NOC 51122: Musicians and singers

Musicians and singers perform with orchestras, choirs, opera companies and popular bands in establishments such as concert halls, lounges and theatres and in film, television and recording studios. This unit group also includes music teachers who usually teach in conservatories, academies and private homes.

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): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

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 51122 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 51122

Skilled Canadian work in this occupation earns the standard points, the same before and after November 3, 2026, with no high-wage add-on:

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

Main duties

This group performs some or all of the following duties:

• Musicians
• Play one or more instruments as soloists or as members of a musical group before audiences or for recording purposes.
• Singers
• Sing musical arrangements as soloists or as members of vocal groups before audiences or for recording purposes.
• Teachers of music or voice
• Teach technique, interpretation and music theory to students through private or group lessons.
• Musicians and singers usually specialize in specific genres of music such as classical, country, ethnic, jazz, opera or popular music.

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

Example job titles

• accompanist
• church organist
• guitar player
• instrumentalist
• music teacher - musicians
• musician
• opera singer
• percussionist
• recording artist
• rock singer
• singer
• vocalist

Employment requirements

• Musical training from a university or college or through private instruction is usually required.
• Members of orchestras and other professional classical musicians and singers usually require a university degree in music.
• Musical talent and ability, as demonstrated during an audition, are important hiring criteria.
• Membership in a guild or union related to the occupation or type of performance may be required.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 51121Conductors, composers and arrangers
• 41200Music professor - university
• 41221Music teacher - elementary school
• 41220Music teacher - secondary school