How to hire a climber

How to hire a climber, step by step

Here's a step-by-step climber hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a climber job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new climber
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your climber job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a climber for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A climber's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, climbers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents climber salaries for various positions.

   Type of Climber	Description	Hourly rate
   Climber	Grounds maintenance workers ensure that the grounds of houses, businesses, and parks are attractive, orderly, and healthy in order to provide a pleasant outdoor environment.	$14-27
   Groundsman	Groundsmen or greenkeepers are professionals who take responsibility for the maintenance of materials and equipment. They make certain to provide enough stock of consumables... Show more	$12-20
   Irrigation Technician	An irrigation technician is responsible for installing, testing, and maintaining irrigation equipment such as sprinklers, suction valves, and pumps. Typical duties for this position include operating heavy machinery for trenching, installing wiring systems for irrigation timers, and inspecting equipment for a day's work... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Line Clearance
   • Power Saws
   • Transmission Lines
   • CPR
   • OSHA
   • Pruning Shears
   • CDL
   • Bucket Truck
   • Ladders
   • PIM
   • Safety Equipment
   • Antenna Systems
   • Tree Removal

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Install lte and umts anttennnas.
   • Train in the proper use of rigging equipment (porta wrap, pulleys, ect.
   • Operate heavy equipment trucks with booms and lift systems, company service trucks and vehicles, and a cherry picker.
   • Hand dig area between old and new poles to ensure enough room to transfer wires, dips etc to new poles.
   • Train in the proper use of rigging equipment (porta wrap, pulleys, ect.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your climber job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A climber can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, climbers' average salary in mississippi is 49% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level climbers 46% less than senior-level climbers.
   • Certifications. A climber with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a climber's salary.

   Average climber salary

   $42,388yearly

   $20.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level climber salary

   $31,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

4. Writing a climber job description

   A good climber job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a climber job description:

   Climber job description example

   Climber - $2000.00 Sign on Bonus!

   Looking for a place where you can thrive?

   SavATree's mission is to take our passion for nature and keep this country's outdoors beautiful and flourishing. Through our comprehensive tree, shrub, and lawn care we work hard to make sure our discerning customers have attractive, healthy and cared-for green spaces to enjoy. Over the last thirty years, we have opened new offices across the country, and we are looking for people who want to grow with us.

   The General Tree Care Team are the muscle of our operation. These industrial athletes work together to provide high-quality tree care, helping to maintain and preserve the overall health of our clients' landscapes.

   As a climber, team members have the opportunity to work outside and visit beautiful properties in their community. The Tree Care team applies expertise in climbing, pruning, and safety to ensure the health and well-being of each client's landscape.

   We want everyone to be able to identify and achieve their own version of success, which means giving each team member the room and opportunity to grow. To ensure that everyone has the best chance to succeed, we invest heavily in training and continuing education with our climbers and grounds specialists. We make it easy for team members to reach out and get the help needed, even when it's from the other side of the country. We pride ourselves on creating an environment where each team member has the resources and opportunities to advance his or her career and become a go-to subject matter expert. That's why we often say that when you work here, you thrive here.

   What a day is like:

   Daily focus as a climber is working together on a General Tree Care crew to provide high quality tree care to our clients. The Tree Care Team is involved in all aspects of tree climbing, pruning, removals, cable bracing and other concepts related to tree care. Team members are able to safely operate all tree climbing equipment and perform the assigned job tasks while also providing excellent service to our clients.

   What kind of person are we looking for? Someone with:

   • Experienced climbers should know proper pruning practices including large shade trees and ornamentals
   • Ability to identify native and introduced tree and shrub species and have a working knowledge of each species' characteristics
   • Ability to climb without spurs
   • Experience with tree care safety standards
   • Practical knowledge of chainsaw and equipment operation
   • Valid Driver's license, CDL a plus
   • Experience with aerial lifts (bucket truck)

   Why you might love working here:

   • We have lots of training and development opportunities and support continuing education in the industry
   • Our Tree Care Team works alongside some of the best trained and equipped teams in the industry, with an emphasis on quality and safety
   • We offer competitive compensation and benefits, including health and dental, paid time off, 401(K) Savings Plan, Flexible Spending Plan, Equipment Account

   Interested in taking your career to another location? We have several openings at other SavATree locations across the United States, and we offer relocation assistance in most cases. Just ask us for further details.

   SavATree is an equal opportunity employer and a Drug Free Workplace

   #Sponsor

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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find climbers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your climber job on Zippia to find and recruit climber candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit climbers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new climber

   Once you have selected a candidate for the climber position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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