Index of titles Return to menu

As useful as the unit group headings or labels are, they do not always correspond with the real-world job titles in use every day. For this reason, the index of job titles is a tool used to search for occupational titles in addition to those that appear in the occupational descriptions.

The index of job titles contains thousands of titles that are classified within the 516 unit groups of the NOC. With millions of people in the employed labour force, it is impossible to capture all the individualized job titles that could potentially exist. While the listing in the index is not meant to be exhaustive, it does provide extensive coverage of commonly used and understood titles in an economic context, as well as the more obscure and specific titles found in many occupational areas. Some of the more commonly used titles in an occupation are listed as examples within each NOC unit group description.

Approximately 40,000 titles are included in the index, many of which have been carried forward from the original NOC, published in 1992, as they are still currently used in the labour market. Many new and additional titles were added to each revised edition of the NOC, and some, no longer seen in the labour market, were removed.

To assist users, the index includes both formally recognized occupational titles (e.g., radiography technologist) and less formal titles that are commonly used (e.g., X-ray technician). Some titles represent occupations (e.g., librarian; chef), while other titles refer to specializations within an occupation (e.g., music librarian; pastry chef). Still, others correspond to a range of jobs (e.g., furniture assembler; sawmill machine operator).

Industry, institution, or subject matter modifiers are added to many titles. This information is attached to the title following a dash (e.g., customer service supervisor - retail; electronics mechanic - avionics) to provide a means of differentiation among titles. Often, the extensions provide further information to clarify the placement of titles in the classification structure (e.g., painter - visual arts; painter - motor vehicle manufacturing). These modifiers should be considered when coding a job title.

Prior to the 2021 revision, titles of military occupations were classified according to rank. These titles are now classified based on the duties required by their position. The NOC 2021 includes four unit groups with specific duties related to the armed forces. Military personnel in positions with a civilian counterpart are classified within the civilian unit group by adding the modifier “Canadian armed forces” after a dash (e.g., plumbing heat technician - Canadian armed forces).

The terminological research conducted for the translation and adaptation of the titles contained in the revised index of titles has dealt with a component that was not previously addressed. Concordances for all titles, in both official languages, have been identified. The level of concordance identifies correspondence between one title (or several where there are equivalent titles) to one or many titles in the other language.