How To Become An Arborist: What It Is and Career Path

What is an arborist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

An arborist specializes in the care and maintenance of trees. They work to understand the biology and physiology of trees, as well as the techniques required to maintain their health and safety. Arborists offer services including pruning, shaping, and removing trees, as well as diagnosing and treating diseases and pests. They also provide advice on tree selection and placement, and help with planting and transplanting. Arborists work in residential properties, public parks, and commercial landscapes.

ScoreArboristUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $41,881

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.2

Growth Rate 5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.30%

Asian 1.49%

Black or African American 7.70%

Hispanic or Latino 19.93%

Unknown 3.78%

White 65.80%

Gender

female 7.45%

male 92.55%

Age - 41

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41

Stress Level

6.2

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.0

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

7.0

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Arborist?

Pros

Opportunity for creativity and problem-solving
Flexibility in work hours and location
High demand for skilled workers
Potential for self-employment or business ownership
Competitive salary and benefits

Cons

Risk of injury or death from falls or equipment accidents
High stress situations during emergency tree removals or storm damage cleanup
Limited job availability in certain areas or seasons
Long hours during peak season or during emergencies
Difficulty in finding qualified employees to work with you or for you

Key steps to become an arborist

Explore arborist education requirements

Most common arborist degrees

Bachelor's

45.3 %

High School Diploma

24.6 %

Associate

16.1 %

Start to develop specific arborist skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	11.96%
Hand Tools	11.28%
CPR	7.51%
Customer Service	6.54%
ISA	6.33%

Research arborist duties and responsibilities

Cut grass weed eater feed animals water plants fix mowers drive tractor work on plumbing.
Utilize climbing equipment or buckets of extend truck booms, and/or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
Obtain ISA certification, pesticide applicator certification and CDL.
Maintain and mow lawns; top, trim, and prune shrubs, hedges, and trees.

Prepare your arborist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your arborist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an arborist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Arborist Resume templates

Build a professional Arborist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Arborist resume.

Apply for arborist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an arborist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do arborists rate their job?

4/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Arborist reviews

4.0

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

Climbing and the science of rigging and operating any type of forestry equipment

Cons

Not having enough cash to get proper equipment to climb or bad groundsman when equipment fails