Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 37-3013

Tree Trimmers and Pruners

O*NET task statements lead this Tree Trimmers and Pruners card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers, Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation, First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Tree Trimmers and Pruners: First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers ($58K) , Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners ($36K) , Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation ($46K) , First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers ($49K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Tree Trimmers and Pruners publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 37-3013 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines
  2. 2. Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools
  3. 3. Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck…
  4. 4. Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment
  5. 5. Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle
  6. 6. Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas
  7. 7. Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees
  8. 8. Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches
  9. 9. Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees
  10. 10. Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal
  11. 11. Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems
  12. 12. Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons

Tree Trimmers and Pruners: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 37-3013 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.8
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.3
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Complex Problem Solving 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Coordination 3.0
  8. 8. Instructing 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 3.6
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.3
  3. 3. Public Safety and Security 2.9
  4. 4. Production and Processing 2.8
  5. 5. Transportation 2.7
  6. 6. Education and Training 2.7
National median after O*NET task lead
$50,960
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines
$51K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
7,400
Annual openings
55,160
Estimated US jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers
Highest-pay peer · $58K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Tree Trimmers and Pruners

1. Oregon $75,440
2. Minnesota $77,460
3. California $62,550
4. New York $62,400
5. Washington $63,850
6. Illinois $64,450
7. New Jersey $71,940
8. Vermont $62,170
9. Massachusetts $62,550
10. Missouri $61,140

Other Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations titles

  1. 1. Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation $46,340
  2. 2. First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers $49,100
  3. 3. First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers $58,430
  4. 4. Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $35,510
  5. 5. Pest Control Workers $45,250
  6. 6. Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners $36,840

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Tree Trimmers and Pruners (SOC 37-3013). The national OEWS median is $50,960 inside Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations. Same-group neighbors: First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers, Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners, Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation, First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers. Lead published task: Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 7,400 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Oregon at $75,440. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers at $58,430. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Tree Trimmers and Pruners pay-rank #2 in Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations

Among 10 detailed Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations with a published OEWS median, Tree Trimmers and Pruners is pay-rank #2, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 37-3013 · national median $50,960 · upper third of Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations (#2/10). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Tree Trimmers and Pruners salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 37-3013

Oregon · top state for Tree Trimmers and Pruners

$75K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$77K · behind Oregon

First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers

Highest-pay peer vs Tree Trimmers and Pruners · $58K

Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners

Lower-pay peer beside Tree Trimmers and Pruners · $36K

Compare Tree Trimmers and Pruners

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Tree Trimmers and Pruners with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Tree Trimmers and Pruners full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations titles sit near Tree Trimmers and Pruners at the top of the pay table? ▼
Tree Trimmers and Pruners is pay-rank #2 of 10 detailed Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers ($49K), Grounds Maintenance Workers, All Other ($47K), First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers ($58K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do tree trimmers and pruners do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Tree Trimmers and Pruners. Leading ones include: 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…; Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for tree trimmers and pruners? ▼
For SOC 37-3013, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.8), Operations Monitoring (3.6), Critical Thinking (3.3), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Mechanical, Public Safety and Security. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Tree Trimmers and Pruners? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $50,960 as the national median for Tree Trimmers and Pruners. The published 10th-90th range is $37,940 to $80,310. Beside First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers ($58,430), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Tree Trimmers and Pruners? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Tree Trimmers and Pruners is +3%. Projected annual openings: about 7,400. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Tree Trimmers and Pruners? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Tree Trimmers and Pruners. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Tree Trimmers and Pruners? ▼
Oregon ($75,440), Minnesota ($77,460), California ($62,550) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Tree Trimmers and Pruners card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 37-3013. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Tree Trimmers and Pruners. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics