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Tree Trimmers and Pruners

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $50,960 Median per year · $24.50/hr Most earn $37,940–$80,310

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
  • Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.
  • Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment.
  • Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.
  • Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces or seal surfaces and to protect them from fungi and insects.
  • Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 7,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Landscaping services67.4%
  • Self-employed (their own business)24.4%
  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals3.8%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

You can start in this field with a high school diploma, and most people build up to it by working on the ground first. Tree trimmers usually have about 2 to 4 years of related work experience before they take this job.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school, taking biology, shop, or agriculture classes if you can, since they help with plant knowledge and tool use.

  2. Landscaping Worker

    1-2 years

    Work on a landscaping or grounds crew, learning to use saws, clippers, and other tools safely while you watch experienced trimmers climb and prune.

  3. Tree Trimmer

    1-2 years

    Build more experience as a ground worker or crew member, learning climbing, rigging, and pruning techniques until you can work in the canopy yourself.

Where it can lead

  1. Tree Crew Leader

    2-4 years of experience first

    You guide a crew, plan jobs, and make sure everyone works safely, which usually means showing strong skill and reliability as a trimmer first.

  2. Arborist

    3-5 years of experience first

    Arborists diagnose tree health and plan care for whole properties, often after earning a professional certification in arboriculture.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take biology or environmental scienceThese classes teach how trees and plants grow, which helps you understand why certain branches should be cut.
  • Join FFA or a similar club, if your school has oneAgriculture and environmental clubs often offer hands-on work with tools, plants, and outdoor projects.
  • Get a part-time yard work or landscaping jobWorking on a yard crew builds the tool skills and outdoor work habits that tree crews look for.
  • Volunteer for tree planting or park cleanupCommunity tree projects show you how trees are cared for and let you meet local green-industry workers.
  • Learn basic tool safetyAsk an adult or teacher to show you how to use hand saws and clippers safely before you ever work near a tall tree.

In college

  • Look for an arboriculture or horticulture courseIf your college offers classes in tree care or plant science, they build knowledge that employers and certifications value.
  • Work seasonal landscaping or tree crew jobsSummer or part-time work on a tree crew gives you real experience with climbing, rigging, and pruning.
  • Earn a first aid and CPR certificationTree work has real injury risks, so this certification shows you take safety seriously and can help on the job.
  • Join a forestry, environmental, or horticulture clubClubs connect you with people in the green industry and may offer hands-on activities with trees.
  • Take a chainsaw or equipment safety courseMany community colleges and local programs teach saw safety, which is a useful skill for any tree trimming job.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local tree service or landscaping company about a ground crew job; that is a common way to get your foot in the door and learn on the job.
  • Focus on safety from day one. Learn to use harnesses, ropes, and chainsaws correctly, and consider a first aid or CPR course.
  • Stay physically active and comfortable working outdoors in all kinds of weather, since the work is physical and often happens at heights.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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