Arboriculture is an exciting and rewarding career path for those who love the outdoors and prefer an adventurous job to a mundane one. To become an arborist, you must first obtain a degree in forestry, botany, or horticulture. After that, you must become certified by the International Society of Arboriculture. Municipal arborists are employed by city councils and other government entities to design safe and fair tree policies for the area.
They also inspect, treat, and remove trees when necessary. Private and commercial arborists usually run their own businesses and diagnose and treat tree diseases. They also prune and remove damaged trees. The sad truth is that most of the work needed by urban trees is caused by earlier abuses or by gardeners who maintain the landscapes below.
To be successful in this field, you must be able to tactfully explain this to potential customers. If you're looking for a new opportunity within the landscape industry, here are five lucrative arborist jobs to consider:
- Municipal Arborist: Municipal arborists are hired by maintenance departments or parks and recreation departments for daily garden work. They also cut branches to avoid localized power outages when trees grow near power lines.
- Utility Arborist: Gas and Internet companies hire utility arborists in smaller numbers to prepare work sites for the installation of new lines.
- Consultant: Becoming a consultant can be a highly paid job for arborists. You can focus on this as your primary job or complement other services you offer.
- Notoriety: Very few arborists gain the kind of notoriety that allows them to charge whatever they want for their work.
- Government Employee: Most municipal arborists consider themselves public or government employees, which can result in great benefit packages in many states and counties.
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for an arborist is based on 156 salaries submitted anonymously by an employee.
