NOC 73401: Printing press operators

NOC 73401 is the NOC 2021 unit group for printing press operators, with job titles such as printing press operator, offset press operator and flexographic press operator. It is a TEER 3 occupation in broad category 7, trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations.

TEER 3Broad category 7NOC 2021

Decode the code

Pick a level to see what each digit means.

73401

Unit group 73401: printing press operators. This is the code you put on your application.

NOC 73401 job description: printing press operator duties and responsibilities

  • Review job orders to determine job specifications such as production time, colour sequence and quantities required, and advise press crew of these specifications
  • Mount plates or cylinders and make necessary adjustments
  • Fill ink fountains and take measurements, make adjustments and determine settings to control colour and viscosity
  • Set up press and check samples for ink coverage, alignment and registration
  • Monitor regular press runs for quality and consistency using computer control console and make adjustments as required
  • Remove and clean plates and cylinders at end of press run
  • Direct activities of press crew and ensure that safety procedures are adhered to.

Job titles under NOC 73401

See every job title and its code in the A–Z job title index, or all TEER 3 jobs.

Is NOC 73401 eligible for Express Entry?

By TEER, yes. TEER 3 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept, and NOC 73401 is also on the Federal Skilled Trades list. 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.

Federal program TEER requirements for NOC 73401
ProgramTEER checkWhy
Federal Skilled WorkerTEER qualifiesTEER 3 is within TEER 0 to 3
Canadian Experience ClassTEER qualifiesTEER 3 is within TEER 0 to 3
Federal Skilled TradesListed tradeNOC 73401 is in a trade group IRCC accepts. Check IRCC
Spouse's open work permitQualifiesOn IRCC's TEER 2–3 list. SOWP rules

Category-based draws: NOC 73401 is not on any category-based selection list (checked 2026-10-16). Under NOC 2016, TEER 3 was skill level B ("NOC B").

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 73401: common questions

What is NOC 73401?

NOC 73401 is the code for printing press operators in Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021). Its first digit, 7, is the broad category and its second digit, 3, is the TEER level. Immigration forms, job offers and LMIA applications use this five-digit code.

What TEER is NOC 73401?

NOC 73401 is TEER 3. Occupations that usually need a college program or apprenticeship of less than two years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. Under the older NOC 2016 system, TEER 3 lines up with skill level B.

Is NOC 73401 eligible for Express Entry and PR?

By TEER, yes. TEER 3 is inside the TEER 0 to 3 range that the Federal Skilled Worker Program and Canadian Experience Class accept, and NOC 73401 is also on the Federal Skilled Trades list. 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 73401 in a category-based Express Entry draw?

No. As of IRCC's list dated 2026-10-16, NOC 73401 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 73401 eligible for a spousal open work permit (SOWP)?

Yes. NOC 73401 is on IRCC's list of TEER 3 occupations that 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 printing press operator?

Printing press operator is listed under NOC 73401, printing press operators. The job title alone does not decide your code: your duties should match the main duties of NOC 73401.

How do I know if NOC 73401 is my NOC code?

Compare what you actually do with the main duties listed for NOC 73401, 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.