21100 Physicists and astronomers

What this occupation covers

Physicists conduct theoretical and applied research to extend knowledge of natural phenomena and to develop new processes and devices in fields such as electronics, communications, power generation and distribution, aerodynamics, optics and lasers, remote sensing, biotechnology, medicine and health. They are employed by electronic, electrical and aerospace manufacturing companies, telecommunications companies, power utilities, university and government research laboratories, hospitals and by a wide range of other processing, manufacturing, and research and consulting firms. Astronomers conduct observational and theoretical research to extend knowledge of the universe. They are employed by government and universities.

Official main duties

The NOC profile lists 7 main duties for this code.

• Design and conduct research in experimental and theoretical physics
• Carry out analysis of research data and prepare research reports
• Participate as a member of a research or development team in the design and development of experimental, industrial or medical equipment, instrumentation and procedures.
• Physicists may specialize in fields such as aeronomy and space, acoustics, atomic and molecular physics, biophysics, condensed matter or solid state physics, electromagnetics, fluids and aerodynamics, health physics, medical physics, metrology, particle physics, optics and laser physics, nuclear physics and plasma physics.
• Design and conduct observational surveys, conduct detailed analyses and develop numerical models to extend knowledge of celestial bodies and cosmic radiation
• Develop or participate in the development of instrumentation and software for astronomical observation and analysis.
• Astronomers may specialize in fields such as astrophysics, observational or optical astronomy and radio astronomy.

Do not copy these lines into your reference letter. The letter has to describe what you actually did, in your employer’s words. DUTYPROOF flags wording lifted from the NOC as something to review, and an officer reading a letter that mirrors the NOC reads it the same way.

What DUTYPROOF screens for

This is DUTYPROOF’s screening threshold, not IRCC’s decision. For this NOC, screening requires at least 2 of its 7 official duties to be evidenced in your own words, plus the required letter elements. IRCC asks that you performed the actions in the occupation’s lead statement and a substantial number of its main duties — so treat the duty coverage as the number that matters, not the badge.

Codes this one is confused with

The NOC profile names these itself. Choosing the wrong code of a look-alike pair is the most common way genuine work experience fails to establish eligibility.

• 20011 Architecture and science managers
• 21311 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers)
• 21102 Geoscientists and oceanographers

Excluded from this code

• Architecture and science managers (See 20011 Architecture and science managers)
• Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) (See 21311 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers))
• Geophysicist (See 21102 Geoscientists and oceanographers)
• Physical oceanographer (See 21102 Geoscientists and oceanographers)

Job titles filed under this code

A title on this list does not by itself put your experience in this code — the duties in your letter decide that.

acoustics physicist · aerodynamicist · aerophysicist · aerospace research scientist · astronomer · astrophysicist · atmospheric physicist · biophysicist · chemical physicist · communications research scientist · cosmic ray physicist · cosmologist · cryogenics physicist · crystal physicist · electricity and magnetism physicist · electronics physicist · electronics research scientist · elementary particle physicist · elementary particle theorist · experimental physicist · fluid physicist · health physicist · high-temperature physicist · laser physicist

Employment requirements

• Physicists usually require a master's or doctoral degree in a field of physics, engineering physics, or in a related discipline.
• Astronomers usually require a master's or doctoral degree in astronomy or in a related discipline.