List of Canadian military occupations
The Canadian Armed Forces currently lists 109 military occupations[1] that are performed by either officer or non-commissioned members. Many occupations, such as Training and Development Officer, are common across all three branches, while others, such as Sonar Operator, are specific to one element.
Occupations
Current
Officer Occupations
The following is a list of the current 46 officer occupations across all three branches ("elements") of the Canadian military:
| Occupation name | Element(s) Served | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Navy | Air Force | |
| Aerospace Control Officer | |||
| Aerospace Engineering Officer | |||
| Air Combat Systems Officer | |||
| Air Operations Officer | |||
| Anesthesiologist | |||
| Armour Officer | |||
| Artillery Officer | |||
| Bioscience Officer* | |||
| Cadet Instructor Cadre Officer[2]† | |||
| Chaplain | |||
| Communications and Electronics Engineering Officer | |||
| Construction Engineering Officer | |||
| Critical Care Nursing Officer | |||
| Dental Officer | |||
| Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Officer | |||
| Emergency Medicine Specialist (Medical Specialist) | |||
| Engineer Officer | |||
| General Surgeon (Medical Specialist) | |||
| Health Services Management Officer | |||
| Infantry Officer | |||
| Intelligence Officer | |||
| Internal Medicine Specialist (Medical Specialist) | |||
| Legal Officer | |||
| Logistics Officer | |||
| Marine Systems Engineering Officer* | |||
| Medical Officer | |||
| Medical Officer (CCFP(EM)) | |||
| Mental Health Nursing Officer | |||
| Military Police Officer | |||
| Naval Combat Systems Engineering Officer* | |||
| Naval Warfare Officer | |||
| Nurse Practitioner† | |||
| Nursing Officer | |||
| Operating Room Nursing Officer | |||
| Personnel Selection Officer | |||
| Pharmacy Officer | |||
| Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (Medical Specialist)* | |||
| Physician's Assistant | |||
| Physiotherapy Officer | |||
| Pilot | |||
| Psychiatrist (Medical Specialist)* | |||
| Public Affairs Officer | |||
| Radiologist (Medical Specialist) | |||
| Signals Officer | |||
| Social work Officer | |||
| Training Development Officer | |||
NOTES:
* indicates the occupation is available only in the Regular Force
† indicates the occupation is available only in the Reserve Force
NCM Occupations
The following is a list of the current 63 NCM (non-commissioned member) occupations across all three branches ("elements") of the Canadian military:
| Occupation name | Element(s) Served | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Navy | Air Force | |
| Aerospace Control Operator | |||
| Aerospace Telecommunication and Information Systems Technician | |||
| Air Drop Systems Technician* | |||
| Air Operations Support Technician | |||
| Air Weapons Systems Technician | |||
| Airborne Electronic Sensor Operator | |||
| Aircraft Structures Technician | |||
| Ammunition Technician* | |||
| Armour Soldier | |||
| Aviation Systems Technician | |||
| Avionics Systems Technician | |||
| Biomedical Electronics Technologist | |||
| Boatswain | |||
| Combat Engineer | |||
| Combat medic | |||
| Construction Technician | |||
| Cook | |||
| Cyber Operator | |||
| Dental Technician | |||
| Drafting and Survey Technician | |||
| Electrical Distribution Technician | |||
| Electrical Generation Systems Technician | |||
| Electronic-Optronic Technician – Land* | |||
| Financial Services Administrator | |||
| Fire fighter* | |||
| Geomatics Technician* | |||
| Gunner | |||
| Human Resources Administrator | |||
| Imagery Technician | |||
| Infanteer | |||
| Information Systems Technician | |||
| Intelligence Operator | |||
| Line Technician | |||
| Marine Technician | |||
| Material Management Technician | |||
|
Materials Technician* |
|||
| Medical Laboratory Technologist* | |||
| Medical Radiation Technologist | |||
| Meteorological Technician* | |||
| Military police | |||
| Mobile Support Equipment Operator | |||
| Musician | |||
| Naval Combat Information Operator | |||
| Naval Communicator | |||
| Naval Electronic Sensor Operator* | |||
| Operating Room Technician* | |||
| Paramedic | |||
| Pipes and Drums† | |||
| Plumbing and Heating Technician | |||
| Port Inspection Diver† | |||
| Postal Clerk | |||
| Refrigeration and Mechanical Systems Technician | |||
| Search and Rescue Technician*‡ | |||
| Signal Operator | |||
| Signal Technician | |||
| Signal Intelligence Specialist | |||
| Sonar Operator* | |||
| Traffic Technician | |||
| Vehicle Technician | |||
| Water, Fuels and Environmental technician | |||
| Weapons Engineering Technician* | |||
| Weapons Technician – Land | |||
NOTES:
* indicates the occupation is available only in the Regular Force
† indicates the occupation is available only in the Reserve Force
‡ indicates entry to the trade only by occupational transfer; no direct entry
Former
The following list contains former occupations that have either been renamed, amalgamated or removed altogether:
| Occupation name | Element(s) Served | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Navy | Air Force | ||
| Artillery Soldier | Renamed to Gunner | |||
| Electrical Technician | Amalgamated into Marine Technician trade | |||
| Communication Research Operator | Renamed to Signals Intelligence Specialist | |||
| Health Care Administration Officer | Renamed to Health Services Management Officer | |||
| Hull Technician | Amalgamated into Marine Technician trade | |||
| Marine Engineer | Amalgamated into Marine Technician trade | |||
| Medical Assistant | Renamed/reorganized (along with the Medical Technician trade) to the Combat Medic and Paramedic trades | |||
| Medical Technician | Renamed/reorganized (along with the Medical Assistant trade) to the Combat Medic and Paramedic trades | |||
| Naval Electronics Technician | Amalgamated into Weapons Engineering Technician Trade | |||
| Naval Weapons Technician | Amalgamated into Weapons Engineering Technician Trade | |||
| Resource Management Support Clerk | Split into two trades - Financial Services Administrator and Human Resource Administrator | |||
| Steward | Removed, some roles absorbed into Cook trade | |||
| Supply Technician | Renamed to Material Management Technician | |||
References
- ^ "FORCES.CA - Browse Careers". Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ^ "CANADA.CA - Cadet Instructor Cadre Officers". Retrieved 27 October 2025.