Is an arborist the same as a gardener?

The sources read for this answer list the gardener and the tree surgeon as two separate jobs with different entry routes and different daily tasks. They do share some ground: both are outdoor jobs, both can involve a chainsaw, and the gardener profile names tree work as a way to move on. This page sets out what the National Careers Service says about each, as read on October 9, 2026. It covers England only.

Side by side

Gardener

Daily tasks: Raising plants from seeds or cuttings, digging, planting and weeding beds and borders, tidying overgrown shrubs and trees, clearing paths, controlling pests, using mowers and hedge trimmers, and building items such as sheds, patios or fences.
Where the work is: A garden, a park, a client's business or home, or woodland.
Working conditions: At height in places and outdoors in all weathers, with protective clothing where needed.
College courses named: Level 1 Certificate in Horticulture Skills, Level 2 Diploma in Practical Horticultural Skills, Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture.
Apprenticeships named: Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative (Level 2), Horticulture or Landscaping Supervisor (Level 3), Horticulture and Landscaping Technical Manager (Level 5).
Starting without a course: Practical experience, for instance in a garden centre, or starting as an assistant gardener. Employers are said to value work experience and skills in gardening.
Chainsaw wording: A Certificate of Competence if carrying out hazardous tasks using a chainsaw.
Body named: The Royal Horticultural Society and Grow Careers.

Tree surgeon

Daily tasks: Identifying hazards caused by trees, climbing to cut back or remove branches, cutting down and removing trees and stumps, planting trees and assessing their health, and producing tree survey reports with clients.
Where the work is: Parks and gardens, streets, woodland or rail tracks.
Working conditions: Outdoors in all weathers, at height, dusty and physically demanding, with safety clothing and equipment.
College courses named: Arboriculture, forestry and arboriculture, and the T Level in Agriculture, Land Management and Production. University degrees named: forestry, arboriculture, countryside management, forest management, woodland ecology and conservation.
Apprenticeships named: Arborist (Level 2) and Forest Craftsperson (Level 3). The profile says these usually take a minimum of 2 years.
Starting without a course: Starting as a forest labourer or groundworker helping a qualified tree surgeon, then training on the job in chainsaws, ropes, ladders and harnesses.
Chainsaw wording: A Certificate of Competence if carrying out hazardous tasks using a chainsaw, and being able to cope with working at height.
Body named: The Arboricultural Association and the Royal Forestry Society.

Where the two profiles meet

The gardener profile lists tidying overgrown shrubs and trees among the daily tasks. Its progression section says that with experience a gardener could become a head gardener, garden designer or horticultural manager, set up a business gardening for private customers, or move into a related role such as landscaper, groundsperson or arboricultural officer. It also says a gardener could do a qualification to work as a tree surgeon. The profile does not name that qualification.

The arboricultural officer profile describes a different job again: advising on tree preservation orders in planning applications, managing trees in parks, on housing estates and at the roadside, assessing tree damage after storms, carrying out tree surveys and organising tree planting schemes. It lists work on the streets, in parks and gardens, in woodland or in an office.

What the sources do not say

None of the profiles gives a pay comparison between the two jobs, and none says whether time spent as a gardener counts toward a tree work apprenticeship. For landscapers see arborist and landscaper, and for the title used in England see arborist and tree surgeon. Official pay figures by country are in what tree workers earn.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 for the National Careers Service profiles.