Growing, gardening and forestry

How to become an arborist

Official title: Arborist

Also called: Utility arborist, Climbing arborist, Arboriculture consultant, Urban forester, Tree surgeon

Arborists care for, manage and maintain trees by planting, inspecting and pruning them. They keep trees healthy and safe so they grow well within an environment.

Main tasks

Trim and prune trees
Remove dangerous and damaged branches
Operate tree care equipment like chainsaws
Inspect trees for health and safety
Climb trees to carry out work
Plan the best way to care for trees
Estimate costs for tree work
Drive vehicles to work sites

How to become one

You need a qualification to become an arborist. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job. Required: a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture (Arboriculture) (Level 3) OR a New Zealand Certificate in Horticulture Services (Level 4). Other requirements: a New Zealand Certificate in Electricity Supply (Utility Arboriculture) (Level 3); a New Zealand Certificate in Arboriculture (Level 5); a New Zealand Diploma in Arboriculture (Level 6); experience in similar work; climbing or Elevated Working Platform (EWP) experience; a driver licence.

See the full Tahatū profile

Ways in

Certificates and diplomas: Entry certificates in electrical engineering. TEC links this job to study in electrical and electronic engineering and technology. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Electrical Engineering Theory, NZ Cert in Electrical Pre-Trade. Usually 1 year. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $48,000 a year one year after study and $63,000 five years after; 70% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).; Entry certificates in horticulture. TEC links this job to study in horticulture and viticulture. Qualifications: NZ Cert in Horticulture (General), NZ Cert in Horticulture, Kai Oranga (Kaupae Tuatoru), Mahinga Kai - Te Hoata. Usually 6 to 8 months. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $48,000 a year one year after study and $53,000 five years after; 49% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).

Pay · Past change · AI and this job

Most common pay: $55,000 to $84,000 a year (median $68,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
Upper: $99,000 a year
TEC shows pay for this job by the hour: median $32.69 an hour.
TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
People employed in the group Gardeners: 12,549 at the 2018 Census and 13,839 at the 2023 Census (+10.3%). Past change, not a forecast.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

About 1,500 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
In the group Gardeners, 27% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
Where people in the group Gardeners work (2023 Census): Auckland 28.5%, Canterbury 15.9%, and Waikato 10.7%.

Questions people ask

How do I become an arborist?

How much does an arborist earn in New Zealand?

The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $68,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $55,000 to $84,000 a year.

Has the number of people working as an arborist grown in New Zealand?

It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.

Will AI change the work of an arborist?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.

Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.

This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.

Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.

These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.

Updated 4 October 2026