NOC 53200: Athletes
What athletes do
Athletes participate in competitive sports events on an amateur or professional basis. They play team sports such as hockey, baseball, football and lacrosse; or compete in individual sports such as skiing, figure skating, boxing or track and field; or in games such as poker or chess. They are employed by professional team organizations or they may be self-employed.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Train under the direction of a coach or trainer to qualify for competition
- Attend scheduled practice and training sessions
- Participate in local, regional, provincial, national or international competitions and sporting events
- Assess performance after an event to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Job titles under NOC 53200
73 job titles are classified here, including athlete, baseball player, boxer.
- amateur athlete
- archer
- athlete
- automobile racer
- badminton player
- baseball player
- basketball player
- billiard player
- bowler
- boxer
- canoeist
- chess player
- chuckwagon driver
- chuckwagon racer - stampede
- competitor - chess
- competitor - gambling
- coxswain
- curler
- cyclist
- demolition driver
- discus thrower
- diver - olympic sport
- fencer
- figure skater
Employment requirements
- Demonstrated ability in a particular sport, or type of game, is required.
- Extensive training under the supervision of a coach is required.
- Certification with a particular sports federation may be required.
- A background combining athletic training and college or university studies is strongly recommended.
Athletes 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 | $18.00/hr | $27.50/hr | $51.71/hr |
Toronto ON | $17.60/hr | $32.00/hr | $52.86/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $17.28/hr | $23.45/hr | $50.56/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Quebec | $17.28/hr | $23.45/hr | $50.56/hr |
Ontario | $19.48/hr | $30.00/hr | $51.14/hr |
Alberta | $20.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $47.09/hr |
British Columbia | $20.11/hr | $29.50/hr | $68.95/hr |
Using NOC 53200 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 73 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Coaches (NOC 53201)
- Sports instructor (NOC 54100)
- Sports officials and referees (NOC 53202)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for athletes?
Athletes are NOC 2021 unit group 53200. Example job titles in this group include athlete, baseball player, boxer, figure skater.
What TEER is NOC 53200?
NOC 53200 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 athletes earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $27.50/hr, about $54,000 a year full-time, with a range of $18.00/hr to $51.71/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.