Will “Tree Surgeon” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔

Job Description

Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.

Job Details

• The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 37-3013.00
• The Mean Annual Wage in the U.S. is $ 37,310.00
• The Mean Hourly Wage is $ 17.00
• Currently, there are 40,680 people on this job

☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Tree Trimmers and Pruners”.

Also Known As…

• Tree Trimmers and Pruners
• Tree Trimmer
• Tree Climber
• Tree Care Foreman
• Plant Health Care Technician
• Line Clearance Foreman
• Groundsman
• Ground Worker
• Arborist
• Vine Pruner
• Trimmer
• Tree Worker
• Tree Trimmer Helper
• Tree Specialist
• Tree Expert
• Tree Doctor
• Tractor Operator
• Timber Cutter
• Tanbark Laborer
• Pruner
• Grape Pruner
• Diagnostician
• Crane Operator
• Climber
• Brush Clearing Laborer

Tasks for “Tree Surgeon”

• Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.
• Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes or other tools.
• Remove broken limbs from wires, using hooked extension poles.
• Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support.
• Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.
• Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees.
• Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces to seal surfaces, and to protect them from fungi and insects.
• Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.
• Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.
• Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.
• Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.
• Harvest tanbark by cutting rings and slits in bark and stripping bark from trees, using spuds or axes.
• Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets.
• Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.
• Scrape decayed matter from cavities in trees and fill holes with cement to promote healing and to prevent further deterioration.
• Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.
• Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
• Install lightning protection on trees.
• Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.
• Transplant and remove trees and shrubs, and prepare trees for moving.
• Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.
• Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment.
• Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.
• Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.
• Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.
• Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.

Related Technology & Tools

• Cordless power saws
• Hydraulic chemical sprayers
• Stump chippers
• Pruning knives
• Measuring tapes
• Swivel carabiners
• Limbing axes
• Chipper shredders
• Handheld sprayers
• Power pruners
• Dump trucks
• Pole pruners
• Loader backhoes
• Root pruners
• Felling wedges
• Climbing hooks
• Tree pruning saws
• Tree trimming chainsaws
• Chemical mixers
• Protective ear muffs
• Boom trucks
• Loppers
• Pole ladders
• Tree climbing saddles
• Hard hats
• Cargo trailers
• Non-slip boots
• Work gloves
• Tree climbing spikes
• Bypass pruners
• Agricultural augers
• Hydraulic stick saws
• Hacksaws
• Gas hedge trimmers
• Truck-mounted lifts
• Garden shovels
• Safety lanyards
• Protective masks
• Hydraulic pruners
• Protective ear plugs
• Long-handled clippers
• Rope blocks
• Protective safety glasses
• Soil sampling probes
• Pole saws
• Chipper trucks
• Bucket trucks
• Brush chippers
• Tripod ladders
• Hedge clippers
• Brush trucks
• Work trucks
• Hand-held grab hooks
• Wheeled front-end loaders
• Mist sprayers
• Hand pruners

• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word