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NOC 85101: Harvesting labourers

Official definition · Statistics Canada NOC 2021 v1.0 · statcan.gc.ca ↗

Harvesting labourers and related workers assist other farm workers to plant, harvest, sort and pack crops. They participate in soil preparation, irrigation and crop planting, spraying and thinning. They are employed on fruit, vegetable and specialty crop farms.

Median Pay$18/hrPrevailing median rate
TEER LevelLevel 5PNP streams
Priority StreamAgriculture PriorityCategory draws
Official Titles60 TitlesGovernment aliases
Interactive Reference Letter Tool

Official Main Duties for NOC 85101

Select the duties you perform in your actual job. Under IRCC guidelines, you must perform at least 60% of these duties for a successful work permit or PR reference letter.

60 official aliases
Checklist (9 official duties):Click each to toggle
💡
IRCC Reference Letter Rule:

Your employer reference letter must confirm you performed the main actions described in the duties above. Avoid copying words directly from the NOC description — officers expect natural job descriptions with specific company context.

Live Match Score⚠ Needs 6 More
0%
0 of 9 selected
0%60% Recommended100%
Below 60% Target (0%)To qualify for NOC 85101, your employer letter should verify at least 6 main duties. Select 6 more to see if your experience matches.
Minimum Needed6 Duties
Current StatusIncomplete

Canadian Labour Market & PR Pathways for NOC 85101

Under Canada's National Occupational Classification (NOC 2021 Version 1.0), Harvesting labourers is categorized under TEER 5. Occupations in this tier typically require secondary school graduation or job-specific on-the-job training.

Express Entry Alignment

Classified under TEER 5, meaning this occupation does not qualify for direct Express Entry general pools. Candidates should focus on employer-driven Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) or federal pilot pathways.

Target Category Status

Currently evaluated under standard General and CEC invitation rounds, or targeted through provincial in-demand lists such as Ontario (OINP), British Columbia (BC PNP), or Alberta (AAIP).

NOC 2016 to NOC 2021 Transition & Equivalency

Open Full NOC Converter Tool

Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, this occupation was mapped under the following 4-digit code(s). When preparing your Express Entry profile or work reference letters, you must use the new 5-digit code NOC 85101.

Former NOC 84314-Digit Legacy
General farm workers
RC4.1 - Breakdown

8431 expired, part transferred to 85101 and part split off to emerging item 84120 and 85100

Former NOC 86114-Digit Legacy
Harvesting labourers
VC1 - Code Change
Job Bank Open Data (2025/2026)

Regional Wages Across Canada

Legal Benchmark for LMIA

Under Canadian immigration law, an employer hiring you under an LMIA must pay you at least the median wage listed below for your province.

Province / TerritoryLow WageMedian WageHigh Wage
Canada (National Average)$16$18/hr$25
Newfoundland and Labrador$16/hr$17/hr$21/hr
Prince Edward Island$16.5/hr$19/hr$22/hr
Nova Scotia$16.5/hr$17.2/hr$21/hr
New Brunswick$15.75/hr$18.28/hr$23/hr
Quebec$16.1/hr$19/hr$25/hr
Ontario$17.6/hr$17.71/hr$22.5/hr
Manitoba$17/hr$22/hr$29.78/hr
Saskatchewan$20/hr$26/hr$33/hr
Alberta$16/hr$20/hr$30/hr
British Columbia$17.85/hr$17.85/hr$20/hr

🏙️Top Metropolitan Cities Wage Rates (ESDC 2025/2026)

Economic Region Benchmarks

Official ESDC prevailing median wages across major Canadian metropolitan regions. Crucial for LMIA prevailing wage compliance and local job offer evaluations.

Montréal
$19/hr
$16.1 - $25
Ottawa
$20/hr
$17.6 - $26.5
Toronto
$18/hr
$17.6 - $21.63
Calgary
$17.4/hr
$15.65 - $25
Edmonton
$17.42/hr
$16 - $26
Vancouver
$17.85/hr
$17.85 - $18

Employment Requirements

These are the education, training, and certification standards usually required by Canadian employers for this occupation:

  • There are no specific education or training requirements.

Official Job Titles for NOC 85101

60 Titles Listed

If your current job title matches any of these official examples, this NOC code is likely the right choice for your Express Entry reference letter:

apple pickerberry pickercrop farm labourer - harvestingfruit pickerfruit sorter - farmharvest handvegetable packer - farmcucumber pickerfarm hand - harvestingfarm labourer - harvestingfarm worker - harvestingfield and vegetable crop labourerfield-grown crop farm labourer - harvestingfruit examiner - harvestingfruit farm labourerfruit farm workerfruit harvest workerfruit harvesterfruit harvesting labourerfruit or vegetable pickerfruit packer - farmfruit tree prunerfruit tree thinnergeneral farm worker - harvestinggrafter - orchardgrain farm labourergrain farm workerharvest workerharvesting labourerirrigation worker - agricultureirrigator - agriculturemaple syrup makermaple tapping workermarket garden workermushroom farm workermushroom pickeroilseed crop workerorchard workerorganic farm worker - harvestingsmall fruit pickersoya bean crop workersugar bush workersugar-beet farm workertobacco curertobacco cutter - tobacco harvestingtobacco farm workertobacco pickertobacco primertobacco stripper - tobacco harvestingtomato pickervegetable farm workervegetable pickervegetable sorter - farmvegetable thinnervineyard prunervineyard workerworm harvesterworm packerworm pickerworm picker-packer

Exclusions (Similar Jobs with Different Codes)

Check this list to make sure your actual job is not classified under one of these related codes:

  • Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors (See 82030 Agricultural service contractors and farm supervisors)View NOC 82030
  • Managers in agriculture (See 80020 Managers in agriculture)View NOC 80020
  • Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators (See 84120 Specialized livestock workers and farm machinery operators)View NOC 84120

Frequently Asked Questions for NOC 85101 (Harvesting labourers)

Essential answers regarding Express Entry eligibility, LMIA prevailing wage compliance, and official reference letter rules.

NOC 85101 is in TEER 5, which is not directly eligible for standard Express Entry pools. However, you can apply through Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams or employer-sponsored work permits.
For an LMIA work permit, your employer must offer at least the median wage of $18/hr (or the prevailing median rate in your specific Canadian province of employment).
Under Section 75(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), your employment reference letter must confirm you perform the actions in the lead statement and a substantial number (recommended at least 60%) of the official main duties listed above. You do not need to perform 100% of the duties.
Under Canada's previous NOC 2016 classification, Harvesting labourers was categorized under NOC 8431 (General farm workers) and 8611 (Harvesting labourers). In NOC 2021, it transitioned to NOC 85101 under TEER 5.
According to official ESDC Job Bank benchmarks, the prevailing median rate for NOC 85101 is $19/hr in Montréal, $20/hr in Ottawa, $18/hr in Toronto, $17.4/hr in Calgary, $17.42/hr in Edmonton.
Because TEER 5 is not eligible for direct Express Entry, your best routes are employer-supported Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) semi-skilled streams (such as SINP in Saskatchewan, AAIP in Alberta, or MPNP in Manitoba) or federal pilot programs like the Agri-Food Pilot.
Next Steps for NOC 85101

Check Your Express Entry Score & Latest Cutoffs

Calculate your exact Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score for NOC 85101, explore your TEER 5 immigration pathways, and check recent draw cutoffs.

Last verified: September 2026