NOC 32109 · Health occupations
NOC 32109: Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment
TEER
2
College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)
Median wage (Canada)
$26.85/hr
≈ $52,000/yr full-time
Express Entry (FSW, CEC)
Skilled (TEER 0–3)
Per IRCC’s TEER rule
What other technical occupations in therapy and assessment do
Other technical workers in therapy and assessment perform various technical therapy and assessment functions. Some may assist professionals such as audiologists, speech-language pathologists, ophthalmologists, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. They are employed in hospitals, clinics, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, community health centres, educational institutions, hearing aid retail stores, in the private practices of the professionals they assist, or they may be self-employed.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Hearing instrument practitioners
- Examine adult clients to assess hearing loss using diagnostic evaluation and electro acoustic testing
- Recommend and dispense or sell appropriate type of hearing instrument
- Take earmold impressions for use in the manufacture of hearing devices
- Fit, adjust and make minor modifications to hearing instruments
- Educate clients in appropriate use, care and maintenance of hearing instruments
- Communicate with audiologist or other health care professionals regarding patients' condition
- Perform follow-up examinations and readjustments.
- Communicative disorders assistants and speech-language pathology assistants
- Assist speech-language pathologists and audiologists during assessment of patients
- Carry out treatment programs, document results and develop materials for use with patients, under the supervision of speech-language pathologists or audiologists
- Document patient rehabilitation progress
- Check and maintain therapeutic equipment and materials.
- Ophthalmic medical technologists and technicians
- Take patients' general medical and ophthalmic history
- Conduct specialized testing such as refractometry, ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography or ocular motility testing to aid ophthalmologists in assessing patients' vision
- Instruct patient on diagnostic test and record, interpret and troubleshoot results
- Assist ophthalmologists in performing ophthalmic procedures and surgeries
- Administer topical ophthalmic or oral medications as directed by ophthalmologists
- Prepare specimens for culture and staining
- Maintain ophthalmic instruments or equipment
- May instruct and supervise other ophthalmic staff and perform various administrative duties
- May participate in research activities.
- Physical rehabilitation therapists
- Collect and analyse information from clients' file upon referral from the physiotherapist or physician.
- Develop, implement and monitor treatment plans of clients in collaboration with the physiotherapist or physician.
- Use a variety of therapeutic modalities such as manual techniques (e.g. massage), exercises, electrotherapy, hydrotherapy and thermotherapy (ice or heat) to achieve treatment objectives.
- Advise clients on postures, lifestyle and exercises to help them improve their physical condition.
- Physiotherapy assistants and occupational therapy assistants
- Under the direction of physiotherapists and/or occupational therapists, carry out treatment programs such as thermotherapy, traction, hydrotherapy and electrotherapeutic techniques to rehabilitate patients with various injuries or disabilities to maximize their ability to independently manage daily activities.
Job titles under NOC 32109
57 job titles are classified here, including audiology technician, communicative disorders assistant, hearing instrument practitioner.
- assistive listening device technician
- audiological technician
- audiology technician
- audiometrician
- audiometrist
- certified ophthalmic medical technologist
- certified ophthalmic technician
- communication aide - medical
- communication assistant - medical
- communication disorders assistant
- communication disorders instructor
- communicative disorders assistant
- communicative disorders instructor
- hearing aid assistant
- hearing aid consultant
- hearing aid dealer
- hearing aid practitioner
- hearing aid specialist
- hearing aid technician
- hearing assessment technician
- hearing disorder technician
- hearing instrument dispenser
- hearing instrument practitioner
- hearing instrument practitioner assistant
Employment requirements
- Hearing instrument practitioners require completion of a two or three-year college diploma in a hearing instrument specialist program, and a period of supervised training.
- Licensure with a regulatory body is required for hearing instrument practitioners in all provinces except in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Ontario. Ontario requires membership with the Association of Hearing Instrument Practitioners of Ontario (AHIP). Hearing instrument practitioners can prescribe and dispense hearing instruments except in Ontario where dispensing is dependent on a prescription from a physician or audiologist.
