Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for tree trimmers and pruners in the U.S. is $50,960 ($24.50 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $50,960
- Mean annual wage
- $55,970
- Median hourly wage
- $24.50
- Employment
- 55,160
55,160 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,940 | $18.24 |
| 25th percentile | $44,840 | $21.56 |
| Median (50th) | $50,960 | $24.50 |
| 75th percentile | $63,900 | $30.72 |
| 90th percentile | $80,310 | $38.61 |
Highest-paying states for tree trimmers and pruners
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $77,460 | — |
| Oregon | $75,440 | 1,610 |
| New Jersey | $71,940 | — |
| Illinois | $64,450 | 700 |
| Washington | $63,850 | 700 |
| California | $62,550 | 9,610 |
| Massachusetts | $62,550 | 2,090 |
| New York | $62,400 | 3,750 |
| Vermont | $62,170 | 430 |
| Missouri | $61,140 | 970 |
Lowest-paying states
- Nebraska: $39,380 median annual wage
- Texas: $39,880 median annual wage
- Alabama: $41,500 median annual wage
- Mississippi: $41,560 median annual wage
- Iowa: $42,890 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.
- Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
- Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees.
- Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
- 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.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 24.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 40.9% |
| Some college, no degree | 16.8% |
| Associate's degree | 5.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 10.9% |
| Master's degree | 1.5% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.5% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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- First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers$58,430
- Pest Control Workers$45,250
- Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation$46,340
- Building Cleaning Workers, All Other$44,040
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.