Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations · 55K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$50,960
Median hourly
$25
Average annual
$55,970
Typical range
$37,940–$80,310
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Tree Trimmers and Pruners is $50,960 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $25 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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.
Most earn between $37,940 and $80,310 a year. There are roughly 55K people employed as tree trimmers and pruners in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Tree Trimmers and Pruners.
- Hourly
- $24.50
- Daily
- $196
- Weekly
- $980
- Bi-weekly
- $1,960
- Monthly
- $4,247
- Annual
- $50,960
$50,960 a year is around the 50th percentile for Tree Trimmers and Prunerss. The median is $50,960.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Minnesota$77,460
- 2Oregon$75,440
- 3New Jersey$71,940
- 4Illinois$64,450
- 5Washington$63,850
- 6California$62,550
- 7Massachusetts$62,550
- 8New York$62,400
- 9Vermont$62,170
- 10Missouri$61,140
- 11Rhode Island$61,040
- 12New Hampshire$59,660
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$77,460
- 2New Haven, CT$76,450
- 3San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$75,980
- 4Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$75,570
- 5Syracuse, NY$75,140
- 6Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$74,580
- 7Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$73,570
- 8Salem, OR$71,190
- 9Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$70,550
- 10Bend, OR$70,250
- 11Eugene-Springfield, OR$68,290
- 12Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$68,110
Related job titles
Employers advertise Tree Trimmers and Pruners roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Fallers$52,100
- Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers$39,150
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation$46,340
- Forest and Conservation Workers$43,680
- Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse$35,660
- Agricultural Equipment Operators$41,730
- Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$59,850
- Construction Laborers$47,120
What a Tree Trimmers and Pruners does
- Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
- 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.
- Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.
- Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
- Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Tree Trimmers and Pruners make?
- The median annual wage for Tree Trimmers and Pruners is $50,960 ($25 per hour). Pay ranges from about $37,940 at the 10th percentile to $80,310 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Tree Trimmers and Pruners?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $55,970, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Tree Trimmers and Prunerss the most?
- Minnesota has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $77,460.
- Is Tree Trimmers and Pruners a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 55K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Tree Trimmers and Pruners do?
- Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.; 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..