NOC 51101: Conservators and curators
Conservators restore and conserve artifacts belonging to museums, galleries and owners of cultural property. Curators recommend the acquisition of museum artifacts and gallery works of art and research their artistic history. Conservators and curators are employed in museums, art galleries, archives, libraries, government agencies and universities. Conservators may be self-employed.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 51101 (Conservators and curators) is a TEER 1 occupation, so it counts as skilled work for Express Entry. It is on IRCC's high-wage list at Level 3: +20 CRS for 12+ months of Canadian work, or 50 for a job offer. It isn't on any current category-based draw list.
TEER
TEER 1
Skilled for Express Entry
High-wage
Level 3
+20 work · 50 job offer
Category draws
None
IRCC 2026 lists
| NOC 2021 code | 51101 |
|---|---|
| Title | Conservators and curators |
| Broad category | Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport |
| TEER | TEER 1 — usually requires a university degree |
CRS points for this occupation
Under the Labour Market Integration factor, IRCC gives you the higher of: your Canadian work-length points plus 20 for 12+ months of qualifying work in a Level 3 occupation, or 50 points for a valid job offer in it. How job offer points work.
Example job titles
- art gallery conservator
- art objects conservator
- conservator - museum
- curator
- historical artifact conservator
- natural history museum curator
Main duties
- Conservators
- Examine artifacts, determine their condition, suggest methods for treating them and recommend preventive conservation techniques to their owners
- Restore and conserve paintings, photographs, books, papers, sculptures, furniture, pottery or other museum and art gallery artifacts as per particular field of specialization
- Provide advice on display and storage of museum and gallery artifacts to ensure proper maintenance and preservation
- Explore new conservation and restoration techniques
- Provide consultation to museums, art galleries or private individuals
- Supervise conservation technicians and other museum technicians.
- Curators
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 51100 — Librarians
- NOC 51102 — Archivists
- NOC 51110 — Editors
- NOC 51111 — Authors and writers (except technical)
- NOC 51112 — Technical writers
- NOC 51113 — Journalists
- NOC 51114 — Translators, terminologists and interpreters
- NOC 51120 — Producers, directors, choreographers and related occupations
- NOC 51121 — Conductors, composers and arrangers
- NOC 51122 — Musicians and singers
← NOC 51100 Librarians · NOC 51102 Archivists →
Calculate your CRS score → · All NOC codes · High-wage list
TEER 1 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 51101 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 51101 is a TEER 1 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 51101 a high-wage occupation?+
Yes. It's on IRCC's high-wage list at Level 3. From November 3, 2026, 12+ months of qualifying Canadian work in it adds 20 CRS points, or a valid job offer in it is worth 50 points (whichever is higher).
Which Express Entry category draws include NOC 51101?+
None of IRCC's current category-based selection lists include NOC 51101. Candidates can still be invited in general, program-specific (such as CEC) or PNP rounds.