Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, tree trimmers and pruners earn $43,730 at the median, or about $21.03 an hour. The range runs from $30K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $43,314 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 59.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $44K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). 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 Charleston-North Charleston
Pay for tree trimmers and pruners in Charleston-North Charleston runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 59.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $40K | $43K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $47K | $51K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $61K | $62K |
| Asheville | $57K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level tree trimmers and pruners (10th percentile) start around $30K. Mid-career wages sit at $44K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $33K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tree trimmers and pruner afford a 2BR apartment alone in Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $44K, rent takes 59.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tree trimmers and pruners typically earn — is $30K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,776/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 101% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $44K here vs. $51K nationally.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for tree trimmers and pruners?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $44K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $43K — below the national median.
How much do tree trimmers and pruners make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $43,730 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,600, and experienced tree trimmers and pruners can clear $63,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $44K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,000/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 59.6% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median tree trimmers and pruners salary is worth about $43,314 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.