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Tree Trimmers and Pruners in Tennessee

Thinking about a career as a Tree Trimmers and Pruners in Tennessee? Here’s what the data says. 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. Excludes workers who primarily perform duties of “Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers” (37-3011) and “Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation” (37-3012).

What do Tree Trimmers and Pruners Make in Tennessee?

The tree trimmers and pruners working in Tennessee, the typical annual salary is $45,890 per year (or about $22.06/hour).Pay can range from $37,590 at the 10th percentile to $56,200 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$37,590	$18.07
25th percentile	$38,720	$18.61
Median (50th)	$45,890	$22.06
75th percentile	$50,600	$24.33
90th percentile	$56,200	$27.02

The job concentration index in Tennessee relative to the national average — is 1.18, meaning that tree trimmers and pruners are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, tree trimmers and pruners earn a median of $40,997 per year ($19.71/hour), above the Tennessee median.

Employment Outlook

National employment for 536,554 tree trimmers and pruners nationwide. In Tennessee alone, around 1,200 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 590 tree trimmers and pruners.

Top Tennessee Metros for Tree Trimmers and Pruners

The metro areas below employ the most tree trimmers and pruners in Tennessee.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN	290	$49,950
Knoxville, TN	170	$47,470
Jackson, TN	50	$46,340

Top States for Tree Trimmers and Pruners Employment

These states have the highest employment of tree trimmers and pruners work.

State	Number Employed
California	8,620
Pennsylvania	2,550
New York	2,520
Texas	2,400
Florida	1,950
Michigan	1,890
New Jersey	1,540
West Virginia	1,350
Ohio	1,310
North Carolina	1,240
Tennessee	1,200
Oregon	1,180
Alabama	1,170
Wisconsin	1,110
Illinois	1,090
Virginia	860
Missouri	800
Kentucky	760
Maryland	720
Iowa	710

Highest-Paying States for Tree Trimmers and Pruners

Where tree trimmers and pruners earn the most: tree trimmers and pruners.

State	Annual Median Salary
Alaska	$84,740
Minnesota	$68,030
Illinois	$64,550
Rhode Island	$64,240
Oregon	$63,290
California	$62,880
New York	$62,180
Washington	$61,750
New Jersey	$61,660
Hawaii	$60,580

Skills

Key tree trimmers and pruners skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Key abilities for tree trimmers and pruners, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, tree trimmers and pruners typically:

• 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.
• Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
• Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.
• Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.
• Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.

Work Activities

• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Getting Information
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Facebook

Related Careers

Related occupations to tree trimmers and pruners include:

• Forest and Conservation Technicians
• Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers
• Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation
• Agricultural Equipment Operators
• Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse
• Forest and Conservation Workers

Also Known As

Arborist, Brush Clearing Laborer, Bucket Operator, Bucket Truck Operator, Climber, Climber Trimmer, Climbing Arborist, Diagnostician, Grape Pruner, Grounds Worker, Groundsman, Groundsperson, Laborer, Line Clearance Trimmer, Line Clearing Tree Trimmer.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 37-3013.00