Arborist vs tree cutter

The differences between arborists and tree cutters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an arborist has an average salary of $41,881, which is higher than the $38,948 average annual salary of a tree cutter.

The top three skills for an arborist include CDL, hand tools and CPR. The most important skills for a tree cutter are lawn care, safety devices, and rakes.

Arborist vs tree cutter overview

	Arborist	Tree Cutter
Yearly salary	$41,881	$38,948
Hourly rate	$20.14	$18.73
Growth rate	5%	5%
Number of jobs	4,040	5,386
Job satisfaction	4	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 61%
Average age	41	38
Years of experience	2	-

Arborist vs tree cutter salary

Arborists and tree cutters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Arborist	Tree Cutter
Average salary	$41,881	$38,948
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $57,000	Between $29,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City	Redwood City, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Florida Power & Light	-
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	-

Differences between arborist and tree cutter education

There are a few differences between an arborist and a tree cutter in terms of educational background:

	Arborist	Tree Cutter
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 45%	High School Diploma, 61%
Most common major	Forestry	Business
Most common college	-	-

Arborist vs tree cutter demographics

Here are the differences between arborists' and tree cutters' demographics:

	Arborist	Tree Cutter
Average age	41	38
Gender ratio	Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4%	Male, 95.2% Female, 4.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 1.5% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3%	Black or African American, 7.5% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 1.0% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between arborist and tree cutter duties and responsibilities

Arborist example 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.
Follow all ANSI pruning practices.
Asphalt roller man grind man shovel loot operator

Tree cutter example responsibilities.

Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes and to remove low-hanging branches.
Operate chain saws, stump grinders, wood chippers, skid loaders, trailer trucks, and other tree service equipment.
Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes and other tools.
Trim with pruners and pole see from the ground.
Assist with lawn mowing and landscaping.
Purchase, lease or rent required equipment including skid steer, mowers, extend trailers, etc.

Arborist vs tree cutter skills

Common arborist skills

CDL, 12%
Hand Tools, 11%
CPR, 8%
Customer Service, 7%
ISA, 6%
Grinders, 5%

Common tree cutter skills

Lawn Care, 77%
Safety Devices, 7%
Rakes, 2%
Prune, 2%
Handsaws, 2%
Trim Trees, 2%

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Arborist vs Tree Cutter

Updated January 8, 2025

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