- The middle half earn between $29.66 and $38.61 an hour.
- Only 2 states pay tree trimmers more at the median.
- New Jersey pays more than all 3 neighboring states.
- At the state median wage, a tree service needs to bill about $131.33 an hour on the labor rate calculator's starting numbers.
Tree Trimmer pay in New Jersey, bottom to top
BLS calls this group tree trimmers and pruners. It covers climbers who cut and prune trees for homes, roads and utility lines, and includes utility arborists.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly | National hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $25.40 | $52,830 | $18.24 |
| 25th percentile | $29.66 | $61,700 | $21.56 |
| Median | $34.59 | $71,940 | $24.50 |
| 75th percentile | $38.61 | $80,310 | $30.72 |
| 90th percentile | $38.81 | $80,730 | $38.61 |
| Average (mean) | $33.54 | $69,760 | $26.91 |
Pay is bunched up in New Jersey. The top tenth earn $38.81 an hour or more, about 1.5 times the $25.40 at the bottom tenth. Nationally that gap is 2.1 times, so the step from the bottom of the scale to the top is shorter here than in most places.
Both ends of the scale beat the national figures: $25.40 against $18.24 at the bottom tenth, and $38.81 against $38.61 at the top.
The average wage ($33.54) is a little under the median, so the low end of the range stretches further than the high end in New Jersey.
How New Jersey compares with other states
Over a full year, the New Jersey median of $71,940 is $20,980 more than the national $50,960.
In the state ranking, New Jersey sits 3rd, between Oregon ($36.27) and Illinois ($30.99). The range runs from $18.94 in Nebraska to $37.24 in Minnesota.
New Jersey pays tree trimmers more than any of its neighboring states, Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania. Someone working near the border can earn more by taking work on this side of it.
These are wages as paid, not adjusted for what it costs to live in New Jersey. Rent, home prices and taxes decide how far a higher wage goes.
| Neighboring state | Median hourly | Median yearly | Against New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $34.59 | $71,940 | |
| Delaware | $23.72 | $49,330 | −$10.87 an hour |
| New York | $30.00 | $62,400 | −$4.59 an hour |
| Pennsylvania | $27.98 | $58,200 | −$6.61 an hour |
How many tree trimmers work in New Jersey
BLS did not publish a count of tree trimmers employed in New Jersey for May 2025. That happens when the survey sample is too thin to estimate the number with confidence. The wage figures above were published and are used as they are.
What a tree service in New Jersey should charge
Higher wages in New Jersey go straight into the price. Take a tree service in New Jersey paying the state median of $34.59 and run it through the labor rate calculator with its starting numbers (40-hour weeks, 10 paid days off, 2 unbilled hours a day, 7.65% payroll taxes, $90,000 a year of overhead and 15% profit).
| Step | Math | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Paid hours | 40 × 52 | 2,080 |
| Hours at work | 2,080 − 10 days × 8 | 2,000 |
| Billable hours | 2,000 × 6 ÷ 8 | 1,500 |
| Labor cost | $34.59 × 2,080 × 1.0765 | $77,451 |
| Break-even rate | ($77,451 + $90,000) ÷ 1,500 | $111.63 |
| Rate with 15% profit | $111.63 ÷ 0.85 | $131.33 |
That is $131.33 per billable hour, 3.8 times the wage, and $17.72 more than the $113.61 the same math gives at the national median wage.
Paying the 75th percentile instead, $38.61 in New Jersey, to hire and keep experienced people raises the rate to $138.39.
A cheaper crew saves less than it seems: at the 25th percentile wage of $29.66, the rate only drops to $122.68.
Overhead, at $60 of every billed hour, and the unbilled hours move this rate more than a raise does. A dollar more in wages adds about $1.76 to the rate.
Run it with your own numbers in the labor rate calculator. It is free and shows every step.
Working as a tree trimmer in New Jersey
- Running the business. Quotes, invoices, booking and your website in one place: how tree services run on Koira.
- Getting found. The free Koira report checks how your business shows up in search and on maps against shops near you.
Where these numbers come from
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
The figures are the BLS state estimates for SOC 37-3013, tree trimmers and pruners, across all industries, read straight from the May 2025 state data file. They cover wage and salary workers, not the self-employed. Where BLS did not publish a figure, this page leaves it out.
All states in one table: tree trimmer salary by state.