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What are the typical responsibilities of an Arborist?
An Arborist would typically need to:
The specific environment Arborists work in can vary depending on the client’s need, the project, the employer and the workload. Typically, they spend considerable time working outdoors in urban areas, on country estates, in woodlands or other locations. Given their need to face varied weather conditions, including heat, cold, rain and snow, and the level of physical activity, such as walking, standing and climbing, involved in their work, they must stay physically fit. Some work is also office-based, such as research and evaluation.
Travelling to and between sites for inspection or work is expected but depends mainly on clients’ needs. Sometimes, your work may take the form of an extended assignment at one location. If a city or community directly engages you, you may have an office from where you visit sites within your allocated territory.
Arborists must wear protective gear, such as helmets, boots, goggles and earplugs, to protect themselves from the hazards of working with and climbing trees. Given their physical contact with trees and insects living in them, they must beware of scrapes, cuts, bites and stings. They must also protect themselves against harmful chemicals in pesticides and fertilisers and exercise utmost caution working near power lines or with hazardous equipment such as chainsaws that also generate loud noise. Arborists operate various other tools and equipment, such as pruning shears and power pole pruners, that help trim and remove trees, and they may also need to drive trucks and other vehicles to transport felled trees and tree parts.
While specific hours and schedules may vary with the project, the employer, the contract and the job location, most Arboriculturists work around 35 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday.
When there is an emergency, such as a storm or a natural disaster with fallen trees resulting in transportation blockages or power outages, they may stay on call around the clock, including evenings, holidays and weekends, to ensure community safety by caring for or removing trees, as needed.
An Arborist’s work is not necessarily seasonal, as the winter months may be the time to prune or cut back dormant trees. However, work hours may generally be longer during the peak tree-trimming season.
Self-employed Arborists may have greater flexibility in scheduling their work. The public sector may afford more opportunities for part-time jobs than the private sector.
Finding a new job might seem challenging. Arborists can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies.
Arborists are generally employed by:
Professional associations and organisations, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), are crucial for Arborists interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.
Potential Arborists must acquire both formal education and practical experience, although they will likely receive on-the-job training once hired. Any academic program they take up typically requires a period of supervised experience, such as an internship.
You may also enter the field by completing an apprenticeship. Working on a voluntary or paid basis with conservation groups or volunteering for charities are other helpful ways to chalk up relevant experience.
Participating in relevant projects, such as landscaping, urban reclamation, tree maintenance or planting, is beneficial and may even be mandatory. It also helps to have worked in the nursery production of trees and shrubs, which would teach you to identify various species and soils.
Equipped with your academic qualifications and relevant experience, it helps to find entry-level work as a trainee or arboricultural assistant to use and solidify your practical skills. It will help you gain further experience with the training and support your employer may provide.
You will gain optimal benefit from your tasks outside of the classroom when they line up perfectly with your lessons inside it. You may get to hear countless stories from more experienced professionals and obtain valuable hands-on experience when they manage to turn seemingly routine incidents into unique learning moments.
Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experts working in arboriculture to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.
Aspiring Arborists typically need a bachelor’s degree in arboriculture, horticulture/plant sciences, forestry, natural resources, agriculture, biology, botany, ecology, earth sciences, geography, land/estate/property management, woodland ecology & conservation, landscape architecture or other related fields. You may find bachelor’s or foundation degree courses in arboriculture at specialist institutions or study arboriculture as a module in a two-year post-secondary diploma or foundation degree programs in urban forestry or woodland management.
Typical courses during a program in arboriculture include plant pathology, soil fertility, and community forestry. Within these, you would learn about soil types and how to identify, prevent and treat tree diseases and remove invasive species. Other vital topics include cultivating trees, their environments, and how to care for and manage their various requirements throughout their lifespan. Coursework also comprises the techniques of pruning, planting, transplantation and providing structural support. Safely using harnesses, ropes, diverse climbing equipment and other equipment, such as wood chippers and chainsaws, is critical among the practical skills you learn.
You may also acquire a master’s degree or doctorate in a relevant field to enhance your employability and earning potential or progress to senior roles.
Take high school maths, biology and botany courses if you aim to become an Arborist.
While not mandatory in all locations, some employers prefer to hire candidates with certification as it demonstrates an Arborist’s competence in a skill set, typically by fulfilling work experience and training criteria and passing an examination. When acquired from an objective and reputed organisation, such as the ISA (International Society of Arboriculture), it can also help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 per cent, increase your chances of advancement, and allow you to become an independent consultant. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.
