Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary
In New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, tree trimmers and pruners earn $65,130 at the median, or about $31.31 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $85K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 112.56), so that salary is closer to $57,862 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,910/month, about 68.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $65K actually covers in New York-Newark-Jersey City, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by New York-Newark-Jersey City’s Regional Price Parity (112.56). 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City
New York-Newark-Jersey City sits well above the national pay line for tree trimmers and pruners, local pay runs about 28% higher than the U.S. median of $51K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,910/month, which is 68.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 13% above the national average (BEA RPP 112.56), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tree trimmers and pruners in metros near New York-Newark-Jersey City, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $48K | $48K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $75K | $78K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $57K | $52K |
| Syracuse | $75K | $78K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Entry-level tree trimmers and pruners (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $85K or more, a $44K 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 annually. We'll email you when New York-Newark-Jersey City numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a tree trimmers and pruner afford a 2BR apartment alone in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 68.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,910/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tree trimmers and pruners typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,815/month. At HUD’s $2,910/month FMR, rent would take 103% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
Local pay is 28% above the national median — $65K here vs. $51K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 13% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does New York-Newark-Jersey City compare to the national average for tree trimmers and pruners?
New York-Newark-Jersey City pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +28%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 112.56), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tree trimmers and pruners make in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
The median is $65,130 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,600, and experienced tree trimmers and pruners can clear $85,460. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in New York-Newark-Jersey City?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,269/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,910/month, which eats 68.2% 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 New York-Newark-Jersey City?
New York-Newark-Jersey City has a Regional Price Parity of 112.56 (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 $57,862 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.