The average tree trimmer in the United States earns $55,970 a year, and the median, which is the figure that describes a typical worker rather than one dragged around by the top end, is $50,960. That works out at about $26.91 an hour. Where you work moves that a long way: Oregon averages $73,630 and Texas $42,510. Everything below is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 release, not from job ads or self-reported surveys.
What a tree trimmer actually does for that money
Tree trimmers and pruners is counted separately from landscaping, and the figures reflect a genuinely more dangerous and more skilled trade. Utility line clearance contractors employ a large share of them and pay above the median for the qualification.
What tree trimmers earn, from bottom to top
An average hides the spread, and the spread is what matters when you are deciding whether to enter the trade or what to pay someone. Here is the full range BLS publishes.
| Percentile | Annual | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% | $37,940 | Starting out, or an apprentice rate |
| 25th | $44,840 | Still building speed and a customer base |
| Median | $50,960 | The middle of the trade |
| 75th | $63,900 | Experienced, licensed, in demand |
| Top 10% | $80,310 | Specialists, supervisors and owners |
Tree Trimming salary by state
Oregon pays the most at $73,630 a year, and Texas the least at $42,510. Cost of living explains part of that gap and licensing rules explain a good deal of the rest.
| # | State | Average annual | Median annual | Hourly | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $73,630 | $75,440 | $35.40 | 1,610 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $72,860 | $77,460 | $35.03 | n/a |
| 3 | New Jersey | $69,760 | $71,940 | $33.54 | n/a |
| 4 | Washington | $66,980 | $63,850 | $32.20 | 700 |
| 5 | Illinois | $66,850 | $64,450 | $32.14 | 700 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $66,100 | $62,550 | $31.78 | 2,090 |
| 7 | California | $63,610 | $62,550 | $30.58 | 9,610 |
| 8 | New York | $63,130 | $62,400 | $30.35 | 3,750 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $61,150 | $61,040 | $29.40 | 110 |
| 10 | Vermont | $61,040 | $62,170 | $29.34 | 430 |
| 11 | Utah | $59,890 | $56,890 | $28.79 | 200 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $59,450 | $58,200 | $28.58 | 3,160 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $58,610 | $56,990 | $28.18 | 170 |
| 14 | Montana | $58,520 | $59,580 | $28.14 | 230 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $58,290 | $57,930 | $28.02 | 1,190 |
| 16 | Missouri | $57,080 | $61,140 | $27.44 | 970 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $56,750 | $59,660 | $27.28 | 330 |
| 18 | Delaware | $56,250 | $49,330 | $27.04 | n/a |
| 19 | Connecticut | $55,680 | $48,930 | $26.77 | 360 |
| 20 | Michigan | $55,630 | $57,550 | $26.75 | 1,840 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $54,370 | $50,430 | $26.14 | 270 |
| 22 | Colorado | $54,020 | $51,390 | $25.97 | 1,200 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $52,530 | $47,330 | $25.25 | n/a |
| 24 | North Carolina | $52,020 | $48,480 | $25.01 | 1,560 |
| 25 | Maine | $51,920 | $46,430 | $24.96 | n/a |
| 26 | Kansas | $51,250 | $48,400 | $24.64 | 390 |
| 27 | Ohio | $51,230 | $49,650 | $24.63 | 1,460 |
| 28 | Arizona | $50,920 | $50,680 | $24.48 | n/a |
| 29 | Idaho | $50,860 | $43,840 | $24.45 | n/a |
| 30 | Wyoming | $50,310 | $46,210 | $24.19 | n/a |
| 31 | Nevada | $50,170 | $51,210 | $24.12 | 190 |
| 32 | Virginia | $49,800 | $48,550 | $23.94 | 1,070 |
| 33 | Maryland | $49,510 | $47,210 | $23.80 | 730 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $49,360 | $49,140 | $23.73 | 1,420 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $48,450 | $47,350 | $23.30 | 120 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $48,030 | $46,950 | $23.09 | 860 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $47,570 | $47,350 | $22.87 | 710 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $47,180 | $45,650 | $22.68 | 290 |
| 39 | Indiana | $47,100 | $46,050 | $22.64 | 1,850 |
| 40 | Georgia | $46,610 | $46,910 | $22.41 | 1,030 |
| 41 | Florida | $45,670 | $46,070 | $21.96 | 2,770 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $45,260 | $43,660 | $21.76 | 430 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $45,130 | $44,820 | $21.70 | n/a |
| 44 | Iowa | $44,890 | $42,890 | $21.58 | 380 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $44,550 | $41,560 | $21.42 | 260 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $43,990 | $39,380 | $21.15 | n/a |
| 47 | Alabama | $43,700 | $41,500 | $21.01 | 890 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $43,690 | $44,410 | $21.01 | 1,020 |
| 49 | Texas | $42,510 | $39,880 | $20.44 | 4,460 |
Where the money is: highest paying metros
State averages flatten out the difference between a city and the rural county next to it. These are the metro areas paying tree trimmers the most.