To qualify for the ISA certification, you must have at least three years of full-time tree care experience or a combination of experience and education. You may chalk up experience through arboricultural activities related to pruning & trimming, fertilisation, installation & establishment, diagnosis & treatment of tree issues, cabling & bracing, climbing, or other tree care services. You may also couple a two-year post-secondary qualification in arboriculture with two years of experience or a four-year degree in a related field with one year of experience. In addition, you must pass the certification exam and undertake the mandatory continuing education to recertify, paying the requisite fees at each stage of the process.
In addition to becoming an ISA Certified Arborist, a generalist qualification, you may apply for specialised ISA credentials, particularly if you work for utility companies or municipal governments. These include the Certified Arborist Utility Specialist, Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist, Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist, Certified Tree Worker Aerial Lift Specialist, or Board Certified Master Arborist. Continuing professional development or retaking the exam will enable you to keep your certification valid.
Certain work activities, such as operating a chainsaw, require you to possess a certificate of competence. Arborists typically need to be licensed in pesticide application to carry it out. Newly hired employees must be trained on the job in horticulture, arboriculture and landscaping before they apply for licensure.
Depending on location, specific activities may require to be licensed or receive an exemption from licensure, such as felling trees and removing tree stumps or any woodland operations that restrict public access or potentially impact protected species. Make sure that local authorities have permitted any work on a protected tree. To be allowed to chip, cut, shred, pulverise, burn, compost or store waste plant matter, a business may need an environmental permit, a waste management licence or an official exemption from licensure.
Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfilment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship. Check with local or national arborist organisations to determine if and what kind of licensure you need.
Training on the job may help apprentices acquire adequate knowledge to apply for a licence.
Since Arborists need to travel to and between work sites or drive vehicles transporting trees or parts of them, they need a valid driver’s licence, especially if self-employed. An employment background check can include but is not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.
Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications and training drive the career progression of Arborists. Employees with consistently high levels of performance and knowledge may be eligible for promotion every two to three years. You may choose any of several career paths depending on your academic qualifications, vocational background or professional training. Your entry-level position will determine your progression.
Starting as an arboricultural worker, you can study part-time and earn higher academic qualifications to achieve career progression, moving into senior supervisory positions in which you are responsible for the staff under you.
You may also enter the profession as an apprentice working under a certified Arborist or as an arboricultural assistant or Arborist employed by commercial tree care services, contracting companies or local authorities. You may work as a climber for five to ten years and move into other roles, given the physically demanding nature of the work. Those who excel at communication and work may rise to become Crew Leaders or Supervisors. Formal education, certification and considerable experience may qualify you for management roles, such as Senior Arboriculturist or Director, or specialist positions in utility arboriculture and woodlands.
Once you acquire adequate experience and build a solid network, you may choose to launch your own arboriculture service or landscaping company, providing tree care advice, tree trimming and maintenance. Arboriculturists aiming to become private or registered consultants, either with commercial consultancies or setting up independent ones, may need to possess the credentials required or the membership of relevant professional associations, depending on location.
Some Arborists may opt to acquire a master’s or doctoral degree in arboriculture, horticulture, forestry or a related field and shift from fieldwork to academics and research.
You may choose to take up overseas assignments if suitable opportunities come your way.
Candidates with the necessary skills in tree care, relevant experience, formal education in arboriculture, horticulture or landscape design, and ISA certification have the best job prospects.
Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Arborist build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to continually upskill, regardless of your age, job, or level of knowledge and keeps you updated about the different types of trees, their needs, diseases, and tree care techniques, tools and equipment.
Entry-level candidates entering the field as apprentices study and simultaneously work under certified Arborists. Newly hired Arborists receive training on the job working at tree care or landscaping firms, nurseries and municipalities. The complexity of the work and the company’s needs influence the length of the training, which typically lasts from several months to a year. The training covers the company’s safety procedures, equipment and workflows. You also learn about various properties and their needs, the species of trees, soil types and other environmental conditions that influence trees.
You are typically allowed to handle basic maintenance tools once you are on the job. You can also learn to liaise with clients, identify trees and shrubs, and clear away debris, thereby growing more experienced in tree care, customer service and leadership.
By joining local, regional, national or international associations, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), Arborists may share in the research, technology and education fostered by them. In addition to building a network, you may also attain different types of certification. Besides ISA certification, you may also acquire credentials in urban forestry that allow you to collaborate with city officials to meet community needs by maintaining trees and shrubs in public parks and alongside streets and avenues. They may also provide consultations to homeowners on how to improve the looks of other yards. Or you may certify in green infrastructure installation, which allows you to manage stormwater runoff, reduce heat island effects and provide other environmental benefits using plants and natural materials.
Specialisations
Arborists may specialise in tree climbing & maintenance, tree preservation & conservation, parks & gardens, planning, tree survey & inspection, or specific trees & shrubs.
