Tree Trimmers and Pruners earn a median of $50,960 per year ($24.50/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 4.2% through 2035, with about 7,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 37-3013
- Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Tree Trimmer and Pruner in four numbers
- Median pay
- $50,960a year, or $24.50/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $38KTop 10% $80K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +4.2%About as fast as averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+4.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +4.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 7,90070,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202570.6K
- Projected 203573.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 70.6K Projected 2035 73.6K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school56.8%
- High school37.1%
- Certificate2.2%
- Some college3.8%
Highest education held by tree trimmers and pruners Segment Value Less than high school 56.8% High school 37.1% Certificate 2.2% Some college 3.8%
Also advertised as: Arborist, Climber, Grounds Worker, Groundsman, Laborer, Plant Health Care Technician.
Pay
How much do Tree Trimmers and Pruners make?
Every tree trimmer and pruner in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$50,960
Middle half earn $44,840 to $63,900
- 10th
- $37,940
- 25th
- $44,840
- 75th
- $63,900
- 90th
- $80,310
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $37,940 |
| 25th | $44,840 |
| Median | $50,960 |
| 75th | $63,900 |
| 90th | $80,310 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $50,960
- Median hourly wage
- $24.50/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $55,970
- People employed
- 55,160
Versus all US occupations
At $50,960, the median for Tree Trimmers and Pruners sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.
Versus building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
Inside the Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance group, where the middle occupation pays $46,340, this is 10% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $80,310 or more while the bottom 10% earn $37,940, a gap of 2.1×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 23% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Minnesota pays the most at $77,460, and still leads at $78,543 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Tree Trimmers and Pruners the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Minnesota | $77,460 | $78,543 | N/A |
| 2Oregon | $75,440 | $72,987 | 1,610 |
| 3New Jersey | $71,940 | $66,118 | N/A |
| 4Illinois | $64,450 | $64,477 | 700 |
| 5Washington | $63,850 | $59,666 | 700 |
| 6California | $62,550 | $56,494 | 9,610 |
| 7Massachusetts | $62,550 | $59,145 | 2,090 |
| 8New York | $62,400 | $57,820 | 3,750 |
| 9Vermont | $62,170 | $63,466 | 430 |
| 10Missouri | $61,140 | $67,322 | 970 |
Job outlook
Is Tree Trimmer and Pruner a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
About as fast as average. +4.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Tree Trimmers and Pruners | +4.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
About as fast as average
BLS projects employment of Tree Trimmers and Pruners to change 4.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 3,000 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 7,900 openings are projected each year, 11.2% of the 70,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of grounds maintenance workers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Landscaping and groundskeeping workers are expected to be needed to keep up with increasing demand for lawn care and landscaping services from homeowners and from large institutions, such as universities and corporate campuses. As communities invest resources in creating more green spaces in urban areas, the demand for ground maintenance workers to plant and maintain these landscapes is projected to increase.
Getting in
How to become a Tree Trimmer and Pruner
Grounds maintenance workers typically do not need a formal educational credential and are trained on the job. States may require licensing for workers who apply pesticides or fertilizers.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as tree trimmers and pruners.
- Less than a High School Diploma56.8%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)37.1%
- Some College Courses3.8%
- Post-Secondary Certificate2.2%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 56.8% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 37.1% |
| Some College Courses | 3.8% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 2.2% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Tree Trimmer and Pruner 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.
Grounds maintenance workers install and maintain landscapes, prune trees or shrubs, and do other tasks to ensure that vegetation is attractive, orderly, and safe.
Day-to-day tasks
- Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
- Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
- Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
- Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.
- Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
- Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes, or other tools.
- Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.
- Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Most grounds maintenance workers are full time, and their work schedules may vary. These workers may be busier or work longer hours in the spring, summer, and fall, when planting, mowing, and trimming activities are most frequent.
Some jobs are seasonal. However, grounds maintenance workers sometimes provide other services during the winter months, such as snow removal.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayRarely works in a climate-controlled indoor space.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Schedules: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2025–2035 edition. Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Active Listening2.9
- Reading Comprehension2.6
- Active Learning2.6
- Writing2.5
- Learning Strategies2.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 3.3 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Speaking | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 2.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.6 |
| Active Learning | 2.6 |
| Writing | 2.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control3.8
- Operations Monitoring3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Instructing3.0
- Service Orientation2.9
- Equipment Selection2.9
- Equipment Maintenance2.8
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.8 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Instructing | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 2.9 |
| Equipment Selection | 2.9 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 2.8 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web page creation and editing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Tree Trimmer and Pruner?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Tree Trimmer and Pruner |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic7.0
- Conventional3.1
- Investigative2.1
- Social1.8
- Enterprising1.2
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Tree Trimmer and Pruner
O*NET related occupations
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker
$39,150median a year
Most earn $31K to $57K
+4.7%No formal credential - Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance
Pesticide Handler, Sprayer, and Applicator, Vegetation
$46,340median a year
Most earn $36K to $61K
+3.9%High school - Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
- Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
Farmworker and Laborer, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
$35,660median a year
Most earn $33K to $46K
−2.4%No formal credential - Construction and Extraction
Operating Engineer and Other Construction Equipment Operator
$59,850median a year
Most earn $42K to $101K
+4.6%High school
More building and grounds cleaning and maintenance careers
Median annual pay, with tree trimmers and pruners highlighted
- First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers$58,430
- Sports Turf Manager$58,430
- Consulting Arborist$50,960
- Utility Line Clearance Arborist$50,960
- Tree Trimmer and Pruner$50,960
- First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers$49,100
- Pest Control Worker$45,250
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker$39,150
- Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners$36,840
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisor of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers | $58,430 |
| Sports Turf Manager | $58,430 |
| Consulting Arborist | $50,960 |
| Utility Line Clearance Arborist | $50,960 |
| Tree Trimmer and Pruner | $50,960 |
| First-Line Supervisor of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers | $49,100 |
| Pest Control Worker | $45,250 |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Worker | $39,150 |
| Janitor and Cleaner, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $36,840 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within tree trimmer and pruner
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Tree Trimmer and Pruner appears on
Questions
Tree Trimmer and Pruner: frequently asked questions
How much do Tree Trimmers and Pruners make?
Tree Trimmers and Pruners earn a median of $50,960 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), close to the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $24.50/hr. The middle half earn between $44,840 and $63,900. The top 10% earn $80,310 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Tree Trimmer and Pruner?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Tree Trimmers and Pruners. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 56.8% hold less than a high school diploma.
Is Tree Trimmer and Pruner a growing career?
It is stable rather than fast-growing: employment is projected to change 4.2% over 2025–2035, about the same as the 3.5% projected across all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 7,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Tree Trimmer and Pruner do?
Grounds maintenance workers install and maintain landscapes, prune trees or shrubs, and do other tasks to ensure that vegetation is attractive, orderly, and safe. A core O*NET task: operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Spreadsheet software, Web page creation and editing software.
Which states pay Tree Trimmers and Pruners the most?
The highest state medians for Tree Trimmers and Pruners are Minnesota ($77,460), Oregon ($75,440), New Jersey ($71,940) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Tree Trimmer and Pruner?
O*NET scores Tree Trimmers and Pruners highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.