| # | Metro area | Average annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $76,580 | $36.82 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $74,180 | $35.66 |
| 3 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $73,710 | $35.44 |
| 4 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $72,870 | $35.04 |
| 5 | Syracuse, NY | $72,190 | $34.71 |
| 6 | Salem, OR | $71,740 | $34.49 |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $70,530 | $33.91 |
| 8 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $70,410 | $33.85 |
| 9 | Eugene-Springfield, OR | $69,800 | $33.56 |
| 10 | Boise City, ID | $69,630 | $33.48 |
What moves the number
- ISA Certified Arborist is the recognized credential and utility line clearance requires separate qualification. Both raise pay meaningfully.
- Storm work is the spike and it pays a large premium, but the base of the business is dormant-season pruning and removals.
- Utility line clearance, crane removals and plant health care all pay well above general trimming.
- The bottom ten percent of tree trimmers earn under $37,940 and the top ten percent clear $80,310. That gap is the trade telling you where the money is.
- Working for somebody else and working for yourself are different questions. These figures cover employed tree trimmers on a payroll, so they exclude the self-employed, and in this trade a large share of the best operators are exactly that.
What you can earn running the business instead
The number above is a wage. Running the business is a different calculation: you take the full ticket rather than an hourly rate, and what you keep depends on how many jobs you fit in a week, how quickly you get paid and how much of your day goes on scheduling, estimates and chasing invoices instead of on the work. That is the part software actually changes. Owners who put scheduling, estimating, invoicing and automated follow-up in one place tend to run more jobs with the same crew, which is where the gap between a tree trimmer wage and an owner income opens up.
Tree Trimming salary FAQs
- How much do tree trimmers make a year?
- The median tree trimmer in the United States earns $50,960 a year and the average is $55,970, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 release. Half the trade earns more than the median and half less.
- How much do tree trimmers make an hour?
- The mean hourly wage is $26.91. Annual earnings are usually higher than that rate multiplied by a standard year, because overtime, call-outs and premium work are not in the base rate.
- Which state pays tree trimmers the most?
- Oregon pays the most at an average of $73,630 a year, followed by Minnesota at $72,860 and New Jersey at $69,760. Cost of living accounts for some of that and licensing rules for much of the rest.
- Which cities pay tree trimmers the most?
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA tops the list at an average of $76,580 a year, with San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $74,180. Metro figures move a lot more than state averages, so the city matters more than the state.
- Can tree trimmers earn six figures?
- As an employee it is uncommon: the top ten percent earn $80,310. Owners are a different question, because they are paid on the job rather than on the hour, and owner income is not in these figures.
- Do these figures include self-employed tree trimmers?
- No. The Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program covers wage and salary workers, so sole proprietors and business owners are excluded. In a trade with as many owner-operators as this one, that matters when you read the number.
- Where does this tree trimming salary data come from?
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, for "Tree Trimmers and Pruners" (SOC 37-3013). It is a survey of employers rather than of workers, which is why it is more reliable than self-reported salary sites.
All wage figures on this page are from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. BLS suppresses figures in areas with too few employers to publish safely; those appear as n/a rather than an estimate.
