Is NOC 51111 (Authors and writers (except technical)) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?

Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 51111 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).

How many CRS points does NOC 51111 give?

With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 51111, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 51111 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).

Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?

No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 51111 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.

Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?

Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.

Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 51111?

As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.

Which category draws include NOC 51111?

It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

1.3× median wageTEER 1NOC 2021 Version 1.0

NOC 51111: Authors and writers (except technical)

Authors and writers plan, research and write books, scripts, storyboards, plays, essays, speeches and other non-journalistic articles for publication or presentation. They are employed by advertising agencies, governments, large corporations, private consulting firms, publishing firms, multimedia/new-media companies and other establishments, or they may be self-employed.

Express Entry eligibility

Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 1.
Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.3× tier.

TEER 1: Occupations that usually need a university degree. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 51111 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 51111

With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:

Canadian work CRS points with 12 or more months in NOC 51111
Years in Canada	Single, today	Single, Nov 3	With spouse, today	With spouse, Nov 3
1	40	60	35	55
2	53	73	46	66
3	64	84	56	76
4	72	92	63	83
5 or more	80	100	70	90

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

Novelists, playwrights, script writers, poets and other creative writers
Conceive and write novels, plays, scripts, poetry and other material for publication or presentation
May conduct research to establish factual content and to obtain other necessary information.
Content writers (non-technical)
Write e-copy, blog posts, e-books, podcasts and other forms of Web-based content
Conduct research on a variety of topics to inform writing and may consult with clients to determine the goals of the writing.
Copywriters
Study and determine selling features of products and services and write text for advertisements and commercials.
Authors and writers may specialize in a particular subject or type of writing.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

advertising copywriter
copywriter
essayist
interactive media writer
literary writer
novelist
playwright
poet
script writer
speech writer
writer

Employment requirements

Copywriters usually require a university degree or college diploma in French, English, marketing, advertising or another discipline.
Creative writing programs are offered by universities and colleges.
Talent and ability, as demonstrated by a portfolio of work, are important hiring criteria.
Membership in a guild or union related to the occupation may be required.

Similar jobs with a different code

Common questions

Is NOC 51111 (Authors and writers (except technical)) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?: Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 51111 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
How many CRS points does NOC 51111 give?: With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 51111, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 51111 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).
Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?: No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 51111 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?: Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.
Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 51111?: As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
Which category draws include NOC 51111?: It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.

Other 1.3× high-wage occupations

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Find any NOC code · All high-wage occupations · Source: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0

See your CRS score with NOC 51111

Quick CRS adds up every factor and shows your score under today’s rules and the rules from November 3, 2026, side by side. Free, about 3 minutes.

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