National Occupational Classification (NOC): 33109
Fast Facts
- Average Pay: N/A
- Future Growth: N/A
- Skill Level: N/A
- Employment Size: N/A
- Unemployment: N/A
- Full-time Share: N/A
Sample Job Titles
- Therapist assistant - medical
- Autopsy assistant
- Central supply room supervisor - hospital
- Morgue attendant
- Medical clinic assistant
- Medical device reprocessing technician
- Orthopedic technologist
- Optical laboratory assistant
- Clinical laboratory helper
- Optometrist assistant
- Rehabilitation assistant
- Chiropractic assistant
What do those in other assisting occupations in support of health services do?
Other assisting workers in support of health services provide services and assistance to health care professionals and other health care staff. They are employed in hospitals, medical clinics, offices of health care professionals, nursing homes, optical retail stores and laboratories, and medical pathology laboratories.
Audiometric technicians perform some or all of the following duties:
- Under the supervision of audiologists, administer tests such as pure tone hearing screening, impedance tests and noise level measurements using equipment such as audiometers and sound level meters to determine hearing thresholds of patients
- Instruct patients on test procedures and record results
- Monitor, check and calibrate auditory equipment
- May take earmold impressions and fit and adjust hearing instruments.
Orthopedic technologists perform some or all of the following duties:
- Assist orthopedic surgeons in the treatment of orthopedic diseases and injuries by applying and adjusting casts, splints, bandages and other orthopedic devices
- Assist in the application, maintenance and adjustment of traction equipment
- Clean and dress wounds
- Remove casts, sutures, staples and pins
- Instruct patients and their families and other health care professionals with respect to orthopedic matters.
Rehabilitation aids perform some or all of the following duties:
- Prepare and maintain equipment and supplies
- Assist in activities for the rehabilitation of patients as directed by health care professionals
- May perform routine office functions.
Ophthalmic assistants perform some or all of the following duties:
- Take patients’ general medical and ophthalmic history
- Operate ophthalmic testing and measuring instruments to aid ophthalmologists in assessing patients’ vision
- Instruct patient on diagnostic test and record results
- Assist ophthalmologists in minor office surgery
- Administer eye drops, ointments and medications as directed by ophthalmologists
- Clean and maintain ophthalmic instruments and equipment
- Perform various administrative duties.
Optical/ophthalmic laboratory technicians and assistants perform some or all of the following duties:
- Operate laboratory equipment to grind, cut, polish and edge lenses for eyeglasses according to prescriptions received and fit lenses into frames
- Make minor repairs for customers such as replacing frame screws or straightening frames
- Maintain and repair optical laboratory equipment or machinery.
Sterile processing technicians perform some or all of the following duties:
- Operate and maintain sterilization equipment such as instrument washers, sonic sinks, cart washers and steam autoclaves to clean and disinfect trays, carts, linens, supplies, instrumentation and equipment for re-use according to standardized safety practices
- Reassemble equipment and assemble packs of sterile supplies and instruments for delivery to hospital departments.
Blood donor clinic assistants perform some or all of the following duties:
- Set up and dismantle equipment
- Prepare and maintain cleanliness of collection areas
- Maintain supplies
- Monitor donors throughout procedure and assist with post-donation care and donor reaction care as assigned under the supervision of a registered nurse
- Record information on donors
- Label and process donated blood.
Morgue attendants perform some or all of the following duties:
- Assist pathologists at autopsies by laying out surgical instruments
- Prepare solutions for preservation of specimens
- Transfer bodies from morgue to examining table
- Remove organs and tissue specimens, as instructed by attending pathologist, and placing them in preservative solutions
- Clean and sew up bodies for release to funeral home.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
Those in other assisting occupations in support of health services work in the following subsectors (NAICS) in Newfoundland and Labrador:
- 622 Hospitals
- 621 Ambulatory health care services
- 446 Health and personal care stores
- 623 Nursing and residential care facilities
- 912 Provincial and territorial public administration
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
Short and Long Term Occupational Projections
Short Term Projections for 2023-2025
The employment outlook will be moderate for those in other assisting occupations in support of health services in Newfoundland and Labrador (rating of 3 out of 5) for the 2023-2025 period.
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Long Term Projections for 2023-2032
Those in other assisting occupations in support of health services belong to the broader occupational group 3211, 33100, 33102-33109 (Assisting occupations in support of health services, including dental). This group is forecast to be tightening (rating of 2.8 out of 4) over the next several years, meaning new labour supply will be required to meet anticipated job openings.
Source: Department of Finance, Occupation Projections (Summer 2023)
Number of Job Postings in 2023
During 2023, there were 2 public job postings for this occupation, with the following distribution:
| Avalon: 100% | Western: 0% |
| Eastern: 0% | Labrador: 0% |
| Central: 0% | NL-unspecified: 0% |
Source: Lightcast (note: data used in this analysis reflects new unique monthly postings which are totaled for the calendar year)
Who works in other assisting occupations in support of health services in Newfoundland and Labrador?
During the reference week of May 2021, there were approximately 320 people working in this occupation in Newfoundland and Labrador. 19% of those employed were Male+ and 83% of those employed were Female+.
Here is the age group breakdown for this group of workers:
| 15 to 24 | 25 to 54 | 55 to 64 | 65+ |
| 8% | 69% | 19% | 3% |
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
How much do those in other assisting occupations in support of health services make?
Annual Earnings
The median employment income for all those working in other assisting occupations in support of health services in the reference year 2020 (375 workers in total, including those working part-time and full-time, as well as part-year and full-year) was $37,600.
Source: Census 2021, Statistics Canada
Hourly Earnings
Salary information for those in other assisting occupations in support of health services in Newfoundland and Labrador is as follows:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $17.00 | $23.74 | $28.00 |
The following low, median, and high wages are for Canada:
| Low ($/hour) | Median ($/hour) | High ($/hour) |
| $15.40 | $21.00 | $27.27 |
Source: Job Bank, Government of Canada
Most Frequently Sought Skills from Job Postings (2023)
- Billing
- Dental Surgery
- Sterilization
- Medical Privacy
- Physics
- Safety Standards
- Retina
Source: Lightcast
What training is required?
- Orthopedic technologists usually require completion of secondary school and Several months of on-the-job training or A college orthopedic technologist program.
- Registration with the Canadian Society of Orthopaedic Technologists is available and may be required by employers.
- Health care courses or short-term college programs related to the work of medical therapy assistants, such as recreational therapy programs, are available and may be required by employers.
- Pharmacy aides require completion of secondary school and Several months of on-the-job training.
- Sterile processing technicians require completion of secondary school and A six- to nine-month sterile processing college program.
- Completion of secondary school and several months of on-the-job training are usually required for other assisting occupations in this unit group.
Source: National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021, Employment and Social Development Canada
* Find public and private education, training and skills development opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador here.