What does a tree surgeon do?
Tree surgeon responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real tree surgeon resumes:
- Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes and to remove low-hanging branches.
- Operate powered equipment such as mowers, tractors, twin-axle vehicles, chainsaws, electric clippers, pruning saws and edgers.
- Comply with all regulatory requirements and company policies such as OSHA, MSDS and health and safety.
Tree surgeon skills and personality traits
We calculated that 46% of Tree Surgeons are proficient in Safety Procedures, Tree Removal, and Chain Saws. They’re also known for soft skills such as Physical stamina, Dexterity, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Tree Surgeons that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Safety Procedures, 46%
Maintained all safety procedures and ensured crew was aware of hazards.
- Tree Removal, 40%
Trimmed trees and performed tree removals up to 150 feet in tight areas.
- Chain Saws, 14%
Used chain saws, ropes and climbing saddles.
Common skills that a tree surgeon uses to do their job include "safety procedures," "tree removal," and "chain saws." You can find details on the most important tree surgeon responsibilities below.
Physical stamina. One of the key soft skills for a tree surgeon to have is physical stamina. You can see how this relates to what tree surgeons do because "grounds maintenance workers must be able to do strenuous labor for long periods of time, occasionally in extreme heat or cold." Additionally, a tree surgeon resume shows how tree surgeons use physical stamina: "learned how to operate a telescoping boom truckskills useddecision making, leadership, communication with clients, physical stamina"
Dexterity. Another essential skill to perform tree surgeon duties is dexterity. Tree surgeons responsibilities require that "grounds maintenance workers must have good eye, foot, and hand coordination when using dangerous or heavy equipment such as backhoes, mowers, and tractors." Tree surgeons also use dexterity in their role according to a real resume snippet: "use of power tools including chainsaw, handsaw, and tree pruners. "
Physical strength. tree surgeon responsibilities often require "physical strength." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "these workers may need to be able to lift heavy equipment or supplies." This resume example shows what tree surgeons do with physical strength on a typical day: "learned how to operate a telescoping boom truckskills useddecision making, leadership, communication with clients, physical stamina"
The three companies that hire the most tree surgeons are:
- City of Los Angeles1 tree surgeons jobs
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Compare different tree surgeons
Tree surgeon vs. Diagnostician
Trimmers are responsible for controlling machines to finish preformed plastic parts. They trim the part to shape and form to the size following the model and utilizing a power saw or power grinder. Also, they grip the template to part or position slots, making use of a portable router or table, power hand drill, or drill press. Additionally, they use a power sander to smooth the edges and rough surfaces of the part. Occasionally, they may also shape, trim, and assemble wood or metal piece of the plastic part as well as alter and repair machines with hand tools.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, tree surgeon responsibilities require skills like "safety procedures," "tree removal," "chain saws," and "computer system." Meanwhile a typical diagnostician has skills in areas such as "iep," "program development," "autism," and "medicaid." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, diagnosticians reach higher levels of education than tree surgeons. Diagnosticians are 27.0% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 5.8% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Tree surgeon vs. Trimmer
The job of a Tree Climber is to skillfully ascend and descend a tall tree while performing a range of duties. Your key role is to train people like researchers and photographers on how to safely climb trees and to assess the canopy of really large trees so as to maintain them. These duties you'll do include pruning of tree branches and spraying to eliminate pests and diseases, all of which fall under arborist duties. You may even be responsible for providing adventure to eco-tourists in the entertainment industry.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, tree surgeon responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "chain saws," "computer system," "tree branches," and "sales performance." Meanwhile, a trimmer has duties that require skills in areas such as "ladders," "dexterity," "ppe," and "hand tools." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Trimmers may earn a lower salary than tree surgeons, but trimmers earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $38,527. On the other hand, tree surgeons receive higher pay in the construction industry, where they earn an average salary of $49,491.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Trimmers tend to reach similar levels of education than tree surgeons. In fact, they're 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 5.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Tree surgeon vs. Tree trimmer helper
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from tree surgeon resumes include skills like "safety procedures," "tree removal," "chain saws," and "computer system," whereas a tree trimmer helper is more likely to list skills in "cleanup," "hand saws," "rakes," and "shovels. "
When it comes to education, tree trimmer helpers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to tree surgeons. In fact, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Tree surgeon vs. Tree climber
Types of tree surgeon
Updated January 8, 2025
