NOC 75212: Public works and maintenance labourers
What public works and maintenance labourers do
Public works and maintenance labourers perform a variety of labouring activities to maintain sidewalks, streets, roads and similar areas. They are employed by public works departments in all levels of government or by private contractors under contract to governments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Clean and maintain sidewalks, streets, roads and public grounds of municipality and other areas, working as member of crew
- Sweep debris and remove snow from streets, sidewalks, building grounds and other areas, and load snow and debris into carts or trucks
- Shovel cement and other materials into cement mixers, spread concrete and asphalt on road surfaces using shovels, rakes and hand tampers, and perform other activities to assist in maintenance and repair of roads
- Spread sand or salt on sidewalks for snow and ice control
- Dig ditches and trenches using shovels and other hand tools
- Operate jackhammers and drills to break up pavement
- Load and unload trucks with supplies and equipment
- Collect money from coin boxes of parking meters along established route
- Collect and load refuse on garbage trucks
- Assist equipment operators to secure attachments to equipment or trucks
- Assist in routine maintenance and repair of equipment
- Assist skilled tradespersons such as carpenters, plumbers and mechanics
- May operate mobile sidewalk-cleaning equipment.
Job titles under NOC 75212
32 job titles are classified here, including helper - garbage collection, municipal labourer, parking meter collector.
- casual worker - public works
- dumpman/woman
- garbage collector
- garbage receptacle maintainer
- garbage truck loader
- general labourer - public works
- helper - garbage collection
- highway line painter
- labourer - sanitary service
- labourer crew leader - public works
- line-painting machine operator - highways and roads
- maintenance labourer - public works
- manual sewer pipe cleaner
- manual sidewalk cleaner
- manual street cleaner
- manual street sweeper
- municipal elemental worker
- municipal general labourer
- municipal labourer
- parking meter collector
- playground maintenance man/woman
- public works labourer
- road maintenance worker
- road maintenance worker - public works
Employment requirements
- Several weeks of on-the-job training are provided.
Public works and maintenance labourers 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 | $18.00/hr | $26.95/hr | $34.70/hr |
Toronto ON | $18.56/hr | $27.49/hr | $42.33/hr |
Montréal QC | $20.00/hr | $27.99/hr | $38.82/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $19.00/hr | $31.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $21.28/hr | $28.74/hr | $38.58/hr |
Edmonton AB | $20.58/hr | $28.87/hr | $36.81/hr |
Ottawa ON | $17.60/hr | $26.50/hr | $34.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $16.00/hr | $22.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $20.00/hr | $26.99/hr | $33.57/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $17.60/hr | $25.50/hr | $35.40/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $19.70/hr | $27.85/hr | $36.00/hr |
London ON | $20.13/hr | $27.82/hr | $33.38/hr |
Halifax NS | $16.50/hr | $20.00/hr | $28.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $21.00/hr | $31.32/hr | $41.00/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $22.50/hr | $28.05/hr | $30.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $18.80/hr | $27.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00/hr | $20.00/hr | $30.64/hr |
Nova Scotia | $16.50/hr | $20.00/hr | $28.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $17.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
Quebec | $20.00/hr | $26.99/hr | $33.57/hr |
Ontario | $17.60/hr | $26.70/hr | $34.00/hr |
Manitoba | $17.00/hr | $22.00/hr | $29.00/hr |
Saskatchewan | $18.80/hr | $27.00/hr | $30.00/hr |
Alberta | $19.53/hr | $27.51/hr | $37.38/hr |
British Columbia | $20.00/hr | $31.00/hr | $36.95/hr |
Using NOC 75212 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 32 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Construction worker (NOC 75110)
- Park maintenance labourer (NOC 85121)
- Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers (NOC 74205)
- Public works maintenance equipment operators supervisor (NOC 72021)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for public works and maintenance labourers?
Public works and maintenance labourers are NOC 2021 unit group 75212. Example job titles in this group include helper - garbage collection, municipal labourer, parking meter collector, public works labourer.
What TEER is NOC 75212?
NOC 75212 is TEER 5 (Short work demonstration). Usually requires a short work demonstration and no formal education. 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 and maintenance labourers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $26.95/hr, about $53,000 a year full-time, with a range of $18.00/hr to $34.70/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.