TEER 3
Skilled for Express Entry
High-wage
Not listed
No extra CRS points
Category draws
Healthcare
IRCC 2026 lists
| NOC 2021 code | 33101 |
|---|---|
| Title | Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations |
| Broad category | Health occupations |
| TEER | TEER 3 — usually requires a college diploma or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or 6+ months of on-the-job training |
Category-based draws
- Healthcare and Social Services Occupations, 2026-Version 3 — have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) — this experience does not need to be continuous (in a single occupation listed in the table below (no matter your primary occupation); in Canada or abroad).
Example job titles
- medical laboratory aide
- medical laboratory assistant
- medical laboratory technician
- phlebotomist
- phlebotomy aide
Main 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.
Your duties should match the lead statement and most of the main duties to use this NOC — check the full profile on the official NOC site.
Related occupations
- NOC 33100 — Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants
- NOC 33102 — Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates
- NOC 33103 — Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
- NOC 33109 — Other assisting occupations in support of health services
← NOC 33100 Dental assistants and dental laboratory assistants · NOC 33102 Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates →
Calculate your CRS score → · All NOC codes · High-wage list
TEER 3 also matters for work permits: see the spousal open work permit (TEER rules for spouses of workers), LMIA explained and the Atlantic Immigration Program (job offers in TEER 0–4).
Sources: Statistics Canada NOC 2021 V1.0; IRCC high-wage occupations; IRCC category-based selection; IRCC who can apply.
Frequently asked questions
Is NOC 33101 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 33101 is a TEER 3 occupation. IRCC counts work in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations as skilled work experience for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class, as long as all other program requirements are met.
Is NOC 33101 a high-wage occupation?+
No. NOC 33101 isn't on IRCC's Express Entry high-wage occupations list, so it doesn't earn the extra high-wage or job offer CRS points. Canadian work-length points can still apply for TEER 0–3 work.
Which Express Entry category draws include NOC 33101?+
As published by IRCC: Healthcare and Social Services Occupations, 2026-Version 3. Candidates generally need have accumulated, within the past 3 years, at least 12 months of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time experience) — this experience does not need to be continuous.