NOC 53201: Coaches
Coaches prepare and train individual athletes or teams for competitive events. They are employed by national and provincial sports organizations, professional and amateur sports teams, sports clubs and universities or they may be self-employed. This unit group also includes sports scouts who identify and recruit athletes for professional sports teams. They are employed by professional sports organizations.
Last reviewed 2026-11-02 · Sources: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
Quick answer
NOC 53201 (Coaches) is a TEER 3 occupation, so it counts as skilled work for Express Entry. It is not on IRCC's high-wage list. It isn't on any current category-based draw list.
TEER
TEER 3
Skilled for Express Entry
High-wage
Not listed
No extra CRS points
Category draws
None
IRCC 2026 lists
| NOC 2021 code | 53201 |
|---|---|
| Title | Coaches |
| Broad category | Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport |
| TEER | TEER 3 — usually requires a college diploma or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or 6+ months of on-the-job training |
Example job titles
- coach
- figure skating coach
- football scout
- gymnastics coach
- head coach
- hockey coach
- hockey scout
- national team coach
Main duties
- Coaches
- Identify strengths and weaknesses of athletes or teams
- Plan, develop and implement training and practice sessions
- Nurture and develop athletes' potential skills and abilities
- Develop, plan and coordinate competitive schedules and programs
- Motivate and prepare athletes or teams for competitive events or games
- Formulate competitive strategies, develop game plans and direct athletes and players during games or athletic events
- Analyse and evaluate athletes' or teams' performances and modify training programs.
Your duties should match the lead statement and most of the main duties to use this NOC — check the full profile on the official NOC site.
Related occupations
- NOC 53200 — Athletes
- NOC 53202 — Sports officials and referees
- NOC 53100 — Registrars, restorers, interpreters and other occupations related to museum and art galleries
- NOC 53110 — Photographers
- NOC 53111 — Motion pictures, broadcasting, photography and performing arts assistants and operators
- NOC 53120 — Dancers
- NOC 53121 — Actors, comedians and circus performers
- NOC 53122 — Painters, sculptors and other visual artists
- NOC 53123 — Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers
- NOC 53124 — Artisans and craftspersons
← NOC 53200 Athletes · NOC 53202 Sports officials and referees →
Calculate your CRS score → · All NOC codes · High-wage list
TEER 3 also matters for work permits: see the spousal open work permit (TEER rules for spouses of workers), LMIA explained and the Atlantic Immigration Program (job offers in TEER 0–4).
Sources: Statistics Canada NOC 2021 V1.0; IRCC high-wage occupations; IRCC category-based selection; IRCC who can apply.
Frequently asked questions
Is NOC 53201 eligible for Express Entry?+
NOC 53201 is a TEER 3 occupation. IRCC counts work in TEER 0, 1, 2 or 3 occupations as skilled work experience for the Federal Skilled Worker Program and the Canadian Experience Class, as long as all other program requirements are met.
Is NOC 53201 a high-wage occupation?+
No. NOC 53201 isn't on IRCC's Express Entry high-wage occupations list, so it doesn't earn the extra high-wage or job offer CRS points. Canadian work-length points can still apply for TEER 0–3 work.
Which Express Entry category draws include NOC 53201?+
None of IRCC's current category-based selection lists include NOC 53201. Candidates can still be invited in general, program-specific (such as CEC) or PNP rounds.