NOC 41220: Secondary school teachers
What secondary school teachers do
Secondary school teachers prepare and teach academic, technical, vocational or specialized subjects at public and private secondary schools. Secondary school teachers who are heads of departments are included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Prepare subject material for presentation to students according to an approved curriculum
- Teach students using a systematic plan of lectures, discussions, audio-visual presentations, and laboratory, shop and field studies
- Assign and correct homework
- Prepare, administer and correct tests
- Evaluate progress, determine individual needs of students and discuss results with parents and school officials
- Prepare and implement remedial programs for students requiring extra help
- Participate in staff meetings, educational conferences and teacher training workshops
- May teach and evaluate students through distance or online courses
- May advise students on course selection and on vocational and personal matters
- May supervise student teachers.
- Secondary school teachers may specialize in such areas as mathematics, English, French, special education or second language instruction. Secondary school teachers of vocational and trades subjects may specialize in areas such as hairdressing or auto mechanics.
Job titles under NOC 41220
89 job titles are classified here, including adult education teacher - secondary school, biology teacher - secondary school, commerce teacher - secondary school.
- Aboriginal school community teacher - secondary school
- academic subjects high school teacher
- academic subjects secondary school teacher
- accounting teacher - secondary school
- adult education teacher - secondary school
- algebra teacher - secondary school
- art teacher - secondary school
- arts and crafts teacher - secondary school
- biology teacher - secondary school
- business and commerce teacher - secondary school
- business education teacher
- business teacher - secondary school
- calculus teacher - secondary school
- career and life management teacher
- career and technology studies teacher
- career education teacher
- career exploration teacher
- chemistry teacher - secondary school
- classical languages secondary school teacher
- commerce teacher - secondary school
- computer technology teacher - secondary school
- cooking teacher - secondary school
- cooperative education teacher
- cooperative learning teacher
Employment requirements
- Teachers of academic subjects require a bachelor's degree in education which is often preceded by a bachelor's degree in the arts or sciences.
- Teachers of vocational or technical subjects require a bachelor's degree in education which is usually preceded by specialized training or experience in the subject.
- Instructors of trades in Quebec require completion of an apprenticeship training program and industry or trade certification.
- Department heads usually require several years of teaching experience.
- To specialize in special education or English or French as a second language, additional training is required.
- A provincial teaching certificate is required.
- Membership in a provincial or territorial teachers' association or federation may be required.
Secondary school teachers 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 | $28.85/hr | $45.67/hr | $59.76/hr |
Toronto ON | $28.85/hr | $47.50/hr | $59.89/hr |
Montréal QC | $26.39/hr | $42.56/hr | $56.09/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $28.85/hr | $44.33/hr | $58.24/hr |
Calgary AB | $37.95/hr | $47.12/hr | $66.03/hr |
Edmonton AB | $34.34/hr | $47.60/hr | $57.69/hr |
Ottawa ON | $28.45/hr | $48.08/hr | $60.95/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $31.73/hr | $45.54/hr | $54.57/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $27.47/hr | $44.23/hr | $56.49/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $28.85/hr | $48.08/hr | $62.64/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $32.21/hr | $47.25/hr | $64.10/hr |
London ON | $30.36/hr | $49.04/hr | $60.36/hr |
Halifax NS | $32.63/hr | $41.35/hr | $49.45/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $35.26/hr | $45.67/hr | $69.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $22.00/hr | $44.23/hr | $52.75/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $33.57/hr | $45.67/hr | $56.04/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $39.26/hr | $51.81/hr | $77.50/hr |
Nova Scotia | $19.79/hr | $41.35/hr | $49.45/hr |
New Brunswick | $20.00/hr | $41.03/hr | $49.27/hr |
Quebec | $27.47/hr | $44.23/hr | $56.49/hr |
Ontario | $29.33/hr | $48.08/hr | $61.54/hr |
Manitoba | $31.15/hr | $45.67/hr | $57.69/hr |
Saskatchewan | $30.00/hr | $44.71/hr | $56.07/hr |
Alberta | $32.97/hr | $47.12/hr | $60.44/hr |
British Columbia | $28.85/hr | $44.33/hr | $60.18/hr |
Using NOC 41220 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 89 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- College and other vocational instructors (NOC 41210)
- Educational counsellors (NOC 41320)
- Elementary and secondary school teacher assistants (NOC 43100)
- Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (NOC 41221)
- Instructors of persons with disabilities (NOC 42203)
- Other instructors (NOC 43109)
- Psychoeducator (NOC 41301)
- School principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education (NOC 40021)
- Secondary school librarian (NOC 52100)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for secondary school teachers?
Secondary school teachers are NOC 2021 unit group 41220. Example job titles in this group include adult education teacher - secondary school, biology teacher - secondary school, commerce teacher - secondary school, English as a second language (ESL) high school teacher.
What TEER is NOC 41220?
NOC 41220 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 secondary school teachers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $45.67/hr, about $89,000 a year full-time, with a range of $28.85/hr to $59.76/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.