Arborist
Impact: Environmental stewardship, Public safety, Property value enhancement
Cultivates, maintains, and removes trees and other woody plants, providing expert care and advice on selection, planting, and disease management.
What the day looks like
- People interaction
- Moderate
- Team vs solo
- 60% Team / 40% Solo
- Client facing
- Frequent
- Impact visibility
- High
- Travel
- Occasional local travel to client sites
- Schedule flexibility
- Structured
- Remote work
- On-site Only
- Typical work hours
- 40-50 hours/week
- Stress level
- Moderate
At a glance
- Median salary
- $68,300
- Entry-level
- $45,000 - $55,000
- Senior
- $90,000+
- Growth by 2033
- 4% (as fast as average)
- Demand
- Stable
- Freelance potential
- High
- Salary growth potential
- Moderate to 60-80% growth from entry to senior
- Typical student debt
- $20,000 - $40,000
Skills you'll use
Hard skills
- Tree Biology
- Soil Science
- Pest Management
- Tree Climbing
- Chainsaw Operation
- Rigging
- Aerial Lift Operation
Soft skills
- Problem-solving
- Communication
- Observation
- Attention to Detail
- Physical Stamina
Technical complexity: High
How to get there
- Minimum education
- Bachelor's Degree
- Licensing
- Varies by State
- Years to mid-career
- 3-5 years
- Years to senior
- 7-10 years
- Career switching
- Moderate
Where this career leads
How people arrive here
Where you can go from here
Typical progression
- Apprentice Arborist
- Certified Arborist
- Consulting Arborist / Crew Leader
- Operations Manager
Future outlook
- Automation probability
- 15% to low risk due to hands-on nature and judgment required
- AI disruption risk
- Very Low
- Demand trend
- Stable
How people feel about it
- Overall satisfaction
- 3.5/10
- Meaning
- 4/10
- Work-life balance
- 3/10
- Prestige
- 6.5/10
- Social perception
- High