NOC 72501: Water well drillers
Water well drillers operate a variety of mobile water well drilling rigs and equipment to drill and monitor residential, commercial and industrial water wells. They are employed by water well drilling contractors and governments, or they may be self-employed. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 72501 (Water well drillers) is a TEER 2 occupation, so it counts as skilled work for Express Entry. It is not on IRCC's high-wage list. It is eligible for Trades category draws.
TEER
TEER 2
Skilled for Express Entry
High-wage
Not listed
No extra CRS points
Category draws
Trades
IRCC 2026 lists
| NOC 2021 code | 72501 |
|---|---|
| Title | Water well drillers |
| Broad category | Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations |
| TEER | TEER 2 — usually requires a college diploma or apprenticeship of 2+ years, or supervisory roles |
Category-based draws
- Trades 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
- cable tool driller - water well drilling
- churn drill operator - water well drilling
- water well driller
- water well driller apprentice
Main duties
- Review client requirements and proposed locations for water wells
- Operate water well drilling rigs and other equipment to drill, bore and dig for residential, commercial and industrial water wells or environmental assessment, and install well screens, casings and other well fixtures
- Document geological formations encountered
- Clean and disinfect wells in preparation for use
- Perform routine mechanical maintenance work on water well drilling rigs and equipment
- Install, test, maintain and repair water well pumps, piping systems and equipment and perform pumping tests to assess well performance
- May provide other drilling services, such as repair or dismantling of existing water well structure, elevator shaft drilling and hydro pole drilling.
- Water well drillers may specialize in a specific method of drilling, such as cable, rotary, auger, hammer or reverse circulation drilling.
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 72500 — Crane operators
- NOC 72010 — Contractors and supervisors, machining, metal forming, shaping and erecting trades and related occupations
- NOC 72011 — Contractors and supervisors, electrical trades and telecommunications occupations
- NOC 72012 — Contractors and supervisors, pipefitting trades
- NOC 72013 — Contractors and supervisors, carpentry trades
- NOC 72014 — Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers, repairers and servicers
- NOC 72020 — Contractors and supervisors, mechanic trades
- NOC 72021 — Contractors and supervisors, heavy equipment operator crews
- NOC 72022 — Supervisors, printing and related occupations
- NOC 72023 — Supervisors, railway transport operations
← NOC 72500 Crane operators · NOC 72600 Air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors →
Calculate your CRS score → · All NOC codes · High-wage list
TEER 2 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 72501 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 72501 is a TEER 2 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 72501 a high-wage occupation?+
No. NOC 72501 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 72501?+
As published by IRCC: Trades 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.