Arborist Job Description: How to Write Your Own [+ Free Template]

Arborist Apr 27, 2023 11 min read

Arborist job description template

Use this template to write your own arborist job description. Modify the role summary, responsibilities, qualifications, hours, compensation, and company overview based on your business needs.

Arborist, Full Time (Seasonal)

Aspen Arbors Tree Care is hiring an experienced, certified arborist to join our team. Reporting to our arborist crew leader, the successful applicant will be responsible for planting new trees, maintaining mature trees, and removing dead or diseased trees for our residential clients.

Job responsibilities:

Advise clients on tree varieties, maintenance, and soil and space requirements
Plant new trees and transplant young trees (backfill, stake, water, mulch)
Test, monitor, and maintain soil conditions
Inspect trees and shrubs for damage, disease, pests, and risks
Assess tree size, age, and value
Repair damaged trees and treat diseased trees
Identify hazardous trees and make recommendations for removal
Trim tree branches and prune tree limbs
Remove dead, damaged, hazardous, and unneeded trees
Provide stump grinding as needed
Apply fertilizer and pesticide as needed
Follow occupational health and safety rules
Load and unload tree trimming equipment from work vehicles
Prepare cost estimates and project budgets
Coordinate service with customers and handle complaints professionally
Accurately log billable hours using a time tracking app
Manage job details, review daily tasks, and follow up with customers using our tree care app

Qualifications and skills:

High school diploma or GED
Post-secondary diploma, degree, or other certification in agronomy, arboriculture, biology, botany, horticulture, landscaping, or environmental science
3+ years of experience as an arborist
License to apply pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides
Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and reliable transportation
Knowledge of workplace safety and risk assessment
Technical knowledge of shrub and tree biology, anatomy, types, and growth patterns, as well as soil biology and pesticide/fertilizer compositions
Comfortable using hand tools, power tools, and heavy machinery for pruning, shearing, or spraying trees
Familiar and comfortable with climbing equipment
Able to climb, work at heights, and lift 50+ pounds
Great attention to detail, positive attitude, and strong work ethic
Can work independently and as part of a team environment
Can communicate well (multiple languages are a plus)
Friendly and work well with others
Experience using scheduling apps or routing apps preferred (training can be provided)

Working hours:

Full-time, April–November
Mon–Fri, 7:00am–3:00pm
Overtime available but not required

Compensation:

$20–25/hour (based on experience)
Signing bonus and year-round bonus opportunities
Health insurance, including dental and vision
Paid holidays, time off, and parental leave
401(k) matching and life insurance

This position will require a background check upon hire.

About Aspen Arbors Tree Care

Aspen Arbors Tree Care provides exceptional tree maintenance services to Raleigh, NC. Our team of certified arborists is highly trained and experienced in tree pruning, trimming, removal, and stump grinding. We also offer emergency tree removal services after storms and other urgent situations.

Our mission is to preserve Raleigh’s arboreal growth for generations to come. Our skilled arborists assess tree conditions and recommend the best ways to treat disease, control pests, and ensure healthy long-term growth. We are also dedicated to sustainability, which is why we use environmentally friendly practices and plant two trees for every tree we remove.

Aspen Arbors Tree Care offers regular training, certification, and professional development to help our arborists stay up to date with industry best practices and grow their careers. We use state-of-the-art equipment for improved safety and efficiency, and we provide annual training to identify safety hazards and avoid incidents on the job.

To apply for this position, send your resume to [company email address].

What to include in your arborist job description:

Role summary
Job responsibilities
Qualifications and skills
Working hours
Role compensation
Company overview

1. Role summary

Start your arborist job description with a role summary. This is a brief overview of the arborist position you’re hiring for. Make sure to include details like:

Tree company name
Position title
Supervisor
Seniority level
Responsibilities

Quickly describe what the role is and what kind of person would do well in that role. Be accurate so qualified candidates know they’re the right fit—and unqualified candidates know they aren’t.

Here’s a sample of what an arborist role summary could look like:

Arborist, Full Time (Seasonal)

Aspen Arbors Tree Care is hiring an experienced, dedicated arborist to join our team. Reporting to our arborist crew leader, the successful applicant will be responsible for planting new trees, maintaining mature trees, and removing dead or diseased trees for our residential clients.

2. Job responsibilities

Put together a list of arborist job responsibilities and day-to-day duties. To make sure you don’t forget any important tasks, take the time to answer questions like:

What types of trees do your employees normally work on?
What tools and equipment do they use (e.g., chainsaw, stump grinder)?
What are your most requested arborist services (e.g., pruning trees, applying specialized tree fertilizers)?
Will this person be doing any non-arboreal tasks (e.g., customer service, scheduling tree work, invoicing clients)?

An arborist’s job responsibilities could include:

Sample job responsibilities:

Advise clients on tree varieties, maintenance, and soil and space requirements
Plant new trees and transplant young trees (backfill, stake, water, mulch)
Test, monitor, and maintain soil conditions
Inspect trees and shrubs for damage, disease, pests, and risks
Assess tree size, age, and value
Repair damaged trees and treat diseased trees
Identify hazardous trees and make recommendations for removal
Trim tree branches and prune tree limbs
Remove dead, damaged, hazardous, and unneeded trees
Provide stump grinding as needed
Apply fertilizer and pesticide as needed
Follow occupational health and safety rules
Load and unload tools and equipment from work vehicles
Prepare cost estimates and project budgets
Coordinate service with customers and handle complaints professionally
Accurately log billable hours using a time tracking app
Manage job details, review daily tasks, and follow up with customers using our tree care app