Levels of Expertise
Practising Arborists or Arborist Practitioners are general terms for those who are specialists in the care of trees and woody plants but do not denote a specific level of expertise.
Certified Arborists have earned credentials from professional organisations, such as the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). Such certification indicates a certain level of competency as you must fulfil the requisite education and experience criteria and pass the certifying exam. Furthermore, you must recertify periodically through continuing education or professional development that keeps you current with the latest trends, techniques and tools in the field. The certification accords recognition among your peers and the community as a professional with a widely-accepted level of expertise in various aspects of tree care, such as tree biology, diagnosis, maintenance and safety.
In specific locations, Consulting Arborists are professionals backed with five or more years of experience working as Certified Arborists, also fulfilling other criteria and official standards. They may achieve registered status by becoming members of relevant professional societies, fulfilling continuing education requirements, and reaching the mandatory technical writing standards.
Tree Surgeons vs Arborists
The difference lies in the focus of each professional’s work and background, although considerable overlap exists in their duties, knowledge and skills, and the titles are often used interchangeably. However, Arborists typically hold higher and more formal educational qualifications and certifications than Tree Surgeons, who may learn the trade more from working in the field than in a classroom. Your job's specific title and duties may eventually depend on the tree services provider you work with.
Tree surgeons focus on emergency tree care, stump grinding, felling and pruning trees, clearing sites and trimming hedges. Such tasks need specialised training and skills since they are dangerous and must be carried out accurately and safely. For example, tree felling must be performed by professional tree surgeons so that no damage to life or property takes place.
Arborists, qualified professionals in arboriculture, care for trees and woody shrubs, paying attention to treating them for damage due to unfavourable environmental conditions and diseases. They conduct professional tree inspections and, recognising the first signs of trouble, provide expert counsel on managing and resolving them. Arborists also recommend which trees and shrubs are likely to thrive in particular soil types and environments. They may hand over the plan of action to tree surgeons to implement while they monitor the progress.
Landscapers vs Arborists
Professionals or amateurs who work with land elements to enhance the appearance of an area may call themselves landscapers. Professional landscapers may be landscape designers or architects. According to their specific duties, landscapers may assist in planning a new landscape or designing changes to existing landscaped areas to enhance aesthetics or achieve one or more practical purposes. They may collaborate with clients and construction professionals or actively engage in the physical execution of the project.
On the other hand, Arborists work with trees, woody shrubs and vines, which may form part of the landscape. With their specialised skills and biological knowledge of trees, they understand how trees function and what actions best suit each tree, trimming, pruning, mulching or felling. They take care of the needs of young, old, healthy or affected trees, trying to protect and conserve trees as far as possible while ensuring that they remain safe and pleasing to the community within any landscaped area.
Horticulturists vs Arborists
There is considerable overlap between the work that Arborists and horticulturists do. However, the essential difference lies in the fact that while an Arborist is a specialist in trees and woody shrubs, a horticulturist is a generalist in the science of horticulture that includes the wider spectrum of plant life.
Horticulturists may be responsible for diverse green spaces, such as gardens, golf courses, parks and other landscaping. They may even take on alternative methods of plant cultivation, such as hydroponics.
Arborists offer specialised services such as planting and transplanting, cabling and bracing, removal or stump grinding, as and when needed. They aim at enhancing the health and extending the life of trees and shrubs and improving their appearance by shaping them.
Some Tools, Equipment and Vehicles an Arborist Uses for Regular Work
Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment
Freelancing Arborists have more flexible work schedules and locations. They have full ownership of the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.
On the other hand, a full-time Arborist has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.
When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.
One may not always see Arborists at work while walking through woodlands, on the pavement of a tree-lined avenue or in a park. However, the presence of healthy, well-maintained trees and woody shrubs is testimony to the skilled and challenging work of these trained and experienced professionals who are passionate about treating trees with utmost care. They help enhance or preserve the beauty and well-being of one of nature’s most precious gifts. If they can help it, they don’t allow a tree to fall or be felled, but when a situation demands it, they know their ropes and will rise to take appropriate action to ensure community and environment safety.
Trees enhance property value and contribute to community health. Investing in their care yields immediate benefits and returns in the future. Building the right team and effective and timely communication among the crew on and off the job site is also critical. Connect the crew with headsets that allow clear communication by filtering extraneous sounds. Invest in reliable tools and equipment and maintain them well to optimise safety and minimise downtime and replacement costs. You want your handsaws, chainsaws and ropes to serve you well. Keep pace with innovations to have a long and safe career.
Till recently, trees’ shadows helped estimate crown dimensions. Scientists can now measure them more precisely using high-resolution aerial imagery that drones and remote sensing technologies provide.
What do Arborists do?
An Arborist would typically need to:
Accredited
$68,090
