Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for tree trimmers and prunerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $55,970 ≈ $27/hr
National median salary $50,960
Total employment 55,160 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +3.3%
About as fast as average
Annual openings 7,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 60,100 → 62,100 (+2,000)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Oregon$73,630
- Minnesota$72,860
- New Jersey$69,760
- Washington$66,980
- Illinois$66,850
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Texas$42,510
- Kentucky$43,690
- Alabama$43,700
- Nebraska$43,990
- Mississippi$44,550
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $73,630 | $75,440 | $35 | +31.6% | 1,610 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $72,860 | $77,460 | $35 | +30.2% | — |
| 3 | New Jersey | $69,760 | $71,940 | $34 | +24.6% | — |
| 4 | Washington | $66,980 | $63,850 | $32 | +19.7% | 700 |
| 5 | Illinois | $66,850 | $64,450 | $32 | +19.4% | 700 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $66,100 | $62,550 | $32 | +18.1% | 2,090 |
| 7 | California | $63,610 | $62,550 | $31 | +13.7% | 9,610 |
| 8 | New York | $63,130 | $62,400 | $30 | +12.8% | 3,750 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $61,150 | $61,040 | $29 | +9.3% | 110 |
| 10 | Vermont | $61,040 | $62,170 | $29 | +9.1% | 430 |
| 11 | Utah | $59,890 | $56,890 | $29 | +7% | 200 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $59,450 | $58,200 | $29 | +6.2% | 3,160 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $58,610 | $56,990 | $28 | +4.7% | 170 |
| 14 | Montana | $58,520 | $59,580 | $28 | +4.6% | 230 |
| 15 | Wisconsin | $58,290 | $57,930 | $28 | +4.1% | 1,190 |
| 16 | Missouri | $57,080 | $61,140 | $27 | +2% | 970 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $56,750 | $59,660 | $27 | +1.4% | 330 |
| 18 | Delaware | $56,250 | $49,330 | $27 | +0.5% | — |
| 19 | Connecticut | $55,680 | $48,930 | $27 | -0.5% | 360 |
| 20 | Michigan | $55,630 | $57,550 | $27 | -0.6% | 1,840 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $54,370 | $50,430 | $26 | -2.9% | 270 |
| 22 | Colorado | $54,020 | $51,390 | $26 | -3.5% | 1,200 |
| 23 | New Mexico | $52,530 | $47,330 | $25 | -6.1% | — |
| 24 | North Carolina | $52,020 | $48,480 | $25 | -7.1% | 1,560 |
| 25 | Maine | $51,920 | $46,430 | $25 | -7.2% | — |
| 26 | Kansas | $51,250 | $48,400 | $25 | -8.4% | 390 |
| 27 | Ohio | $51,230 | $49,650 | $25 | -8.5% | 1,460 |
| 28 | Arizona | $50,920 | $50,680 | $24 | -9% | — |
| 29 | Idaho | $50,860 | $43,840 | $24 | -9.1% | — |
| 30 | Wyoming | $50,310 | $46,210 | $24 | -10.1% | — |
| 31 | Nevada | $50,170 | $51,210 | $24 | -10.4% | 190 |
| 32 | Virginia | $49,800 | $48,550 | $24 | -11% | 1,070 |
| 33 | Maryland | $49,510 | $47,210 | $24 | -11.5% | 730 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $49,360 | $49,140 | $24 | -11.8% | 1,420 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $48,450 | $47,350 | $23 | -13.4% | 120 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $48,030 | $46,950 | $23 | -14.2% | 860 |
| 37 | Tennessee | $47,570 | $47,350 | $23 | -15% | 710 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $47,180 | $45,650 | $23 | -15.7% | 290 |
| 39 | Indiana | $47,100 | $46,050 | $23 | -15.8% | 1,850 |
| 40 | Georgia | $46,610 | $46,910 | $22 | -16.7% | 1,030 |
| 41 | Florida | $45,670 | $46,070 | $22 | -18.4% | 2,770 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $45,260 | $43,660 | $22 | -19.1% | 430 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $45,130 | $44,820 | $22 | -19.4% | — |
| 44 | Iowa | $44,890 | $42,890 | $22 | -19.8% | 380 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $44,550 | $41,560 | $21 | -20.4% | 260 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $43,990 | $39,380 | $21 | -21.4% | — |
| 47 | Alabama | $43,700 | $41,500 | $21 | -21.9% | 890 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $43,690 | $44,410 | $21 | -21.9% | 1,020 |
| 49 | Texas | $42,510 | $39,880 | $20 | -24% | 4,460 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 193 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Washington nonmetropolitan area | $77,650 | $79,270 | — |
| 2 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $77,460 | $73,710 | — |
| 3 | New Haven, CT | $76,450 | $69,100 | 40 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $75,980 | $74,180 | 990 |
| 5 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $75,570 | $72,870 | 1,160 |
| 6 | Syracuse, NY | $75,140 | $72,190 | 130 |
| 7 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $74,580 | $64,590 | — |
| 8 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $73,570 | $76,580 | 190 |
| 9 | Salem, OR | $71,190 | $71,740 | 100 |
| 10 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $70,550 | $66,990 | — |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing tree trimmers and prunerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Facilities Support Services | $96,340 | $81,450 | 60 |
| 2 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $69,580 | $74,130 | 60 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $69,580 | $74,130 | 60 |
| 4 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $64,000 | $66,390 | 2,880 |
| 5 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $64,000 | $66,390 | 2,880 |
| 6 | Educational Services, State Government Owned | $63,980 | $61,930 | 70 |
| 7 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, State Government Owned | $63,980 | $61,930 | 70 |
| 8 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $63,840 | $66,210 | 2,970 |
| 9 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $63,810 | $66,340 | 2,650 |
| 10 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $63,770 | $66,260 | 2,680 |
| 11 | State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $63,560 | $63,830 | 240 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $62,690 | $59,940 | 100 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do tree trimmers and pruners make in the U.S.?
The median tree trimmers and pruners salary in the United States is $50,960 per year (mean $55,970), and about 80% earn between $37,940 and $80,310.
How much do tree trimmers and pruners make per hour?
Roughly $27 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $55,970 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays tree trimmers and pruners the most?
Oregon has the highest average pay for tree trimmers and pruners at $73,630 per year (median $75,440).
What is the job outlook for tree trimmers and pruners?
Employment is projected to change +3.3% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 7,400 openings per year.