NOC 21101: Chemists
What chemists do
Chemists conduct research and analysis in support of industrial operations, product and process development, quality control, environmental control, medical diagnosis and treatment, biotechnology, nanotechnology and other applications. They also conduct theoretical, experimental and applied research into basic chemical and biochemical processes to create or synthesize new products and processes. They are employed in research, development and quality control laboratories; chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries; mineral, metal and pulp and paper industries; and a wide variety of manufacturing, utility, health, educational and government establishments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Analyze, synthesize, purify, modify and characterize chemical or biochemical compounds
- Develop and conduct programs of analysis to ensure quality control of raw materials, chemical intermediates or final products
- Conduct programs of sample and data collection and analysis to identify and quantify environmental toxicants
- Conduct research to develop new chemical formulations and processes and devise new technical applications of industrial chemicals and compounds
- Conduct research to discover, develop, refine and evaluate new products such as those used in nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and other applications of chemistry
- Conduct fundamental and applied research into the synthesis and properties of chemical compounds and the mechanisms of chemical reactions
- Investigate chemical aspects of the mechanisms of drug action, the diagnosis and treatment of disease, organ function and the assessment of health
- Participate in interdisciplinary research and development projects working with chemical engineers, biologists, microbiologists, agronomists, geologists or other professionals
- Act as technical consultant in a particular field of expertise
- May participate in the commercialization of new products
- May supervise other chemists and chemical technicians and technologists.
Job titles under NOC 21101
64 job titles are classified here, including agricultural chemist, analytical chemist, bioanalytical chemist.
- agricultural chemist
- agrochemist
- analytical biochemist
- analytical chemist
- atmospheric chemist
- bioanalytical chemist
- biochemist
- biochemistry research scientist
- biological chemist
- chemical spectroscopist
- chemist
- chemist - biomolecular assembly
- chemistry research scientist
- chemistry researcher
- clinical chemist
- coatings chemist
- control chemist
- dairy chemist
- detergent chemist
- dye chemist
- electrochemist
- environmental chemist
- enzyme chemist
- fermentologist
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry or a related discipline is required.
- A master's or doctoral degree is usually required for employment as a research chemist.
- Licensing by a provincial association of chemists is required in Quebec and available but voluntary, in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.
Chemists wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $24.00/hr | $38.46/hr | $65.93/hr |
Toronto ON | $28.00/hr | $38.46/hr | $65.93/hr |
Montréal QC | $25.32/hr | $38.69/hr | $63.65/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $27.06/hr | $40.03/hr | $72.70/hr |
Calgary AB | $27.29/hr | $41.55/hr | $63.85/hr |
Edmonton AB | $29.62/hr | $44.91/hr | $69.99/hr |
Ottawa ON | $31.87/hr | $44.27/hr | $66.87/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $27.46/hr | $38.88/hr | $64.47/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $24.94/hr | $38.88/hr | $60.75/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $27.09/hr | $39.49/hr | $66.67/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $27.22/hr | $38.97/hr | $55.82/hr |
London ON | $27.64/hr | $40.78/hr | $61.33/hr |
Halifax NS | $27.93/hr | $40.26/hr | $59.28/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $29.08/hr | $39.79/hr | $62.06/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $27.19/hr | $42.32/hr | $63.25/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $29.36/hr | $43.69/hr | $70.91/hr |
Nova Scotia | $26.52/hr | $39.23/hr | $56.76/hr |
New Brunswick | $25.30/hr | $36.83/hr | $56.10/hr |
Quebec | $24.94/hr | $38.88/hr | $60.75/hr |
Ontario | $27.09/hr | $39.49/hr | $66.67/hr |
Manitoba | $27.22/hr | $39.40/hr | $67.01/hr |
Saskatchewan | $27.86/hr | $42.97/hr | $72.14/hr |
Alberta | $27.00/hr | $43.74/hr | $68.19/hr |
British Columbia | $26.69/hr | $39.95/hr | $59.34/hr |
Using NOC 21101 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 64 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Architecture and science managers (NOC 20011)
- Chemical engineers (NOC 21320)
- Geochemist (NOC 21102)
- Materials scientist (NOC 21109)
- Metallurgist (NOC 21109)
- Molecular biologist (NOC 21110)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for chemists?
Chemists are NOC 2021 unit group 21101. Example job titles in this group include agricultural chemist, analytical chemist, bioanalytical chemist, biochemist.
What TEER is NOC 21101?
NOC 21101 is TEER 1 (University degree). Usually requires a university degree (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate), or experience from a related TEER 2 occupation. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do chemists earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $38.46/hr, about $75,000 a year full-time, with a range of $24.00/hr to $65.93/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.