Hiring guideRead at source, 29 September 2026

How to Recruit Arborists: Climbers, Ground Workers and Certified Arborists

To recruit arborists, name the actual job (ground worker, climber, bucket operator or ISA Certified Arborist), because each comes from a different pool. Grow climbers from ground workers you recruit out of landscaping and outdoor labor, and win experienced climbers with pay, who buys the gear, certification support and what winter looks like. Run local social ads that reach people who are already working, ask three or four questions, and call back the same day.

Who you are recruiting

BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 count 70,600 tree trimmers and pruners (SOC 37-3013) in 2025, projected to reach 73,600 by 2035, growth of 4.2 percent, with about 7,900 openings a year. The May 2025 median annual wage was $50,960. BLS lists a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training as typical entry, and "utility arborist" is one of the job titles it files under this occupation. Inside that small number sit three different hires:

• Ground workers. Chipper, brush, ropes from the ground, drop zone, traffic control. Entry level, and where nearly every climber starts.
• Climbers and bucket operators. Rigging, removals and pruning at height. The skilled seat, and the hardest to fill.
• ISA Certified Arborists. Tree health, risk assessment, pruning specification, often estimating and sales.

The credential is specific. The ISA program guide requires a minimum of three years of full-time experience in arboriculture, or a shorter period combined with a two-year or four-year degree that includes arboriculture courses. The exam has 200 multiple-choice questions, and the certification lasts three years, renewed either by retaking the exam or by earning at least 30 continuing education units in that period. Utility work is its own world: OSHA's 1910.269 applies to line-clearance tree trimming around power lines, so say whether the role involves it.

Where to find arborists and tree climbers

• Landscaping and grounds crews. People already working outdoors with saws and equipment are your best source of ground workers who become climbers. Our landscaping recruiting guide covers that audience.
• Your own ground crew. Promote from within, and say in every ground worker ad that you train into climbing. TCIA reports its Arborist Apprenticeship and Tree Care Academy Career Pathways programs are in use to build company training plans.
• Adjacent outdoor trades. Loggers, rope-access workers, fencing and construction laborers comfortable at height or with heavy equipment.
• ISA chapters and industry events. The place to meet certified arborists and experienced climbers in person.
• Horticulture and forestry programs. Graduates who want field work, and a route to the ISA degree-plus-experience combinations.
• Referrals. Climbers know other climbers. Pay a referral bonus once the new hire makes it through the first 90 days.
• Social ads. Experienced climbers are employed. A Facebook or Instagram ad in your service area reaches them without their searching. Employment ads run in Meta's Special Ad Category, with at least a 15-mile radius and no age or gender targeting.

What to pay arborists

The BLS median for tree trimmers and pruners was $50,960 a year in May 2025. Ground workers usually start below that and experienced climbers and certified arborists sit above it. Post a range for each rung of the ladder and the step between them. The arborist job description has the wage section, comparison roles and a template. Your biggest pay competitor for climbers is often utility line clearance, where the lineman side of the business sets expectations.

How to write the arborist job ad

A climber reads the first three lines and decides. Put in them:

• The role and the pay range: "Tree Climber, [pay range] depending on climbing experience."
• Who buys the gear: saddle, rope, hardware and saws are a real cost for the climber if you do not supply them.
• Certification support: "We pay for your ISA Certified Arborist exam."
• Winter: year-round work, storm response, plant health care or reduced hours. Say which.
• Safety: training cadence, aerial rescue practice and equipment replacement. Climbers judge employers on it.

Sample headlines: "Ground Worker, no experience, we train you to climb." "Experienced Climber, we buy your gear, year-round work." "ISA Certified Arborist, consulting and estimating, no climbing required."

Screening questions for arborists

• Which role are you applying for? (Ground worker / Climber / Bucket operator / Certified arborist)
• How do you climb? (Rope and saddle / Bucket only / Not yet)
• Do you have a valid driver's license? (Yes / No), if the job drives the chip truck
• Do you hold an ISA Certified Arborist credential? (Yes / No), only for the certified role

Test climbing skill in person, not on a form. A paid working interview on a real job tells you more than any question.

Speed and follow-up

A climber who applies on Monday may be on another crew by Friday. Text the same hour and offer a crew ride-along that week. Boostpoint Connect texts every applicant as soon as they apply, runs the follow-up sequence you set for each job, and puts replies in a shared inbox.

What it costs to recruit arborists on social

The Skilled trades family in Boostpoint's 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark ran a median of $14.14 per applicant, a middle half of $7.58 to $21.49, a blended $10.74 and a 15 percent apply rate. The wider Skilled Trades & Field Service sector ran a median of $11.89. Those figures cover trades broadly, not tree care alone. Across the benchmark, campaigns with apply rates of 20 to 35 percent paid $4.41 per applicant, and those at 5 to 10 percent paid $23.13, so a short form matters more than a bigger budget. Cost per applicant is not cost per hire.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: ISA Certified Arborist Program Guide (revised August 2025); OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269; Tree Care Industry magazine (TCIA), TCIA for the Arborists; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; BLS, May 2025 median annual wage; Boostpoint 2026 Social Job Advertising Benchmark. Read at source 29 September 2026.