What does an arborist do day to day?
The task lists that O*NET, the National Careers Service and Tahatu publish for tree trimmers, tree surgeons and arborists.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
Each source below lists tasks for its own job title, and none of them gives hours spent on each task. This page sets out what the lists say. For how the titles overlap, see is an arborist the same as a tree surgeon, and for the weather and hours side see is arborist work seasonal.
United States: O*NET, tree trimmers and pruners
O*NET, the US Department of Labor occupation database, describes code 37-3013.00 as climbing and rigging to remove dead or surplus branches, keeping roads, sidewalks and utility routes clear, or improving how a tree looks and how healthy and valuable it is. It says the worker works off the ground in the canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts. Its list holds 24 tasks, and the table below sorts 21 of them under five headings of this page's own.
| Group | Tasks the list names |
|---|---|
| Cutting and climbing | Cutting dead and excess branches, or clearing branches around power lines, from a climbing line or a truck boom; climbing with hooks and belts or ladders; hoisting tools and lowering branches with ropes or block and tackle; trimming, topping and reshaping; trimming jagged stumps; removing broken limbs from wires with extension poles |
| Ground work and equipment | Operating shredding and chipping machines; operating boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, tractors, saws, sprayers and other equipment; cleaning, sharpening and lubricating tools; loading and hauling debris; collecting debris into piles; clearing sites, streets and grounds of woody material |
| Tree health | Inspecting trees for disease and pests; spraying diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating sprayers; watering, root-feeding and fertilizing; scraping decayed matter from cavities and filling holes |
| Support work | Cabling, bracing, tying, bolting, staking and guying trees and branches |
| People and planning | Supervising and training lower-level employees; giving the public information such as advice on tree care; planning and developing budgets for tree work and estimating the monetary value of trees; pruning, cutting down, fertilizing and spraying as directed by tree surgeons |
The page lists, among its sample of reported job titles, Arborist, Climber, Grounds Worker, Groundsman, Laborer, Plant Health Care Technician, Tree Climber and Tree Trimmer.
England: National Careers Service, tree surgeon
The service lists five day-to-day tasks: spotting hazards that trees cause, climbing to cut back or take off branches, felling and removing trees and stumps, planting trees and assessing their health, and working with clients on tree survey reports. It says the working places include parks and gardens, streets, woodland and rail tracks. For progression it names becoming a supervisor or manager, training as an arboricultural officer, starting a business, and moving into recreational tree climbing.
New Zealand: Tahatu, arborist
Tahatu says arborists care for, manage and maintain trees by planting, inspecting and pruning them, and keep trees healthy and safe. Its task list covers trimming and pruning, removing dangerous or damaged branches, running equipment such as chainsaws, inspecting trees, climbing, planning how to care for trees, estimating costs, driving to work sites, cleaning up branches and following health and safety rules.
Where the three lists agree
- All three include climbing and cutting branches.
- All three include looking at tree health. O*NET and Tahatu also name estimating or budgeting for tree work.
- Only the US list names chemical spraying, cabling and bracing, and supervising others. Only the English list names tree survey reports.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 for the National Careers Service profiles.