NOC 40021 job description: secondary school principal duties and responsibilities
- Plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through department heads or supervisors, the activities of teachers and support staff
- Review programs to ensure conformance to school board or provincial standards and develop programs within limits of authority
- Co-ordinate teaching activities of the institution by making personnel assignments, determining class size and preparing timetables
- Organize and maintain procedures for the keeping of records
- Prepare and administer institution or program budget
- Direct and co-ordinate school maintenance services and the use of school facilities
- May recruit and hire teachers and other staff
- May teach.
- Plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate, through school principals, the academic affairs of a school district
- Evaluate curriculum, teaching methods and community participation in programs for a school district and revise programs as required
- Develop and administer programs for the education and training of students and adults
- Make recommendations concerning the annual operating budget of a school district
- Direct or supervise the recruitment, appointment, training, evaluation and promotion of teaching personnel.
Job titles under NOC 40021
See every job title and its code in the A–Z job title index, or all TEER 0 jobs.
Is NOC 40021 eligible for Express Entry?
By TEER, yes. TEER 0 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.
| Program | TEER check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Federal Skilled Worker | TEER qualifies | TEER 0 is within TEER 0 to 3 |
| Canadian Experience Class | TEER qualifies | TEER 0 is within TEER 0 to 3 |
| Federal Skilled Trades | Not a listed trade | Only certain trade groups qualify. Check IRCC |
| Spouse's open work permit | Qualifies | All TEER 0 jobs qualify. SOWP rules |
Category-based draws: NOC 40021 is not on any category-based selection list (checked 2026-10-16). Under NOC 2016, TEER 0 was skill type 0 (management).
Category-based Express Entry draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists. Check the current lists on IRCC's Express Entry page and provincial nominee page.
NOC 40021: common questions
What is NOC 40021?
NOC 40021 is the code for school principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021). Its first digit, 4, is the broad category and its second digit, 0, is the TEER level. Immigration forms, job offers and LMIA applications use this five-digit code.
What TEER is NOC 40021?
NOC 40021 is TEER 0. Management occupations. Under the older NOC 2016 system, TEER 0 lines up with skill type 0 (management).
Is NOC 40021 eligible for Express Entry and PR?
By TEER, yes. TEER 0 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept. You still need qualifying work experience, language test results and enough CRS points to get an invitation. Category-based draws and provincial nominee programs use their own occupation lists.
Is NOC 40021 in a category-based Express Entry draw?
No. As of IRCC's list dated 2026-10-16, NOC 40021 is not in any category-based selection list (healthcare, STEM, trades, education, transport and others). You can still be invited in general and program-specific draws.
Is NOC 40021 eligible for a spousal open work permit (SOWP)?
Yes. All TEER 0 jobs qualify, so a worker in this job can support a spouse's open work permit, as long as their own work permit has at least 16 months left when the spouse applies (IRCC page modified 2026-06-12).
What is the NOC code for a secondary school principal?
Secondary school principal is listed under NOC 40021, school principals and administrators of elementary and secondary education. The job title alone does not decide your code: your duties should match the main duties of NOC 40021.
How do I know if NOC 40021 is my NOC code?
Compare what you actually do with the main duties listed for NOC 40021, not just your job title. IRCC expects your duties to match the lead statement and most of the main duties of the code you choose. If they fit another code better, use that one. You can paste your duties into nocfinder to see how they line up, duty by duty.
Source: ESDC NOC 2021 · IRCC program pages. Not legal advice.