NOC 85103: Nursery and greenhouse labourers
What nursery and greenhouse labourers do
Nursery and greenhouse labourers plant, cultivate and harvest trees, shrubs, flowers and plants, and serve nursery and greenhouse customers. They are employed in indoor and outdoor nurseries and greenhouses.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Prepare soil; plant bulbs, seeds and cuttings; graft and bud plants; and transplant seedlings and rooted cuttings
- Monitor plants for healthy growth and potential weed, insect, disease, and fertilizer problems in greenhouse crops
- Spray trees, shrubs, flowers and plants to prevent disease and pests
- Position and regulate greenhouse and outdoor irrigation systems to water plants and fields
- Dig, cut and transplant trees, shrubs, flowers and plants and prepare them for sale
- Provide information to customers on gardening, the use of various garden tools and products and the care of trees, shrubs, flowers, plants and lawns
- May operate tractors and other machinery and equipment to fertilize, cultivate, harvest and spray fields and plants
- Maintain inventory and order materials as required
- Clean working areas.
Job titles under NOC 85103
18 job titles are classified here, including forest nursery labourer, greenhouse labourer, horticulture labourer.
- cannabis trim labourer
- cannabis trimmer
- Christmas tree shearer
- Christmas tree trimmer
- forest assistant nursery
- forest nursery labourer
- greenhouse labourer
- grower - cannabis
- hand sprayer - greenhouse
- horticulture labourer
- horticulturist helper
- hothouse labourer
- hydroponics labourer
- hydroponics worker
- interior plantscaper
- nursery labourer
- plant propagator - greenhouse or nursery
- tree grafter - nursery
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school may be required.
- Completion of college courses in horticulture or a related field may be required.
- On-the-job training is provided.
- A provincial licence to apply chemical fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides may be required.
Nursery and greenhouse 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 | $15.25/hr | $19.50/hr | $29.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $17.60/hr | $20.17/hr | $24.68/hr |
Montréal QC | $17.00/hr | $21.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $17.85/hr | $18.00/hr | $27.00/hr |
Calgary AB | $15.00/hr | $19.50/hr | $28.00/hr |
Edmonton AB | $15.00/hr | $19.50/hr | $25.00/hr |
Ottawa ON | $17.60/hr | $19.76/hr | $25.29/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $16.00/hr | $18.80/hr | $26.63/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $16.64/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.78/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $17.60/hr | $20.50/hr | $33.33/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $17.60/hr | $20.50/hr | $33.33/hr |
London ON | $17.60/hr | $20.50/hr | $33.33/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $17.85/hr | $20.00/hr | $29.36/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $15.35/hr | $17.00/hr | $44.23/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00/hr | $17.35/hr | $24.85/hr |
Nova Scotia | $16.50/hr | $18.50/hr | $24.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $15.65/hr | $18.00/hr | $21.00/hr |
Quebec | $16.64/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.78/hr |
Ontario | $17.60/hr | $20.50/hr | $33.33/hr |
Manitoba | $16.00/hr | $16.00/hr | $21.50/hr |
Saskatchewan | $15.35/hr | $17.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
Alberta | $15.00/hr | $19.50/hr | $25.00/hr |
British Columbia | $17.85/hr | $19.00/hr | $29.36/hr |
Using NOC 85103 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 18 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Contractors and supervisors, landscaping, grounds maintenance and horticulture services (NOC 82031)
- Harvesting labourers (NOC 85101)
- Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers (NOC 85121)
- Managers in horticulture (NOC 80021)
- Silviculture and forestry workers (NOC 84111)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for nursery and greenhouse labourers?
Nursery and greenhouse labourers are NOC 2021 unit group 85103. Example job titles in this group include forest nursery labourer, greenhouse labourer, horticulture labourer, hothouse labourer.
What TEER is NOC 85103?
NOC 85103 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 nursery and greenhouse labourers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $19.50/hr, about $38,000 a year full-time, with a range of $15.25/hr to $29.00/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.