Education · 1 of 5
The path
Nobody starts in a tree. You start on the ground and earn your way up the rope.
- 1
Finish high school
Grade 12
A diploma is all most tree companies ask for. Get a driver's license while you are at it.
- 2
Get hired as a ground worker
Start right away
Dragging brush, feeding the chipper, rigging knots, learning how a tree comes apart safely.
- 3
Learn to climb
6 months to 2 years
Rope and saddle work under a senior climber, then chainsaw work off the ground. Some companies send you to a climbing school.
- 4
Earn the Certified Arborist credential
About year 3
The International Society of Arboriculture asks for about three years of full-time tree care experience, less if you hold a degree in arboriculture or forestry, then a written exam.
- 5
Specialize or lead
Year 4 and up
Take a crew, move into power line clearance, add tree risk assessment work, or start your own company.