Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary
In Birmingham, AL, tree trimmers and pruners earn $40,500 at the median, or about $19.47 an hour. The range runs from $23K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.64), which stretches that salary to about $44,195 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,266/month, about 45.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $41K get you in Birmingham?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Birmingham’s Regional Price Parity (91.64). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tree trimmers and pruners
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What this looks like in Birmingham
Pay for tree trimmers and pruners in Birmingham runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,266/month, which is 46.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for tree trimmers and prunerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tree trimmers and pruners in metros near Birmingham, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | $39K | $45K |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals | $51K | $60K |
| Montgomery | $41K | $46K |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley | $46K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Birmingham, AL
Entry-level tree trimmers and pruners (10th percentile) start around $23K. Mid-career wages sit at $41K. Top earners bring in $71K or more, a $48K spread from bottom to top.
Tree Trimmers and Pruners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tree Trimmers and Pruners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $77K | +52% | N/A |
| Oregon | $75K | +48% | 1,610 |
| New Jersey | $72K | +41% | N/A |
| Illinois | $64K | +26% | 700 |
| Washington | $64K | +25% | 700 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +23% | 2,090 |
| California | $63K | +23% | 9,610 |
| New York | $62K | +22% | 3,750 |
| Vermont | $62K | +22% | 430 |
| Missouri | $61K | +20% | 970 |
| Rhode Island | $61K | +20% | 110 |
| New Hampshire | $60K | +17% | 330 |
| Montana | $60K | +17% | 230 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | +14% | 3,160 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +14% | 1,190 |
| Michigan | $58K | +13% | 1,840 |
| Hawaii | $57K | +12% | 170 |
| Utah | $57K | +12% | 200 |
| Colorado | $51K | +1% | 1,200 |
| Nevada | $51K | +0% | 190 |
| Arizona | $51K | -1% | N/A |
| South Dakota | $50K | -1% | 270 |
| Ohio | $50K | -3% | 1,460 |
| Delaware | $49K | -3% | N/A |
| West Virginia | $49K | -4% | 1,420 |
| Connecticut | $49K | -4% | 360 |
| Virginia | $49K | -5% | 1,070 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -5% | 1,560 |
| Kansas | $48K | -5% | 390 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -7% | 120 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -7% | 710 |
| New Mexico | $47K | -7% | N/A |
| Maryland | $47K | -7% | 730 |
| Oklahoma | $47K | -8% | 860 |
| Georgia | $47K | -8% | 1,030 |
| Maine | $46K | -9% | N/A |
| Wyoming | $46K | -9% | N/A |
| Florida | $46K | -10% | 2,770 |
| Indiana | $46K | -10% | 1,850 |
| Arkansas | $46K | -10% | 290 |
| North Dakota | $45K | -12% | N/A |
| Kentucky | $44K | -13% | 1,020 |
| Idaho | $44K | -14% | N/A |
| South Carolina | $44K | -14% | 430 |
| Iowa | $43K | -16% | 380 |
| Mississippi | $42K | -18% | 260 |
| Alabama | $42K | -19% | 890 |
| Texas | $40K | -22% | 4,460 |
| Nebraska | $39K | -23% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tree trimmers and pruners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Birmingham numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tree trimmers and pruner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Birmingham?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $41K, rent takes 46.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,266/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tree trimmers and pruners in Birmingham?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tree trimmers and pruners typically earn — is $23K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,386/month. At HUD’s $1,266/month FMR, rent would take 91% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tree trimmers and pruner a high-paying job in Birmingham?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $41K here vs. $51K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Birmingham compare to the national average for tree trimmers and pruners?
Birmingham pays $41K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do tree trimmers and pruners make in Birmingham, AL?
The median is $40,500 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $23,100, and experienced tree trimmers and pruners can clear $71,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $41K enough to live in Birmingham?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,727/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,266/month, which eats 46.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a tree trimmers and pruners salary go in Birmingham?
Birmingham has a Regional Price Parity of 91.64 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tree trimmers and pruners salary is worth about $44,195 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tree trimmers and pruners get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.