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Business and Tourism Development Manager, Business / Community Development Officer, Director of Economic Development, Economic Development Coordinator, Economic Development Researcher, Investment Attraction Manager, Tourism and Economic Development Officer, Tourism Marketing Officer
In Canada, the federal government groups and organizes occupations based on a National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. This alis occupation may not reflect the entire NOC group it is part of. Data for the NOC group can apply across multiple occupations.
The NOC system is updated every 5 years to reflect changes in the labour market. Government forms and labour market data may group and refer to an occupation differently, depending on the system used.
Here is how this occupation has been classified over time.
2006 NOC
2006 NOC-S
2011 NOC
2016 NOC
2021 NOC
2023 OaSIS
There are many different job descriptions, duties, and responsibilities relating to economic development officers. Each provincial association of economic development has a list of members, a code of ethics, and standards of expectations for economic developers.
Depending on their needs, a community may employ an economic development coordinator or officer. This person liaises between the administration, municipal council, economic development committee, business development organizations (such as the chamber of commerce), and the community.
The duties of an economic development officer can range from coordinating, running, and supervising economic development programs to matching business investment opportunities with investors. This job is about creating an environment where business and investment can thrive.
In general, economic development officers:
Economic development officers work in an office setting, as well as remotely. They often are out in their community areas, attending council and committee meetings and community events. They may work longer than the usual 40-hour week. They may need to travel if their work involves attracting and growing business investment, with activities such as making presentations, attending trade shows or conducting tours for potential investors. Economic development officers may spend long periods sitting at a computer or attending meetings.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2023 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
To find out how well this occupation fits your work personality types, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Click or tap a personality type for its description.
Find other alis occupations that match this occupation’s work personalities.
To identify or change your work personalities, complete the Work Personalities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2023 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Business development officers and market researchers and analysts
2023 OaSIS: 41402.00
The graph below shows how well your scores match the overall abilities for this occupation.
The closer your ability scores are to the center, the more they match this occupation’s. The further away they are, the less they match this occupation’s.
The lower your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the more challenging the occupation will likely be for you. The higher your ability scores are compared to the occupation’s, the less challenging the occupation will likely be for you.
To find out how well this occupation fits your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
The 49 abilities are grouped into 5 abilities sets: Critical Thinking, Numbers and Patterns, Physical Activity, Mind-Body Coordination, and Senses.
Some abilities are more relevant to an occupation than other abilities. Individual abilities that are not relevant to an occupation are greyed out.
To fill in or change the values for your abilities, complete the Abilities Quiz in Find Your Fit.
Critical Thinking includes 9 abilities related to identifying and solving problems, thinking of ideas, and communication, such as speaking and writing.
This is how well your scores match the set of Critical Thinking abilities for this occupation:
Numbers and Patterns includes 10 abilities related to math, memorizing, and multitasking. It also includes how we perceive patterns, shapes, and distances.
This is how well your scores match the set of Numbers and Patterns abilities for this occupation:
Physical Activity includes 9 abilities related to strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, and endurance.
This is how well your scores match the set of Physical Activity abilities for this occupation:
Mind-Body Coordination includes 9 abilities related to movement control and how we react to signals. It also includes fine motor skills, such finger and hand dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
This is how well your scores match the set of Mind-Body Coordination abilities for this occupation:
Senses includes 12 abilities related to seeing, hearing, and speaking.
This is how well your scores match the set of Senses abilities for this occupation:
Economic development officers need:
They should enjoy:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
This chart shows which job skills are currently in highest demand for this occupational group. It was created using this occupation's 102 most recent Alberta job postings, collected between Feb 02, 2025 and Oct 08, 2025.
Review these skills to learn:
| Tasks: Develop marketing strategies | 69 |
|---|---|
| Tasks: Develop policies | 66 |
| Tasks: Develop and implement business plans | 66 |
| Tasks: Perform administrative tasks | 60 |
| Tasks: Prepare reports, research papers, educational texts or articles | 55 |
| Tasks: Plan development projects | 55 |
| Tasks: Design market research questionnaires | 54 |
| Tasks: Respond to enquiries from members of the business community concerning development opportunities | 51 |
| Attention to detail | 49 |
| Tasks: Develop social and economic profiles of urban and rural areas to encourage industrial and commercial investment | 44 |
Economic development officers must know about local industries, businesses, and municipal land-use and planning legislation. Employers may require a post-secondary degree related to economic development, such as business administration, urban planning, marketing, market research, communications, economics, or political science, or equivalent years of experience in the field of economic development. Many employers consider the certified economic developer (Ec.D) designation an asset.
The following schools offer programs or courses that are related to this occupation but are not required to enter the field.
To expand or narrow your program options, visit Post-Secondary Programs and start your search with:
Completing a program does not guarantee entrance into an occupation. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should look into various sources for education options and employment possibilities. For example, contact associations and employers in this field.
Economic development accreditation (preferably a designation) or courses that lead to accreditation are an asset.
Voluntary certifications include:
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Economic development officers work in many sectors of the economy. But they most often work for:
Experienced economic development officers may advance to senior or management positions. Those with enough experience may go on to become private consultants.
This section shows the industries where the majority of people in this occupation work. The data is based on the 2016 Census.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Business development officers and marketing researchers and consultants
2016 NOC: 4163
79.7% of people in this occupational group work in:
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
This section shows the Alberta job market condition, or short-term demand forecast, for this occupation over a 3-year period. It also shows the number of people employed in the occupation.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2024-2026 Alberta Short-Term Employment Forecast
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
To see data for all occupations, visit Occupations in Demand.
This section shows the employment outlook for this occupation in Alberta over a 5-year period.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2016 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups.
Source: 2021-2025 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Annual growth is from 2021 to 2025. New positions created each year are in addition to job openings created by employment turnover.
NOC groups often include several related occupations. Although there is labour market data for the larger NOC group, this occupation makes up only a part of that group. It means data for this occupation may be different than the data shown. For examples, see Note.
Employment turnover is expected to increase as members of the baby boom generation retire over the next few years.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2021 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
Unless otherwise noted, the data shown here is for all industries and all regions in Alberta.
All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production), and other forms of compensation.
To see the full survey data for this NOC group, visit the wage profile.
Other wage sources
To make an informed wage and salary decision, research other wage sources [pdf] to supplement this data.
High Reliability, represents a CV of less than or equal to 6.00% and 30 survey observations and/or represents 50% or more of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $23.81 | $63.19 | $38.86 | $36.65 |
| Overall | $27.25 | $74.36 | $47.25 | $43.87 |
| Top | $30.18 | $82.20 | $53.61 | $49.17 |
Swipe left and right to view all data. Scroll left and right to view all data.
* All wage estimates are hourly except where otherwise indicated. Wages and salaries do not include overtime hours, tips, benefits, profit shares, bonuses (unrelated to production) and other forms of compensation.
Pay brackets for hourly wages
| ALL INDUSTRIES | $92,902 |
|---|---|
| Construction | $102,825 |
| Wholesale Trade | $77,076 |
| Retail Trade | $59,512 |
| Professional, Scientific & Technical Services | $98,412 |
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $61,622 |
| Other Services (Repair, Personal Services and Related) | $78,688 |
| Public Administration | $90,407 |
Economic Developers Alberta website: www.edaalberta.ca
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2024. The information contained in this profile is current as of the dates shown. Salary, employment outlook, and educational program information may change without notice. It is advised that you confirm this information before making any career decisions.
