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Tree Trimmers and Pruners

In the Tree Trimmers and Pruners occupation, workers 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. O*NET rates it as some preparation, which usually means a few months to a year of learning on the job. It leans on operation and control, operations monitoring, and critical thinking. You may also need to operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines. Interest ratings put Realistic on top at 7.0 out of 7 and Conventional second, so the code is RCI and the day leans toward hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world. People who want hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world usually fit better here than those who need creative work with room for original expression.

What they do

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.

Main tasks

  • 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.

Skills

  • Operation and Control
  • Operations Monitoring
  • Critical Thinking
  • Monitoring
  • Complex Problem Solving
  • Speaking

Who this career fits

May suit you if

  • You like ending the day with a physical result you can point to.
  • You want to start work after a short stretch of training.
  • You are comfortable relying on operation and control and operations monitoring.

May not suit you if

  • You would rather stay away from physical, hands-on tasks.
  • You need creative expression to be a big part of your day. Artistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
  • You want a career built on years of advanced study.

Interest profile

O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code RCI takes the three highest, and Realistic comes first here.

Preparation

Some preparation. Most people start with a high school diploma, then learn from experienced coworkers over a few months to a year.

Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Less than a High School Diploma. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.

Also called

  • Arborist
  • Climber
  • Grounds Worker
  • Groundsman
  • Laborer

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.