- Communicative disorders assistants and speech-language pathology assistants require completion of a three- to four-year college program.
- Ophthalmic medical technicians require completion of a one-year hospital based ophthalmic technician training program or a minimum of one year on-the-job training working as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant under the supervision of an ophthalmologist.
- Ophthalmic medical technologists require completion of a two-year hospital-based training program in ophthalmic medical technology, or a 4 year bachelor's degree program in Ophthalmic Medical Technology or a minimum of two years of on-the-job training working as a Certified Ophthalmic technician under the supervision of an ophthalmologist.
- Certification by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology may be required by employers.
- Physical rehabilitation therapists, who are only found in Quebec, require completion of a three-year physiotherapy or rehabilitation techniques college program and a period of internship.
- A permit to practice issued by the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ) is required for physical rehabilitation therapists.
- Physiotherapy assistants require completion of a two-year physical therapy assistant (PTA) college program, or a two-year rehabilitation therapy assistant program and supervised practical training.
- Occupational therapy assistants require completion of a two-year occupational therapy assistant (OTA) college program.
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment 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 | $17.62/hr | $26.85/hr | $36.71/hr |
Toronto ON | $17.60/hr | $25.68/hr | $36.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $22.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $26.70/hr | $30.00/hr | $39.56/hr |
Calgary AB | $15.00/hr | $25.41/hr | $36.71/hr |
Edmonton AB | $15.00/hr | $25.41/hr | $36.71/hr |
Ottawa ON | $17.60/hr | $27.79/hr | $39.71/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $17.00/hr | $21.17/hr | $26.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $22.54/hr | $30.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $17.60/hr | $25.68/hr | $36.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $21.00/hr | $25.75/hr | $32.00/hr |
London ON | $23.00/hr | $26.85/hr | $37.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $21.49/hr | $26.51/hr | $40.26/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $22.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $39.56/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $23.45/hr | $28.00/hr | $41.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $24.03/hr | $28.54/hr | $35.82/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.55/hr | $26.67/hr | $29.33/hr |
Nova Scotia | $20.45/hr | $26.82/hr | $42.95/hr |
New Brunswick | $20.32/hr | $26.13/hr | $27.77/hr |
Quebec | $22.54/hr | $30.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Ontario | $17.60/hr | $25.68/hr | $36.00/hr |
Manitoba | $17.00/hr | $21.17/hr | $26.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $22.97/hr | $28.00/hr | $32.88/hr |
Alberta | $15.00/hr | $25.41/hr | $36.71/hr |
British Columbia | $22.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $39.56/hr |
Using NOC 32109 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 57 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Licensed practical nurses (NOC 32101)
- Medical laboratory assistants and related technical occupations (NOC 33101)
- Medical technologists and technicians (See 3212 Medical technologists and technicians)
- Opticians (NOC 32100)
- Other assisting occupations in support of health services (NOC 33109)
- Paramedical occupations (NOC 32102)
- Physiotherapists (NOC 31202)
- Practitioners of natural healing (See 3220 Practitioners of natural healing)
- Respiratory therapists, clinical perfusionists and cardiopulmonary technologists (NOC 32103)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for other technical occupations in therapy and assessment?
Other technical occupations in therapy and assessment are NOC 2021 unit group 32109. Example job titles in this group include audiology technician, communicative disorders assistant, hearing instrument practitioner, hearing instrument specialist.
What TEER is NOC 32109?
NOC 32109 is TEER 2 (College diploma or apprenticeship (2+ years)). Usually requires a 2–3 year college program or a 2–5 year apprenticeship, or the occupation carries supervisory or significant safety responsibilities. 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 other technical occupations in therapy and assessment earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $26.85/hr, about $52,000 a year full-time, with a range of $17.62/hr to $36.71/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.