Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary

SOC Code: 37-3013 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$50,430
Mean Salary
$54,970
Employment
47,870
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$37,660
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$78,900

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$37,660 25th percentile
$43,690 Median (50th)
$50,430 75th percentile
$63,130 90th percentile
$78,900

Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
Alaska$84,740$73,98030$42,380$93,040
Minnesota$68,030$65,560140$51,700$83,230
Illinois$64,550$64,7901,090$48,240$85,590
Rhode Island$64,240$60,130110$54,690$64,240
Oregon$63,290$68,9401,180$49,000$81,250
California$62,880$65,6908,620$41,920$85,980
New York$62,180$64,0202,520$46,560$84,360
Washington$61,750$65,640630$43,670$95,300
New Jersey$61,660$59,3501,540$34,940$74,780
Hawaii$60,580$60,540180$47,020$75,840
Vermont$60,320$59,620330$51,010$73,310
Massachusetts$60,130$63,230N/A$47,330$92,210
New Hampshire$57,830$56,750470$45,860$72,910
Maine$57,820$67,00060$50,590$88,910
Utah$53,900$54,970440$45,890$68,990
North Dakota$51,490$50,89040$39,140$74,800
New Mexico$50,690$55,080100$32,120$77,950
Colorado$49,920$51,980600$39,690$59,800
Montana$49,860$53,710260$36,640$68,100
Nevada$49,680$49,710N/A$38,630$60,790
Florida$49,490$52,9801,950$30,160$81,490
South Dakota$49,430$47,290180$38,130$50,770
Pennsylvania$49,280$53,5702,550$43,690$66,510
Virginia$49,090$51,160860$40,880$73,650
Wyoming$48,680$53,34090$39,170$65,570
Wisconsin$48,510$50,3401,110$38,810$64,800
South Carolina$48,240$46,990370$38,740$57,970
Michigan$48,070$51,1801,890$36,650$64,720
West Virginia$47,960$47,5601,350$38,000$56,170
Ohio$47,800$50,1301,310$45,600$57,000
Connecticut$47,330$52,120570$36,510$75,100
Missouri$46,860$47,750800$36,210$63,070
Arizona$46,650$53,440500$38,440$80,850
Mississippi$46,630$47,250220$34,560$58,660
Indiana$46,280$47,040590$36,060$63,300
Tennessee$45,890$46,3401,200$37,590$56,200
Maryland$45,710$48,700720$38,320$58,210
North Carolina$44,740$44,6401,240$25,400$58,240
Kansas$44,640$44,230420$30,140$59,870
Oklahoma$44,500$45,130430$30,180$61,140
Georgia$41,730$44,840N/A$25,400$61,830
Idaho$41,710$45,920N/A$38,950$51,680
Iowa$41,330$38,980710$20,250$53,760
Texas$40,030$43,7302,400$36,120$55,010
Kentucky$39,830$39,830760$23,140$58,150
Alabama$39,600$40,2401,170$21,710$49,940
Louisiana$38,950$42,100370$31,600$58,440
Arkansas$37,830$39,550180$25,430$62,120
Nebraska$37,220$41,520500$34,560$49,290

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$78,920$71,480800
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$76,090$78,240930
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$72,760$70,580570
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$71,350$75,930210
Modesto, CA$68,120$68,18090
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$67,170$64,24080
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$65,050$65,070740
Portland-South Portland, ME$64,600$69,030N/A
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$63,940$70,230410
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA$63,200$65,370110
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$63,130$64,7902,360
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$63,050$66,900940
Salinas, CA$62,820$64,06070
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$62,290$62,8002,420
Bend, OR$62,260$63,88060
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$62,090$64,820110
New Haven, CT$61,970$61,33040
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$61,790$62,120180
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$61,700$63,140190
Salem, OR$61,680$61,980110

About Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of tree trimmers and prunerss earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.