NOC 85121: Landscaping and grounds maintenance labourers

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.

Express Entry eligibility

• Skilled work (TEER 0 to 3): no, TEER 5 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 5: Occupations that usually need short-term work demonstration and no formal education. Every program has other requirements too, such as language test results and, for FSW, a points test.

Category-based draws

NOC 85121 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 85121

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:

• 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.

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

Example job titles

• bulb planter - landscaping
• cemetery labourer
• gardening helper
• golf course worker
• grass cutter
• grounds maintenance worker
• landscape labourer
• park maintenance labourer
• park maintenance worker
• sod layer
• transplanter - landscape maintenance

Employment requirements

• Some secondary school education may be required.
• A provincial licence to apply chemical fertilizers, fungicides, herbicides and pesticides may be required.

Similar jobs with a different code

• 22114Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
• 85103Nursery and greenhouse labourers
• 75119Other trades helpers and labourers
• 75212Public works and maintenance labourers
• 74205Public works maintenance equipment operators and related workers
• 73200Residential and commercial installers and servicers