NOC 21201: Landscape architects
Landscape architects conceptualize, design, plan and manage the construction of natural, cultural and built landscape development for commercial projects, office complexes, parks, golf courses and residential development. They are employed by government environmental and development agencies, landscape consulting firms and by architectural and engineering firms, or they are self-employed.
Express Entry eligibility
- Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): yes, TEER 1.
- Canadian Experience Class: counts as skilled Canadian work (1 year in the last 3 years).
- Federal Skilled Worker Program: counts as skilled work (1 year of continuous work in the last 10 years).
- Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
- High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): yes, 1.3× tier.
TEER 1: Occupations that usually need a university degree. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.
Category-based draws
NOC 21201 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws.
Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection
CRS points for work in NOC 21201
With 12+ months of Canadian work here, from November 3, 2026, by years of skilled Canadian work:
| Years in Canada | Single, today | Single, Nov 3 | With spouse, today | With spouse, Nov 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | 60 | 35 | 55 |
| 2 | 53 | 73 | 46 | 66 |
| 3 | 64 | 84 | 56 | 76 |
| 4 | 72 | 92 | 63 | 83 |
| 5 or more | 80 | 100 | 70 | 90 |
See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Confer with clients to determine design needs
- Survey and assess designated sites and develop designs taking into consideration landscape features, buildings, climate, future usage and other aspects
- Prepare or oversee the preparation of detailed drawings for sites, including features such as trees, shrubs, gardens, lighting, walkways, patios, decks, benches, fences, retaining walls and fountains
- Prepare or oversee preparation of site plans, reports, sketches, models, photographs, maps, land use studies, design plans such as landscape grading, drainage or planting, and construction details
- Estimate costs, prepare specifications and evaluate tenders for landscape construction projects
- Conduct environmental design studies, including environmental assessment, planning and the preservation and re-creation of historical sites
- Conduct community and neighbourhood physical planning studies, participate in multidisciplinary urban design studies, prepare design guidelines, and develop master plans
- May manage and supervise landscape construction work.
For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.
Example job titles
- landscape architect
- senior landscape architect
Employment requirements
- A bachelor's degree in landscape architecture is required.
- A master's degree in landscape architecture may be required.
- Registration with a regulatory body is required in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
- In the remaining provinces and territories, landscape architects usually require two years of landscape design experience and an interview by their respective provincial associations to receive association certification.
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is offered by the Canada Green Building Council and may be required by some employers.
Similar jobs with a different code
- 21200Architects
- 22114Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
- 20011Landscape architecture manager
- 82031Landscape design contractor
- 21202Urban and land use planners
Common questions
- Is NOC 21201 (Landscape architects) a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
- Yes. From November 3, 2026, NOC 21201 is in the 1.3× tier of IRCC’s high-wage list, meaning its national median wage is at least 1.3 times, but less than 1.5 times, the median wage of the Canadian workforce (2023 to 2025 data).
- How many CRS points does NOC 21201 give?
- With 12 months or more of skilled Canadian work in NOC 21201, you add 20 points to your Canadian work-experience points. For example, a single candidate with 3 years of Canadian work goes from 64 to 84 points. A qualifying job offer in NOC 21201 is worth 50 points instead. You get the higher of the two routes, never both, capped at 150 points (140 with a spouse).
- Do I need to earn 1.3× the median wage myself?
- No. The tier comes from the occupation’s national median wage, not from your own salary. What matters is that your job’s main duties match NOC 21201 and that the work is skilled, paid, Canadian experience.
- Can I combine months in different high-wage jobs?
- Months here combine with months in any other high-wage occupation (1.3×, 1.5× or 2×) for the 20-point add-on.
- Which Express Entry programs accept NOC 21201?
- As a TEER 1 occupation it counts as skilled work for the Canadian Experience Class and the Federal Skilled Worker Program.
- Which category draws include NOC 21201?
- It is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists, so it does not qualify you for an occupation-based category draw.
Other 1.3× high-wage occupations
- 21200Architects1.3×
- 21203Land surveyors1.3×
- 21234Web developers and programmers1.3×
- 21112Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists1.3×
- 21110Biologists and related scientists1.3×
- 21101Chemists1.3×
- 22214Technical occupations in geomatics and meteorology1.3×
- 22232Occupational health and safety specialists1.3×
More in professional occupations in natural and applied sciences
- 21100Physicists and astronomers
- 21101Chemists
- 21102Geoscientists and oceanographers
- 21103Meteorologists and climatologists
- 21109Other professional occupations in physical sciences
- 21110Biologists and related scientists
- 21111Forestry professionals
- 21112Agricultural representatives, consultants and specialists
Find any NOC code · All high-wage occupations · Source: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0
See your CRS score with NOC 21201
Quick CRS adds up every factor and shows your score under today’s rules and the rules from November 3, 2026, side by side. Free, about 3 minutes.