Career Explorer Buildings and grounds
Human edge, growing
Tree trimmers and pruners
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.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 98% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +4.2% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on physical dexterity and ethical judgement.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $50,960
- Job growth to 2035
- +4.2%
- Openings a year
- 7,900
- People doing it (2025)
- 70,600
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then short on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Explain technical details of products or services
- Prepare mixtures or solutions
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Operate agricultural or forestry equipment
- Cut trees or other vegetation
- Dispose of waste or debris
What the work looks like
- 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.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as local governments desire more trees in urban areas.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Solar photovoltaic installersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +36.5%
- Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +5.3%
- Electrical power-line installers and repairersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +10.3%
- Wind turbine service techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +29.5%
Also known as: Arborist, Groundsman, Tree Climber, Tree Trimmer, Climber, Grounds Worker, Laborer, Plant Health Care Technician.
Is this career on your child's list?
Build a free Career Playbook matched to your child, or get a 90-day Action Plan with dated next steps, written for your child by name.
Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.