Tree work and electrician work compared: what the official profiles list
Tree trimmers and electricians both work with tools at height, and both appear in US government occupation data. This page sets out what the Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET report for each.
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.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It is not career advice and does not say which job is better. Figures are United States figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, with the O*NET occupation codes: 37-3013.00 for tree trimmers and pruners and 47-2111.00 for electricians. The overview of all the trades is on the parent page, tree work compared with other outdoor and trade jobs. Power-line installers are a different occupation, covered on the page about power-line installer work.
The figures side by side
| Item | Tree trimmers and pruners | Electricians |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay, May 2025 | US$24.50 an hour (US$50,960 a year) | US$30.38 an hour (US$63,190 a year) |
| Jobs, 2025 | 70,600 | 821,000 |
| Projected change, 2025 to 2035 | 3,000 more jobs, 4 percent | 75,900 more jobs, 9 percent |
| Openings a year | Not published for this occupation alone | About 72,700 |
| Entry | Grounds maintenance workers typically need no formal educational credential | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training | On the job | Apprenticeship |
| Related work experience | Not listed | None |
The tree trimmer jobs and outlook come from a table on the BLS grounds maintenance workers profile, which covers a larger group. That group has a 2025 median of US$19.27 an hour. The electrician figures come from the BLS electricians profile, last modified August 27, 2026. BLS prints US$24.50 an hour for tree trimmers and pruners; the US$50,960 a year in the table is the O*NET annual median for that occupation. O*NET's electrician medians match the BLS figures.
What the electrician profile lists
BLS lists these duties: reading blueprints or technical diagrams; installing and maintaining wiring, control and lighting systems; inspecting electrical components such as transformers and circuit breakers; identifying electrical problems with testing devices; repairing or replacing wiring, equipment or fixtures with hand and power tools; following state and local building regulations based on the National Electrical Code; and directing and training workers.
On entry, the profile says most electricians learn their trade in a 4 or 5 year apprenticeship, with technical instruction alongside paid on-the-job training. It says most states require electricians to pass a test and be licensed, and that requirements vary by state. Almost all electricians work full time, evenings and weekends can be part of the schedule, and overtime is common. The profile says working with electricity is dangerous and names electrical shocks, falls and burns among the injuries.
How the work-context answers differ
The BLS grounds maintenance profile ranks tree trimmers and pruners among the occupations with the highest rates of injuries and illnesses. The electrician profile prints no ranking. O*NET asks working people the same questions for each occupation and lists the most common answer. The table shows those answers where both pages print one for the same question.
| Question | Tree trimmers | Electricians |
|---|---|---|
| Protective equipment worn every day | 100% | 95% |
| Exposed to hazardous equipment every day | 71% | 66% |
| Standing continually or almost continually | 63% | 66% |
| Exposed to minor burns, cuts, bites or stings every day | 43% | 65% |
O*NET lists 24 tasks for tree trimmers and pruners and 21 for electricians. One electrician task is working from ladders, scaffolds or roofs. Another is keeping an electrician's license or identification card valid to meet governmental regulations. O*NET places electricians in Job Zone Three, medium preparation, and says an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam. It places tree trimmers in Job Zone 1 to 2, very little to some preparation, with on-the-job training that ranges from a few days to one year. Reported job titles for electricians include inside wireman, maintenance electrician and industrial electrician. For tree trimmers they include arborist, climber and plant health care technician.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Electricians, last modified August 27, 2026, read October 9, 2026
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Grounds Maintenance Workers (includes tree trimmers and pruners), last modified September 14, 2026, read October 9, 2026
- O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor), 47-2111.00 Electricians, updated 2026, read October 9, 2026
- O*NET OnLine (US Department of Labor), 37-3013.00 Tree Trimmers and Pruners, updated 2026, read October 9, 2026