NOC 85121: Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers
What landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers do
Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers perform work to assist in the construction of landscapes and related structures, and to maintain lawns, gardens, athletic fields, golf courses, cemeteries, parks, landscaped interiors and other landscaped areas. They are employed by landscaping and lawn care companies, golf courses, cemeteries, and landscaping operations of public works departments and private establishments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Spread top soil, lay sod, plant flowers, grass, shrubs and trees and perform other duties to assist with the construction of a landscape and related structures
- Cut grass, rake, aerate, dethatch, fertilize and water lawns, weed gardens, prune shrubs and trees and perform other maintenance duties as directed by supervisor
- Maintain lawns and grass along roadsides
- Operate and maintain power mowers, tractors, chain saws, electric clippers, sod cutters, pruning saws, snowblowers and other landscape maintenance equipment
- Spray and dust trees, shrubs, lawns and gardens, as directed, to control insects and disease
- Perform other manual duties to clean and maintain landscaped environments.
Job titles under NOC 85121
40 job titles are classified here, including bulb planter - landscaping, cemetery labourer, gardening helper.
- bulb planter - landscaping
- campground maintenance worker
- cemetery labourer
- cemetery worker
- chemical applicator - lawn care
- gardener helper
- gardening helper
- golf course labourer
- golf course worker
- grass cutter
- grave digger
- greens worker
- greenskeeper helper
- grounds maintainer
- grounds maintenance labourer
- grounds maintenance worker
- groundskeeper
- groundsman/woman
- groundsperson - campground
- landscape gardener helper
- landscape gardening helper
- landscape labourer
- landscape worker
- lawn care labourer
Employment requirements
- Some secondary school education may be required.
- A provincial licence to apply chemical fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides may be required.
Landscaping and grounds 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 | $17.00/hr | $20.75/hr | $28.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $17.60/hr | $22.00/hr | $29.93/hr |
Montréal QC | $18.00/hr | $22.88/hr | $31.50/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $18.70/hr | $24.00/hr | $33.24/hr |
Calgary AB | $17.00/hr | $21.00/hr | $31.21/hr |
Edmonton AB | $17.00/hr | $21.00/hr | $27.50/hr |
Ottawa ON | $17.60/hr | $21.00/hr | $26.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $16.00/hr | $18.50/hr | $24.79/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $17.36/hr | $21.89/hr | $28.50/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $17.60/hr | $20.00/hr | $26.50/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $17.60/hr | $21.00/hr | $27.00/hr |
London ON | $17.60/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $16.50/hr | $19.96/hr | $25.00/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $19.00/hr | $23.50/hr | $31.39/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $16.00/hr | $20.00/hr | $28.32/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $16.00/hr | $22.00/hr | $26.84/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00/hr | $18.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $16.50/hr | $18.83/hr | $24.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $15.65/hr | $18.50/hr | $23.00/hr |
Quebec | $17.36/hr | $21.89/hr | $28.50/hr |
Ontario | $17.60/hr | $20.96/hr | $27.41/hr |
Manitoba | $16.00/hr | $18.39/hr | $24.20/hr |
Saskatchewan | $15.50/hr | $20.00/hr | $27.00/hr |
Alberta | $17.00/hr | $21.00/hr | $29.47/hr |
British Columbia | $18.00/hr | $22.50/hr | $30.85/hr |
Using NOC 85121 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 40 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists (NOC 22114)
- Nursery and greenhouse labourers (NOC 85103)
- Other trades helpers and labourers (NOC 75119)
- Public works and maintenance labourers (NOC 75212)
- Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers (NOC 74205)
- Residential and commercial installers and servicers (NOC 73200)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers?
Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers are NOC 2021 unit group 85121. Example job titles in this group include bulb planter - landscaping, cemetery labourer, gardening helper, golf course worker.
What TEER is NOC 85121?
NOC 85121 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 landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $20.75/hr, about $40,000 a year full-time, with a range of $17.00/hr to $28.00/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.