NOC 53121: Actors, comedians and circus performers
What actors, comedians and circus performers do
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 duties
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
Job titles under NOC 53121
43 job titles are classified here, including acrobat, acting teacher - private or studio, actor/actress.
- 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
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.
Actors, comedians and circus performers wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $16.75/hr | $24.13/hr | $39.97/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $17.28/hr | $27.75/hr | $42.82/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Quebec | $17.28/hr | $27.75/hr | $42.82/hr |
Ontario | $17.60/hr | $23.00/hr | $33.75/hr |
British Columbia | $18.00/hr | $28.11/hr | $46.43/hr |
Using NOC 53121 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 43 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Announcers and other broadcasters (NOC 52114)
- Dancers (NOC 53120)
- Drama professor - university (NOC 41200)
- Musicians and singers (NOC 51122)
- Other performers (NOC 55109)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for actors, comedians and circus performers?
Actors, comedians and circus performers are NOC 2021 unit group 53121. Example job titles in this group include acrobat, acting teacher - private or studio, actor/actress, circus performer.
What TEER is NOC 53121?
NOC 53121 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do actors, comedians and circus performers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $24.13/hr, about $47,000 a year full-time, with a range of $16.75/hr to $39.97/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.