NOC 41321: Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education)
What career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) do
Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) provide assistance and information to job seeker clients on all aspects of employment search and career planning. They also provide advice and information to employer clients regarding employment issues and human resources. They are employed by public or private employment agencies, rehabilitation centres, hospitals, human resource departments of establishments, consulting firms, correctional facilities and by federal and provincial governments. Supervisors of career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) are included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Interview clients to obtain employment history, educational background and career goals
- Identify barriers to employment and assist clients with such matters as job readiness skills, job search strategies, writing résumés and preparing for job interviews
- Assess need for assistance such as rehabilitation, financial aid or further training and refer clients to the appropriate services
- Provide established workers with information and strategies for maintaining a job or moving within an organization, dealing with job dissatisfaction, making mid-career changes and adjusting to workplace transitions
- Collect labour market information for clients regarding job openings, entry and skill requirements and other occupational information
- Advise employers on human resource and other employment-related issues
- Provide consulting services to community groups and agencies, businesses, industry and other organizations involved in providing community-based career planning support or resources
- May administer and interpret tests designed to determine the interests, aptitudes and abilities of clients.
- May provide advocacy and adjudication services related to employment legislation or contractual agreements.
- May arrange for, or conduct physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and to develop employment and rehabilitation plans.
- Vocational counsellors provide specialized career development services to individuals with physical illnesses or injuries, mental health illnesses and individuals with disabilities. They require additional knowledge and experience to assess employment capabilities and develop associated employment plans.
Job titles under NOC 41321
39 job titles are classified here, including career counsellor (except education), career development counsellor, career development practitioner.
- Aboriginal employment developer
- Aboriginal employment officer
- Aboriginal employment worker
- career coach
- career counsellor (except education)
- career development counsellor
- career development facilitator
- career development practitioner
- career group facilitator
- career resource centre coordinator
- employment assistance officer
- employment consultant
- employment counsellor - government services
- employment group counsellor
- employment outreach counsellor
- employment outreach program coordinator
- employment outreach program counsellor
- employment services assessment officer
- employment services group counsellor
- employment services officer
- guidance counsellor (except education)
- job counsellor
- job counsellor - government services
- job search trainer
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree or college diploma in employment counselling, career development or in a related field, such as human resources development, psychology, education or social services is required.
- A master's degree in counselling psychology or a related field such as educational psychology, developmental psychology or social work may be required.
- Vocational rehabilitation professional certification may be required by employers.
- In Quebec, membership in l'Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d'orientation du Québec is mandatory to use the titles ''vocational counsellor'' and "vocational guidance counsellor".
- In New Brunswick, membership in the College of Counselling Therapists of New Brunswick is mandatory to use the title "Licensed career counsellor".
- In Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Ontario, Certified Career Development Professional/Practitioner (CCDP) certification may be required by employers.
Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) 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 | $22.56/hr | $29.95/hr | $43.41/hr |
Toronto ON | $21.33/hr | $29.23/hr | $45.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $25.02/hr | $30.53/hr | $41.03/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $23.08/hr | $29.12/hr | $45.67/hr |
Calgary AB | $22.00/hr | $28.93/hr | $39.58/hr |
Edmonton AB | $22.68/hr | $28.26/hr | $35.98/hr |
Ottawa ON | $27.29/hr | $34.98/hr | $43.39/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $20.00/hr | $29.00/hr | $37.29/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $25.02/hr | $30.53/hr | $41.03/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $21.03/hr | $28.65/hr | $51.44/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $20.00/hr | $28.85/hr | $43.00/hr |
London ON | $25.78/hr | $33.01/hr | $45.46/hr |
Halifax NS | $24.63/hr | $30.22/hr | $48.72/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $28.00/hr | $29.30/hr | $39.74/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $21.00/hr | $27.85/hr | $40.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $21.00/hr | $27.85/hr | $40.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $22.67/hr | $33.00/hr | $53.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $21.75/hr | $27.20/hr | $43.08/hr |
New Brunswick | $24.75/hr | $35.25/hr | $45.00/hr |
Quebec | $25.02/hr | $30.53/hr | $41.03/hr |
Ontario | $21.33/hr | $29.23/hr | $45.00/hr |
Manitoba | $20.00/hr | $28.57/hr | $43.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $21.00/hr | $27.85/hr | $40.00/hr |
Alberta | $21.00/hr | $26.44/hr | $43.59/hr |
British Columbia | $25.00/hr | $29.30/hr | $41.83/hr |
Using NOC 41321 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 39 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Educational counsellors (NOC 41320)
- Employment insurance officer (NOC 12104)
- Human resources and recruitment officers (NOC 12101)
- Job coach for persons with disabilities (NOC 42203)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education)?
Career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) are NOC 2021 unit group 41321. Example job titles in this group include career counsellor (except education), career development counsellor, career development practitioner, outplacement counsellor.
What TEER is NOC 41321?
NOC 41321 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 career development practitioners and career counsellors (except education) earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $29.95/hr, about $58,000 a year full-time, with a range of $22.56/hr to $43.41/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.