NOC 2021 · 52120 · TEER 2
Graphic designers and illustrators
Unit group 52120 of the National Occupational Classification, 2021 Version 1.0.
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What this group covers
Graphic designers conceptualize and produce graphic art and visual materials to effectively communicate information for publications, advertising, films, packaging, posters, signs and interactive media such as Web sites and CDs. They are employed by advertising and graphic design firms, by establishments with advertising or communications departments and by multimedia production companies, or they may be self-employed. Graphic designers who are also supervisors, project managers or consultants are included in this unit group. Illustrators conceptualize and create illustrations to represent information through images. They are almost solely self-employed.
Example job titles
As Statistics Canada publishes them. Yours may be worded differently and still belong here.
- 2D animation artist
- 2D animator
- 3D animation artist
- 3D animator
- 3D artist
- 3D modeler
- advertising art director
- advertising art supervisor
- advertising artist
- advertising designer
- advertising illustrator
- advertising illustrator chief
- advertising layout designer
- animated cartoon artist
- animated cartoon artist - visual arts
- animated cartoon colourist
- animation artist
- animation layout designer
- animator - animated films
- art layout designer
- artistic illustrator
- assistant animator - animated films
- background artist
- bank note designer
- biological illustrator
- business forms designer
- calligrapher
- calligraphic artist
- caricaturist
- cartoon film artist
- cartoonist
- cartoonist sketch
- catalogue illustrator
- cell animator
- character animator
- colour artist - cartoons
- colourist - cartoons
- commercial artist
- commercial design artist
- commercial designer
- communication designer
- computer animator
- computer graphics specialist
- concept artist
- content creator - graphic design
- content director
- content strategist
- cover designer
- cover page illustrator
- cybergraphic designer
- digital animator - artist
- editorial cartoonist
- fashion illustrator
- flash designer
- form layout designer
- forms designer
- game designer
- graphic artist
- graphic arts room supervisor
- graphic design and illustration animator
- graphic designer
- graphic designer - multimedia
- graphic designer - multimedia, interactive or new media
- graphic designer and layout artist
- illustrator
- illustrator and graphic designer
- interactive media designer
- Internet graphic designer
- layout artist
- layout designer
- level designer
- litho artist
- medical illustrator
- motion graphic designer
- multimedia design specialist
- multimedia designer
- multimedia illustrator
- multimedia instructional designer and scriptor
- multimedia products designer
- multimedia products designer-ideaman/woman
- new media graphics designer
- newspaper illustrator
- package designer
- page designer
- paper securities designer
- pictographist
- political caricaturist
- political cartoonist
- poster artist
- registered graphic designer (RGD)
- scientific illustrator
- sign designer
- sports cartoonist
- storyboard artist
- technical animator
- technical artist
- texture artist
- title artist
- user experience designer
- visual graphic designer
- wallpaper colourist
- wallpaper designer
- Web designer - graphic design
- Web graphic designer
- Web page designer
Source: Statistics Canada — National Occupational Classification 2021 V1.0. Data current as of 13 August 2026. NOC 2021 Version 1.0. The classification is versioned rather than dated — IRCC moved to it in November 2022, and a new version would be a new classification rather than an update.