Tree Trimmers and Pruners
SOC 37-3013 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $64,134per year
- Projected openings
- 14,990
- Projected change
- +5%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Complex Problem Solving
- Speaking
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $78,809 | 460 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $78,250 | 1,020 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $74,829 | 1,010 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA (Sonoma County) | $73,379 | 430 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles MSA (San Luis Obispo County) | $64,997 | 200 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $64,843 | 1,620 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $64,671 | 2,020 |
| Salinas MSA (Monterey County) | $64,606 | 170 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $64,082 | 290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $63,858 | 2,570 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA (Santa Cruz County) | $63,855 | 230 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $63,547 | 350 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $63,454 | 330 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono, and Tuolumne Counties) | $63,444 | 120 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $63,413 | 1,800 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | $63,166 | 80 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $63,166 | 160 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $63,084 | 1,540 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $62,601 | 140 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $62,086 | 230 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $62,014 | 420 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $61,222 | 250 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $61,027 | 80 |
| El Centro MSA (Imperial County) | Not reported | 40 |
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | Not reported | 80 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $36,656
- A quarter earn under
- $48,067
- Half earn under
- $64,134
- Three quarters earn under
- $80,488
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $94,607
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | $46,714 | 182,080 | +5.8% |
| Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators, Vegetation | $46,212 | 3,870 | +3.6% |
| Forest and Conservation Workers | $44,863 | 5,760 | 0% |
| Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse | $36,544 | 373,450 | -2.1% |
| Agricultural Equipment Operators | $39,872 | 26,200 | +7.4% |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $89,521 | 33,360 | +7% |
Programs that train for this job — 1
Horticulture: Tree Technician Certificate
Diablo Valley College · Pleasant Hill · $1,419