diff --git a/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py b/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py
index 1a826eb55..93ba2aa11 100644
--- a/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py
+++ b/google/cloud/bigquery/client.py
@@ -49,7 +49,6 @@
     DEFAULT_CLIENT_INFO as DEFAULT_BQSTORAGE_CLIENT_INFO,
 )
 
-from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _del_sub_prop
 from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _get_sub_prop
 from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _record_field_to_json
 from google.cloud.bigquery._helpers import _str_or_none
@@ -1937,7 +1936,6 @@ def create_job(
             )
         elif "query" in job_config:
             copy_config = copy.deepcopy(job_config)
-            _del_sub_prop(copy_config, ["query", "destinationTable"])
             query_job_config = google.cloud.bigquery.job.QueryJobConfig.from_api_repr(
                 copy_config
             )
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_client.py b/tests/unit/test_client.py
index bd07990b8..458798afa 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_client.py
@@ -2594,8 +2594,6 @@ def test_delete_table_w_not_found_ok_true(self):
         conn.api_request.assert_called_with(method="DELETE", path=path, timeout=None)
 
     def _create_job_helper(self, job_config):
-        from google.cloud.bigquery import _helpers
-
         creds = _make_credentials()
         http = object()
         client = self._make_one(project=self.PROJECT, credentials=creds, _http=http)
@@ -2606,8 +2604,6 @@ def _create_job_helper(self, job_config):
         }
         conn = client._connection = make_connection(RESOURCE)
         client.create_job(job_config=job_config)
-        if "query" in job_config:
-            _helpers._del_sub_prop(job_config, ["query", "destinationTable"])
 
         conn.api_request.assert_called_once_with(
             method="POST",
@@ -2732,7 +2728,7 @@ def test_create_job_query_config_w_rateLimitExceeded_error(self):
         }
         data_without_destination = {
             "jobReference": {"projectId": self.PROJECT, "jobId": mock.ANY},
-            "configuration": {"query": {"query": query, "useLegacySql": False}},
+            "configuration": configuration,
         }
 
         creds = _make_credentials()