Tree Trimmers and Pruners Salary
In Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, tree trimmers and pruners earn $75,570 at the median, or about $36.33 an hour. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 105.42), so that salary is closer to $71,685 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,922/month, about 39% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $76K get you in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro’s Regional Price Parity (105.42). 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro sits well above the national pay line for tree trimmers and pruners, local pay runs about 48% 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 $1,922/month, which is 41.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 5% above the national average (BEA RPP 105.42), 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Salem | $71K | $69K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $68K | $67K |
| Bend | $70K | $68K |
| Boise City | $52K | $53K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
Entry-level tree trimmers and pruners (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $40K 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 41.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,922/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tree trimmers and pruners typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,073/month. At HUD’s $1,922/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Local pay is 48% above the national median — $76K here vs. $51K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 5% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro compare to the national average for tree trimmers and pruners?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $51K — that’s +48%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 105.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $72K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tree trimmers and pruners make in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA?
The median is $75,570 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,220, and experienced tree trimmers and pruners can clear $90,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,622/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,922/month, which eats 41.6% 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 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro?
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro has a Regional Price Parity of 105.42 (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 $71,685 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.