NOC 42200: Paralegals and related occupations
What paralegals and related occupations do
Paralegals prepare legal documents and conduct research to assist lawyers or other professionals. Independent paralegals provide legal services to the public as allowed by government legislation, or provide paralegal services on contract to law firms or other establishments. Justices of the peace administer oaths, issue subpoenas, summonses and warrants and perform other court-related duties such as conducting bail hearings. Notaries public administer oaths, take affidavits, sign legal documents and perform other activities according to the scope of their practice. Trademark agents advise clients on intellectual property matters. Paralegals are employed by law firms, by record search companies and in legal departments throughout the public and private sectors. Independent paralegals are usually self-employed. Justices of the peace are employed by federal, provincial, municipal, and territorial courts. Notaries public are employed by government and in the public and private sectors or they may be self-employed. Trademark agents are employed by law firms and legal departments throughout the public and private sectors, trademark development and search firms or they may be self-employed.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Paralegals
- Assist lawyers by interviewing clients, witnesses and other related parties, assembling documentary evidence, preparing trial briefs, and arranging for trials
- Assist lawyers in preparation for mediation and judicial dispute resolutions
- Under the supervision of a lawyer, prepare wills, real estate transactions and other legal documents, court reports and affidavits
- Research records, court files and other legal documents
- Draft legal correspondence and perform general office and clerical duties.
- Independent paralegals
- Represent clients in small claims court and in other lower court proceedings, at tribunals and before administrative bodies
- Advise clients and take legal action on landlord and tenant matters, traffic violations, name changes and other issues within their jurisdictions.
- Justices of the peace
- Issue subpoenas, summonses and warrants, including search warrants
- Receive affidavits, declarations and affirmations
- Administer oaths
- Conduct bail hearings
- Release defendants on judges' orders and explain rights and obligations
- Hear evidence at trials on summary conviction offences and may preside over trials of criminal offences at the discretion of the chief judge of the jurisdiction or as provided for in federal, provincial, or territorial statutes
- Perform civil marriages
- Register wills, probate, bankruptcy, etc.
- Notaries public
- Administer oaths and take affidavits and depositions
- Witness and certify the validity of signatures on documents
- May draft contracts, prepare promissory notes and draw up wills, mortgages and other legal documents
- May arrange probates and administer the estates of deceased persons.
- Trademark agents
- Advise clients on intellectual property matters and represent clients before the Registrar of Trade-Marks on matters including prosecution of applications for registration of trademarks
- Advise on the registrability of trademarks, trademark licensing requirements, transfer of intellectual property and protection of existing trademark rights
- Represent clients at proceedings before the Trade Marks Opposition Board and in related proceedings
- May represent clients internationally in consultation with foreign associates and attorneys.
Job titles under NOC 42200
76 job titles are classified here, including commercial law clerk, commissioner of affidavits, commissioner of marriages.
- abstractor
- brief writer - law
- British Columbia notary public
- citizenship judge
- clerk of probate
- collection paralegal
- commercial law clerk
- commercial law paralegal
- commissioner of affidavits
- commissioner of marriages
- contract clerk - law
- conveyance clerk
- copyright agent
- corporate law and litigation clerk
- corporate law clerk
- corporate paralegal
- corporate securities law clerk
- corporation paralegal
- court and tribunal agent
- criminal law clerk
- criminal law paralegal
- family law clerk
- family law paralegal
- foreclosure clerk
Employment requirements
- Paralegals in law firms require a bachelor's degree in law or a law college diploma and in-house training from a law firm or other legal establishment.
- Independent paralegals require knowledge of legal principles and procedures usually obtained through industry-sponsored courses and through experience, or through completion of a community college paralegal program.
- Paralegals require a licence to perform advanced legal services.
- Justices of the peace requirements can vary from a background in law and the justice system, completion of a justice registrar, justice of the peace or other court training program depending on their duties and responsibilities.
- Justices of the peace in the provinces are appointed by the lieutenant governor in council and, in the territories, by federally appointed territorial commissioners.
- Notaries public usually require a university degree in law or a related field.
- Notaries public are appointed after examination and certification of their qualifications by the governing judiciary in their province or territory. All appointments have specific limitations on the activities they can perform and for specific periods of time.
- Notaries public require a provincial licence. In British Columbia, membership in the Society of Notaries Public is also required.
- To be licensed, trademark agents are required to work in the area of trademark law, including the preparation and prosecution of trademark applications for registration, for two years and to successfully complete the examination conducted jointly by the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and the Registrar of Trade-Marks, Canadian Intellectual Property Office or either one of the above and to be a lawyer entitled to practise in Canada.
- Trademark agents require registration with the federal Trade-Mark Office.
Paralegals and related occupations 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 | $21.63/hr | $33.05/hr | $52.19/hr |
Toronto ON | $22.00/hr | $33.80/hr | $47.42/hr |
Montréal QC | $21.26/hr | $29.08/hr | $38.68/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $26.44/hr | $40.87/hr | $50.67/hr |
Calgary AB | $25.06/hr | $33.46/hr | $44.39/hr |
Edmonton AB | $28.85/hr | $39.56/hr | $53.00/hr |
Ottawa ON | $21.50/hr | $34.87/hr | $56.41/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $24.47/hr | $30.71/hr | $42.63/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $20.56/hr | $28.57/hr | $45.11/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $22.00/hr | $31.25/hr | $50.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $20.00/hr | $33.25/hr | $45.05/hr |
London ON | $22.16/hr | $31.33/hr | $41.59/hr |
Halifax NS | $21.73/hr | $28.05/hr | $37.22/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $26.47/hr | $33.85/hr | $44.28/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $20.00/hr | $32.50/hr | $35.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $24.11/hr | $31.69/hr | $40.62/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.00/hr | $26.01/hr | $37.84/hr |
Nova Scotia | $17.00/hr | $28.21/hr | $42.01/hr |
New Brunswick | $20.00/hr | $30.26/hr | $46.15/hr |
Quebec | $20.56/hr | $28.57/hr | $45.11/hr |
Ontario | $20.71/hr | $33.00/hr | $54.95/hr |
Manitoba | $21.25/hr | $32.72/hr | $67.20/hr |
Saskatchewan | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $85.00/hr |
Alberta | $25.96/hr | $33.65/hr | $55.00/hr |
British Columbia | $26.43/hr | $39.58/hr | $50.67/hr |
Using NOC 42200 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 76 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Articling law student (NOC 41101)
- Legal administrative assistants (NOC 13111)
- Patent agent (NOC 41400)
- Quebec notary (NOC 41101)
- Trademark lawyer (NOC 41101)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for paralegals and related occupations?
Paralegals and related occupations are NOC 2021 unit group 42200. Example job titles in this group include commercial law clerk, commissioner of affidavits, commissioner of marriages, corporate paralegal.
What TEER is NOC 42200?
NOC 42200 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 paralegals and related occupations earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $33.05/hr, about $64,000 a year full-time, with a range of $21.63/hr to $52.19/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.