SOC 37-3013.00

    Tree Trimmers and Pruners

    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.

    Median pay
    $50,960
    Growth
    +4.2%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    7,900
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $37,940
    Median
    $50,960
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $80,310
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    55,160 people work in this occupation.

    What tree trimmers and pruners do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    19 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    13 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    4 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    35 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    94
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    89
    Performing General Physical Activities
    81
    Getting Information
    78
    Handling and Moving Objects
    75
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    74
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    72
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    71
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    71
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    65
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Critical Thinking
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Monitoring
    • Coordination
    • Instructing
    • Speaking
    • Active Listening
    • Equipment Selection

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mechanical
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Production and Processing
    • Transportation
    • Education and Training
    • English Language
    • Administration and Management
    • Law and Government
    • Physics

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Reaction Time
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Extent Flexibility
    • Static Strength
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Near Vision

    Work styles

    • Cautiousness
    • Dependability
    • Perseverance
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Attention to Detail
    • Self-Confidence
    • Self-Control
    • Cooperation
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Integrity

    Also called

    Arborist · Brush Clearing Laborer · Bucket Operator · Bucket Truck Operator · Climber · Climber Trimmer · Climbing Arborist · Diagnostician · Grape Pruner · Grounds Worker

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What tree trimmers and pruners may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    9 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.