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Environmental Health Officer, Infection Control Practitioner, Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner, Infection Prevention and Control Professional, Infection Preventionist
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
*This NOC group is considered similar to the Infection Control Professional occupation. Because this occupation is only similar to the NOC group, related details and labour market information may not be accurate.
Infection control professionals are expert consultants. They provide direction to leaders and staff regarding best practices for infection prevention and control (IPC) in health care settings. This can include hospitals, clinics, mental health facilities, and group homes. Their goal is to minimize risk to patients, staff, and visitors by helping others prevent the spread of infections in their practices.
Infection control professionals:
Infection control professionals work closely with many other health care providers, such as:
Hours of work may vary. Infection control professionals may work full time, part time, or casual hours. They often work standard weekday hours. However, they may work some weekend and holiday shifts. Some infection control professionals are on call during off hours. Those working outside of Edmonton or Calgary may travel to assigned sites to provide service.
Infection control professionals must follow best practices. They must observe safety guidelines and precautions and standards related to the care of patients with infectious diseases. This protects their patients, themselves, and other health care workers from the spread of infection.
In Alberta, this occupation is part of 1 or more 2006 National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups. If there are multiple related NOC groups, select a NOC heading to learn about each one.
*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Infection Control Professional occupation.
Interest combinations are unique to each of the occupations in this National Occupational Classification (NOC) group. Please consult the 2003 NOC Career Handbook for further information.
Interest combinations are unique to each of the occupations in this National Occupational Classification (NOC) group. Please consult the 2003 NOC Career Handbook for further information.
Interest combinations are unique to each of the occupations in this National Occupational Classification (NOC) group. Please consult the 2003 NOC Career Handbook for further information.
To identify or change your interest codes, complete the Interests Exercise in CAREERinsite.
The interest code helps you figure out if you’d like to work in a particular occupation.
It’s based on the Canadian Work Preference Inventory (CWPI), which measures 5 occupational interests: Directive, Innovative, Methodical, Objective, and Social.
Each set of 3 interest codes for this NOC group is listed in order of importance.
A code in capital letters means it’s a strong fit for the occupation.
A code in all lowercase letters means the fit is weaker.
Infection control professionals need to possess:
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 data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Infection Control Professional occupation.
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 Apr 28, 2023 and Apr 22, 2024.
Review these skills to learn:
| Construction Specialization: Reliability | 85 |
|---|---|
| Construction Specialization: Team player | 85 |
| Construction Specialization: Accurate | 85 |
| Construction Specialization: Organized | 85 |
| Construction Specialization: Judgement | 84 |
| Construction Specialization: Excellent oral communication | 84 |
| Tasks: Collaborate to plan, implement, co-ordinate and evaluate patient care | 84 |
| Construction Specialization: Client focus | 83 |
| Health benefits: Health care plan | 82 |
| Health benefits: Dental plan | 82 |
Most emerging occupations develop from more than one occupation. People working in this occupation may come from a variety of education and training backgrounds. Before enrolling in an education program, prospective students should contact associations and employers in this field to investigate education options and employment possibilities.
Infection control professionals usually need at least a bachelor’s degree. This might be in nursing or another health-related science. They also need experience working in a health care setting.
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 search for programs related to this occupation, visit Post-Secondary Programs.
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.
After being hired, infection control professionals are often expected to become certified in infection prevention and control. They can do this through the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC). Successful applicants may use the CBIC credentials.
As well, infection control professionals are often required to be licensed members of an applicable regulatory body. This could include the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CARNA), the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Alberta (CMLTA), or the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA).
Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Emerging occupations typically are the result of:
Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, it can be difficult to define advancement opportunities or employment outlook. Some Albertans already are working in this emerging occupation, but future demand for it is unknown.
Infection control professionals work in:
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.
In the 3012: Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses* occupational group, 95.8% of people work in:
*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Infection Control Professional occupation.
Employment outlook is influenced by a wide variety of factors including:
Explore emerging workplace trends in Alberta that could affect this occupation.
In Alberta, the 3012: Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses* occupational group is expected to have an above-average annual growth of 3.6% from 2019 to 2023. In addition to job openings created by employment turnover, 1361 new positions are forecasted to be created within this occupational group each year.
*This data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Infection Control Professional occupation.
Note
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 example, only some of the new positions to be created will be for this occupation. It also applies to other data for the NOC group such as number of people employed.
Source: 2019-2023 Alberta Regional Occupational Demand Outlook
Demand for infection control professionals is expected to continue growing in Alberta as the province's Infection Prevention and Control strategy is further developed and implemented.
Often there are too few people working in an emerging occupation to gather survey information. Therefore, no current provincial salary data is available for this occupation.
Earnings also vary by employer. For information about current collective agreements in the public and not-for-profit sectors, see the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) website.
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 data is for a NOC group that is similar to the Infection Control Professional occupation.
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.
Good Reliability, represents a CV of between 6.01% and 15.00% and/or fewer than 30 survey observations and/or if survey observations represent less than 50% of all estimated employment for the occupation.
| Wages* | Low (5th percentile) | High (95th percentile) | Average | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $36.86 | $38.09 | $36.85 | $36.86 |
| Overall | $43.63 | $47.78 | $46.21 | $46.51 |
| Top | $49.34 | $59.44 | $56.12 | $59.44 |
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 | $72,818 |
|---|---|
| Health Care & Social Assistance | $72,722 |
| Public Administration | $89,924 |
Alberta Health Services, career profiles web page: www.albertahealthservices.ca/careers
Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology website: www.cbic.org
Get information and referrals about career, education, and employment options from Alberta Supports.
Updated Mar 31, 2018. 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.
