NOC 74205: Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
What public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers do
Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers operate vehicles and equipment to maintain streets, highways and sewer systems and operate trucks to collect garbage and recyclable materials. This unit group also includes workers who clear vegetation close to power lines. They are employed by municipal, provincial and federal public works departments, private contractors under contract with government public works departments and private companies involved in the collection of refuse and recyclable materials.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Operate garbage trucks to remove garbage and other refuse and dump loads at designated sites
- Operate street cleaning equipment such as street sweepers or other vehicles equipped with rotating brushes to remove sand, litter and trash
- Operate snowplows or trucks fitted with plow blades to remove snow from streets, highways, parking lots and similar areas
- Operate sewer maintenance equipment such as rodders and sewer jet cleaners to maintain and repair sewer systems
- Operate trucks equipped with apparatuses for spreading sand, salt or abrasives on roadways
- Operate chainsaws and other clearing equipment to fell trees and cut back vegetation close to power lines
- Check, lubricate, refuel and clean equipment and report any malfunctions to supervisor.
Job titles under NOC 74205
43 job titles are classified here, including garbage truck driver, municipal maintenance equipment operator, public works maintenance equipment operator.
- collection truck driver - public works
- drain roto servicer - public works
- electrical forester
- equipment operator - municipal public work
- garbage collector - driver
- garbage truck driver
- garbage truck driver - public works
- highway snow removal equipment operator
- highway snowplow operator
- maintenance equipment operator - public works
- mechanical sweeper operator - public works
- municipal maintenance equipment operator
- municipal servicer drain roto
- power sweeper operator - public works
- public works maintenance equipment operator
- recycling truck driver
- recycling truck driver - public works
- refuse truck driver - public works
- road snowplow operator - public works
- salt truck operator
- salt truck operator - public works
- sand spreader operator
- sand spreader operator - public works
- sanding truck operator - public works
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school may be required.
- Experience as a public works labourer is usually required.
- On-the-job training is provided.
- A driver's licence appropriate to a specific type of equipment may be required.
- Trade certification for utility arborists is available, but voluntary, in Ontario and British Columbia.
Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers 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 | $22.00/hr | $28.50/hr | $35.33/hr |
Toronto ON | $25.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $31.80/hr |
Montréal QC | $23.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $25.00/hr | $30.00/hr | $38.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $23.35/hr | $31.05/hr | $35.88/hr |
Edmonton AB | $24.29/hr | $31.13/hr | $36.40/hr |
Ottawa ON | $22.83/hr | $28.96/hr | $36.35/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $20.92/hr | $26.70/hr | $32.03/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $23.00/hr | $25.86/hr | $35.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $25.00/hr | $29.72/hr | $32.07/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $22.74/hr | $28.65/hr | $35.42/hr |
London ON | $26.00/hr | $29.50/hr | $33.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $19.62/hr | $23.15/hr | $26.10/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $26.70/hr | $32.00/hr | $38.70/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $22.00/hr | $27.64/hr | $32.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $21.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $17.00/hr | $29.92/hr | $35.25/hr |
Nova Scotia | $20.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $27.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $20.00/hr | $23.87/hr | $29.98/hr |
Quebec | $23.00/hr | $25.86/hr | $35.00/hr |
Ontario | $25.00/hr | $29.03/hr | $34.95/hr |
Manitoba | $22.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $20.59/hr | $28.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Alberta | $18.00/hr | $30.10/hr | $38.00/hr |
British Columbia | $25.00/hr | $30.45/hr | $37.04/hr |
Using NOC 74205 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 43 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400)
- Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers (NOC 85121)
- Public works and maintenance labourers (NOC 75212)
- Public works maintenance equipment operators supervisor (NOC 72021)
- Transport truck drivers (NOC 73300)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers?
Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers are NOC 2021 unit group 74205. Example job titles in this group include garbage truck driver, municipal maintenance equipment operator, public works maintenance equipment operator, salt truck operator.
What TEER is NOC 74205?
NOC 74205 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $28.50/hr, about $56,000 a year full-time, with a range of $22.00/hr to $35.33/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.