Grounds Maintenance Workers

How to become a Tree Trimmer or Pruner

Official title: Tree Trimmers and Pruners

Also called: Arborist, Climber, Grounds Worker, Groundsman, Laborer, Plant Health Care Technician, Tree Climber, Tree Trimmer, Trimmer

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.

Main tasks

Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
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.
Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.
Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.
Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.

How to become one

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 and fertilizers.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Arborist.
Apprenticeship: Tree Surgeon.
Apprenticeship: Tree Trimmer (Line Clear).
Licence: A licence is required in 9 states.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $50,960 a year The middle half earn $44,840 to $63,900.
About 70,600 people work in this job now, and about 73,600 are projected by 2035. (+4.2%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Tree Trimmer or 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 and fertilizers.

How much does a Tree Trimmer or Pruner earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $50,960 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $44,840 to $63,900.

Is a Tree Trimmer or Pruner a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 4% by 2035, from about 70,600 to about 73,600 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Tree Trimmer or Pruner?

Usually not. Only 12% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arborist.

Will AI change the work of a Tree Trimmer or Pruner?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.