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Tree Trimmers and Pruners in West Virginia

Want to work as a Tree Trimmers and Pruners in West Virginia? Below are the key facts. 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 West Virginia?

For a tree trimmers and pruners working in West Virginia, the median annual wage is $47,960 per year (or about $23.06/hour).Annual wages span from $38,000 at the 10th percentile to $56,170 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$38,000	$18.27
25th percentile	$47,820	$22.99
Median (50th)	$47,960	$23.06
75th percentile	$47,960	$23.06
90th percentile	$56,170	$27.01

The location quotient — a measure of how concentrated this occupation is in West Virginia nationwide is 6.21, indicating 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 West Virginia median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 536,554 tree trimmers and pruners nationwide. In West Virginia alone, about 1,350 people work in this role. That puts the state above the typical state, which employs around 590 tree trimmers and pruners.

Top West Virginia Metros for Tree Trimmers and Pruners

These are the West Virginia metros with the most tree trimmers and pruners in West Virginia.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Wheeling, WV-OH	40	$45,480

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

These states pay the most for 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

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

Knowledge Areas

Core 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

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Facebook

Related Careers

Other careers like 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