3. Qualifications and skills

An arborist needs a solid working knowledge of different types of trees, as well as the ability to climb those trees. But that’s not all—you should also consider arborist qualifications and skills like:

Years of arborist experience
Arborist license, if required in your state
College or university degree in a field related to tree care (e.g., horticulture, landscape design)
Physical demands (e.g., working at heights, lifting and moving heavy equipment)
Soft skills (e.g., customer service, communication, problem-solving)
Valid driver’s license and clean driver’s record, if they’ll be required to drive company vehicles

Sample qualifications and skills:

High school diploma or GED
Post-secondary diploma, degree, or other certification in agronomy, arboriculture, biology, botany, horticulture, landscaping, or environmental science
3+ years of experience as an arborist
License to apply pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides
Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and reliable transportation
Knowledge of workplace safety and risk assessment
Technical knowledge of shrub and tree biology, anatomy, types, and growth patterns, as well as soil biology and pesticide/fertilizer compositions
Comfortable using hand tools, power tools, and heavy machinery for pruning, shearing, or spraying trees
Familiar and comfortable with climbing equipment
Able to climb, work at heights, and lift 50+ pounds
Great attention to detail, positive attitude, and strong work ethic
Can work independently and as part of a team environment
Can communicate well (multiple languages are a plus)
Friendly and work well with others
Working at heights safety training preferred (training can be provided)
Experience using scheduling apps or routing apps preferred (training can be provided)

If you’d like, you can add extra skills that aren’t necessary but might give a candidate an edge, like having climbing safety certification or experience with tree care software.

4. Working hours

Include working hours or shift choices in your arborist job description. You’re more likely to hire an employee who stays long-term if they already know your schedule works for their needs.

You should also state whether the arborist role is full-time or part-time, seasonal or year-round, and permanent or temporary. This sets expectations for candidates early in the hiring process.

Sample working hours:

Full-time, April–November
Mon–Fri, 7:00am–3:00pm
Overtime available but not required

Pro Tip: If you have slower periods during the year that don’t require full-time hours, tell applicants about any other work that might be available. Running a seasonal business is a great way to keep your employees busy (and keep them around) all year long.

5. Role compensation

Be up-front about how much the arborist job pays. This keeps you from getting to the final interview with a candidate, only to learn that they’re out of your budget.

Your tree cutter job description should include other compensation that isn’t part of their wages, like an employee bonus program, paid time off, health insurance, or retirement plan matching.

Sample compensation:

$20–25/hour (based on experience)
Signing bonus and year-round bonus opportunities
Health insurance, including dental and vision
Paid holidays, time off, and parental leave
401(k) matching and life insurance

6. Company overview

Applicants may not have heard of your business before. Include a company overview to introduce your tree service business and explain why candidates should work for you.

Focus on details like:

How many years you’ve been in business
Company mission, vision, and values
What kind of employee experience you offer
Why your employees work with you
Professional development and long-term career opportunities

Here’s an example of what your tree care company overview could look like:

About Aspen Arbors Tree Care

Pro Tip: Save your tree care company overview and reuse it for future job postings.

Share instructions for applying to your arborist job posting, like emailing an application or applying online on a job board like Indeed.

Include the application deadline and whether you need an arborist resume, cover letter, and list of references.

Frequently asked questions

What arborist job title should you use in a job description?

Arborists are known by lots of different titles, including tree specialist, tree surgeon, tree cutter, and tree trimmer/pruner.

All of these titles mean the same thing—someone who maintains trees in private and public spaces to keep them safe, healthy, and looking great.

However, depending on where you live, the job title “arborist” may require extra certification. Check your state’s arborist licensing guidelines to see the rules in your area.

READ MORE: 5 lessons from a master arborist

How much to pay an arborist

The mean annual wage for arborists is $47,450/year (USD). This amount can vary depending on factors like:

What industry they work in (e.g., government, energy, home services)
Experience level
Geographic area
Local service demand and competition

What experience or training does an arborist need?

To legally offer tree care services, arborists typically need to earn a post-secondary degree or diploma in forestry, horticulture, botany, biology, landscape design, or a similar program.

Tree service businesses tend to hire arborists with 2–3 years of previous experience. Some areas may also require arborists to have an arborist’s license to operate.

Extra certification is also available through the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) or the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA).

READ MORE: How to become an arborist

What does an arborist do?

Arborists determine which trees will thrive in a specific environment, plant and maintain trees and woody plants, and remove dead or unwanted trees as needed.

Arborists can work as independent contractors, at tree care service companies, for private grounds and institutions, and for parks and urban forestry departments.

What are the duties and responsibilities of an arborist?

Arborists advise clients on which new trees to plant, examine and treat existing trees for disease, remove dead or unneeded trees, and deal with fallen or damaged trees after a storm.

Depending on the business’s needs, an arborist may also need to estimate tree trimming and pruning jobs, send tree service invoices, and collect payment from clients.

What makes a good arborist?

Good arborists know a lot about tree anatomy, types of trees, and soil biology. They’re comfortable using a variety of tools and heavy machinery for planting, maintaining, and removing trees.

Arborists should be physically strong enough to climb trees and cut through large limbs. They spend most of their time up in trees, so they should be comfortable working at heights.

They also understand the risks of the job and follow workplace safety standards.

What to look for in an arborist resume

Look for applicants with post-secondary education and previous experience as an ASCA or ISA certified arborist.

They’ll also need to prove their skill with tree climbing equipment and tree maintenance tools. To reduce training time, they should already know how to work with the trees you normally service.

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