Tree work and wind turbine technician work compared
Wind turbine technicians climb towers more than 200 feet tall. Tree trimmers climb trees. This page sets out what the Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET print for each job: pay, entry, outlook, tasks and the work-context answers on heights and hazards.
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 sources say. It is not career advice and does not say which job is better. Figures are United States figures: the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook for pay, jobs and outlook, and O*NET OnLine for tasks and work context, under codes 49-9081.00 (wind turbine service technicians) and 37-3013.00 (tree trimmers and pruners). The overview of all the trades is on the parent page, tree work compared with other outdoor and trade jobs.
Pay, jobs and entry
| Item | Tree trimmers and pruners | Wind turbine technicians |
|---|---|---|
| Median hourly wage, May 2025 | US$24.50 | US$30.83 (US$64,120 a year) |
| Jobs, 2025 | 70,600 | 11,800 |
| Change 2025 to 2035 | 3,000 more jobs, 4 percent | 3,500 more jobs, 30 percent |
| Openings a year | Not published for this occupation alone | About 1,500 |
| Entry | Grounds maintenance workers typically need no formal educational credential | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Training | On the job | Long-term on the job |
The BLS wind turbine technicians profile, last modified August 27, 2026, says many technicians attend technical schools or community colleges and earn a certificate in wind energy technology or an associate's degree. It says the coursework covers electrical, hydraulic and mechanical systems, tower climbing and safety training, and that professional certification is not mandatory. The tree trimmer figures are from a table on the BLS grounds maintenance workers profile, which covers a wider group.
Work at height in the two profiles
The wind profile says technicians generally work outdoors, often in extreme temperatures, at rural or offshore wind farms, and must be physically able to work at great heights. They climb ladders to the nacelle, which sits on towers more than 200 feet tall, wearing a fall-protection harness and carrying tools. Repairing blades involves rappelling down from the nacelle. Most work full time and may be on call evenings or weekends. The profile has no section on injuries and illnesses.
The grounds maintenance profile says tree trimmers and pruners have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations and that they use chainsaws, chippers and stump grinders.
Surveyed workers answered the same work-context questions on the O*NET page for wind turbine service technicians and the O*NET page for tree trimmers:
| Question | Tree trimmers | Wind technicians |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed to high places every day | 48% | 97% |
| Exposed to hazardous equipment every day | 71% | 71% |
| Outdoors in all weather every day | 91% | 79% |
| Consequence of error | 30% said Serious | 81% said Extremely serious |
What the tasks list
For climbing, 44 percent of wind technicians answered that they spend time climbing ladders, scaffolds or poles continually or almost continually. O*NET lists 12 tasks for wind turbine service technicians. They include troubleshooting or repairing mechanical, hydraulic or electrical malfunctions in variable pitch and speed control systems, testing electrical components with multimeters and oscilloscopes, starting or restarting generator systems, climbing towers to inspect, maintain or repair equipment, inspecting or repairing fiberglass blades, and training end users and other technicians. For tree trimmers it lists 24 tasks, including cutting away dead or excess branches using climbing equipment or truck-mounted booms, operating chippers and boom trucks, and cabling and bracing trees. Climbing is one task in each list, and the other tasks differ in kind: the wind list is mostly electrical and mechanical testing, the tree list mostly cutting, hauling and tree care.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Wind Turbine Technicians, 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), 49-9081.00 Wind Turbine Service Technicians, 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