NOC 74205: Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers

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.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): no, TEER 4 does not count for Express Entry.
• Canadian Experience Class: does not count.
• Federal Skilled Worker Program: does not count.
• Federal Skilled Trades Program: not one of the eligible trades.
• High-wage occupation (from November 3, 2026): no. No high-wage add-on, and a job offer in it earns no CRS points.

TEER 4: Occupations that usually need a high school diploma or several weeks of on-the-job training. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 74205 is not on any of IRCC’s occupation category lists. You can still be invited in general, Canadian Experience Class or other program draws if you qualify through other experience.

Category lists checked on canada.ca on 2026-10-17. IRCC category-based selection

CRS points for work in NOC 74205

None. Work in TEER 4 and 5 occupations earns no Canadian work points in the CRS.

See Canadian work points and the median-wage rule.

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.

For Express Entry your duties must match the lead statement and most of the main duties above.

Example job titles

• garbage truck driver
• municipal maintenance equipment operator
• public works maintenance equipment operator
• salt truck operator
• sand spreader operator
• sewer-flushing truck operator - public works
• snow removal equipment operator - public works
• street flusher operator
• street sweeper operator
• utility arborist

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.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 73400Heavy equipment operators
• 85121Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers
• 75212Public works and maintenance labourers
• 72021Public works maintenance equipment operators supervisor
• 73300Transport truck drivers