NOC 53121: Actors, comedians and circus performers

What is NOC 53121?

NOC 53121 is the code for actors, comedians and circus performers in the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Job titles in this group include acrobat, acting teacher - private or studio, actor/actress and circus performer. It is a TEER 3 occupation (usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training), so it counts as skilled work for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class. The Job Bank median wage across Canada is $24.13 an hour.

NOC code

53121

TEER

3: College diploma, apprenticeship under 2 years or 6+ months of training

Broad category

Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport

Express Entry

Skilled (TEER 0 to 3)

Category draws

None

Median wage

$24.13 an hour

Job titles under NOC 53121

Actors, comedians and circus performers perform roles and circus skills in circuses, motion picture, television, theatre and radio productions to entertain a variety of audiences. They are employed by motion picture, television, circuses, theatre and other production companies. This unit group includes acting teachers employed by private acting schools.

Main job titles

• acrobat
• acting teacher - private or studio
• actor/actress
• circus performer
• clown
• comedian
• drama teacher - private or studio
• narrator

All 43 job titles in the NOC index

acrobat, acting teacher - private or studio, actor/actress, aerial acrobat - entertainment, circus artist, circus performer, clown, comedian, comic, contortionist, diction coach, drama actor, drama coach, drama teacher - private or studio, dramatic arts teacher - private or studio, dramatic reader, entertainer, equilibrist, film dubber, high-wire walker, humorist - performing arts, hypnotist, illusionist, impersonator, improviser, juggler, mime, mimic, movie actor, narrator, performing arts extra, reader - performing arts, show horse rider, slack-rope performer - entertainment, standardized patient, stand-in, stand-up comedian, story teller, straight man, stunt performer - film and theatre, trapeze artist, voice coach, voice-over actor.

Also included in this group

• standardized patient

Main duties of NOC 53121

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Actors and comedians

• Study and rehearse lines, gestures and expressions to interpret a role
• Portray roles in video or motion picture productions, television shows, theatre productions, radio dramas, commercials and other productions or perform the narration
• Sing or dance as required by specific roles
• Perform comedy acts in nightclubs alone or as members of comedy troupes
• Improvise a role.

Acting teachers

• Train students in interpretation of scripts, speech, movement, and dramatic theory
• Prepare acting students for specific auditions and performances.

Circus performers

• Perform a variety of acts intended to amaze, thrill, and engage audiences
• Conceptualize and choreograph original performances
• Study and perform acrobatic and aerial skills required by specific circus shows.
• May participate in the development of a director or ringmaster's vision

Employment requirements

• Demonstrated ability, based on an audition or previous acting or circus roles, is an important hiring criteria.
• Circus performers and acrobats may require a period of study at a circus school.
• Acting programs are offered at universities, colleges and private acting schools.
• Acting teachers usually require experience as actors.
• Membership in a guild or union may be required.

Is NOC 53121 eligible for Express Entry?

Yes for the programs that need skilled work: TEER 3 is in the TEER 0 to 3 range IRCC accepts.

Read how TEER categories work and the full list of NOC codes in each 2026 category draw. Category draws also need at least 12 months of full-time work (or the same amount part-time) in one listed occupation within the past 3 years.

How much does NOC 53121 pay?

Job Bank wages for this occupation, per hour. Low and high are, in most cases, the 10th and 90th percentiles, so 8 in 10 workers earn somewhere between them.

Source: Job Bank, Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank 2025 wages, revised November 19, 2025), data from 2023-2024 (Employment Insurance Survey Data). Wages for job offers in LMIA and provincial programs are compared with these figures, so check the current numbers on Job Bank before you rely on them.

Similar NOC codes to compare

If your work leans toward one of these, read its duties too. The closest match is the one whose lead statement and main duties describe most of what you did.

Classified somewhere else

• Announcers and other broadcasters: 52114 Announcers and other broadcasters
• Dancers: 53120 Dancers
• Drama professor - university: 41200 University professors and lecturers
• Musicians and singers: 51122 Musicians and singers
• Other performers: 55109 Other performers

Same minor group (5312 Occupations in creative and performing art)

• 53120 Dancers, TEER 3
• 53122 Painters, sculptors and other visual artists, TEER 3
• 53123 Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers, TEER 3
• 53124 Artisans and craftspersons, TEER 3
• 53125 Patternmakers - textile, leather and fur products, TEER 3

Match my duties with AI

Using NOC 53121 duties on your resume

Canadian resumes do not list NOC codes. Employers read your job titles, what you did and what came of it. The NOC duties are still a useful checklist: if you did these tasks, say so in your own words and add the numbers that prove it.

For Express Entry, the reference letter from your employer should describe the duties you really performed, in line with this lead statement and most of the main duties, without copying the NOC text word for word. The free reference letter generator checks your duties against NOC 53121 as you write.

• Start each bullet with a strong verb and end it with a result: how many, how often, how fast.
• Use the job title your employer used, even if the NOC title is different.
• Keep immigration details such as your NOC code and permit type off the resume.

Turn my duties into a resume Free to start, no card.

Where this information comes from

Occupation codes, titles and descriptions are adapted from Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Wages come from Job Bank, Employment and Social Development Canada (Job Bank 2025 wages, revised November 19, 2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.

Express Entry rules come from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC): the program pages for the Federal Skilled Worker Program, the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Trades Program, and the category-based selection page as modified on June 22, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NOC code for a acrobat?

NOC 53121, Actors, comedians and circus performers, a TEER 3 occupation in NOC 2021.

What TEER is NOC 53121?

TEER 3. Usually a college diploma, an apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than 6 months of on-the-job training. The TEER is the second digit of the code. See all TEER categories.

Is NOC 53121 eligible for Express Entry?

Yes. As a TEER 3 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class. You still have to meet every other requirement, and your duties must match the NOC description.

Is NOC 53121 in an Express Entry category-based draw?

No. It is not on any 2026 occupation list. The French-language proficiency category is open to any occupation if you reach NCLC 7 in French. See every category.

How much does NOC 53121 pay in Canada?

The Job Bank median across Canada is $24.13 an hour, with most wages between $16.75 and $39.97. Pay varies by province: see the table above.

Where is the official description?

On the Statistics Canada and ESDC NOC site: search 53121 in NOC 2021 Version 1.0. This page shows the same text, from the open data Statistics Canada publishes.

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More on NOC codes and Canadian resumes

• NOC Code Finder: Describe your duties and get your NOC 2021 code, TEER and Express Entry eligibility. Free.
• NOC Codes Canada: Full List: All 516 NOC 2021 codes with their TEER, duties and wages.
• TEER Categories Explained: What TEER 0 to 5 means, which count for Express Entry, and every job in each one.
• Express Entry Category Draws: NOC Codes: Every NOC code on the 2026 healthcare, STEM, trades, education and other lists.
• Canadian Resume Examples by Job: Real examples for cashiers, caregivers, trades, tech, students and more.
• Newcomer Resume Guide: Turn international experience into a resume Canadian employers understand.