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Tree Trimmers and Pruners: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
3 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Tree Trimmers and Pruners, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for TREE SURGEON (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Arborist | 2048 | Competency-Based: 5,400 hours Hybrid: 5,400 to 6,000 hours Time-Based: 5,400 hours |
| TREE SURGEON | 0595 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 6,000 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| TREE TRIMMER (Line Clear) | 0607 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What tree trimmers and pruners earn, by state
Minnesota has the highest state median for tree trimmers and pruners ($77,460) and Nebraska the lowest ($39,380), across the 50 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $77,460 | $37.24 | Not published |
| Oregon | $75,440 | $36.27 | 1,610 |
| New Jersey | $71,940 | $34.59 | Not published |
| Illinois | $64,450 | $30.99 | 700 |
| Washington | $63,850 | $30.70 | 700 |
| California | $62,550 | $30.07 | 9,610 |
| Massachusetts | $62,550 | $30.07 | 2,090 |
| New York | $62,400 | $30.00 | 3,750 |
| Vermont | $62,170 | $29.89 | 430 |
| Missouri | $61,140 | $29.40 | 970 |
| Rhode Island | $61,040 | $29.35 | 110 |
| New Hampshire | $59,660 | $28.68 | 330 |
| Montana | $59,580 | $28.65 | 230 |
| Pennsylvania | $58,200 | $27.98 | 3,160 |
| Wisconsin | $57,930 | $27.85 | 1,190 |
| Michigan | $57,550 | $27.67 | 1,840 |
| Hawaii | $56,990 | $27.40 | 170 |
| Utah | $56,890 | $27.35 | 200 |
| Colorado | $51,390 | $24.71 | 1,200 |
| Nevada | $51,210 | $24.62 | 190 |
| Puerto Rico | $50,770 | $24.41 | Not published |
| Arizona | $50,680 | $24.36 | Not published |
| South Dakota | $50,430 | $24.25 | 270 |
| Ohio | $49,650 | $23.87 | 1,460 |
| Delaware | $49,330 | $23.72 | Not published |
| West Virginia | $49,140 | $23.62 | 1,420 |
| Connecticut | $48,930 | $23.52 | 360 |
| Virginia | $48,550 | $23.34 | 1,070 |
| North Carolina | $48,480 | $23.31 | 1,560 |
| Kansas | $48,400 | $23.27 | 390 |
| Louisiana | $47,350 | $22.77 | 120 |
| Tennessee | $47,350 | $22.76 | 710 |
| New Mexico | $47,330 | $22.76 | Not published |
| Maryland | $47,210 | $22.70 | 730 |
| Oklahoma | $46,950 | $22.57 | 860 |
| Georgia | $46,910 | $22.55 | 1,030 |
| Maine | $46,430 | $22.32 | Not published |
| Wyoming | $46,210 | $22.22 | Not published |
| Florida | $46,070 | $22.15 | 2,770 |
| Indiana | $46,050 | $22.14 | 1,850 |
| Arkansas | $45,650 | $21.95 | 290 |
| North Dakota | $44,820 | $21.55 | Not published |
| Kentucky | $44,410 | $21.35 | 1,020 |
| Idaho | $43,840 | $21.08 | Not published |
| South Carolina | $43,660 | $20.99 | 430 |
| Iowa | $42,890 | $20.62 | 380 |
| Mississippi | $41,560 | $19.98 | 260 |
| Alabama | $41,500 | $19.95 | 890 |
| Texas | $39,880 | $19.17 | 4,460 |
| Nebraska | $39,380 | $18.94 | Not published |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).