# Will tree trimmers be replaced by AI? Updated October 2026 Tree trimmers score 12 of 100 for AI exposure. 82% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 18%. - **18%** AI helps - **82%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 93% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 24 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 4 and leaves 20 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care. AI can draft tree care advice; arborist reviews and delivers it. | 55% AI helps | | Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees. AI can build budgets and estimates; judgment on tree value. | 50% AI helps | | Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems. On-site visual inspection; AI can help identify pests and diseases. | 30% AI helps | | Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees. People leadership; AI can help draft training materials. | 25% AI helps | | Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment. Hands-on tool cleaning and maintenance, little AI help. | 12% Needs a person | ## How tree trimmers compare All occupations (923) Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance (8) **Tree trimmers score 12**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 21 for building and grounds cleaning and maintenance. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $50,960 a year, May 2025 People employed 55,160 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +4.2% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Build tree valuation budgets in Microsoft Excel - Write client tree care advice in Microsoft Word - Hold the ISA Certified Arborist credential - Climb and rig under ANSI Z133 safety standards - Diagnose pests and diseases through on-site visual inspection - Train crew members on climbing and cutting safety ## Safer roles nearby 5 related occupations with lower scores. - [Landscapers11 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/landscapers/) - [Forestry workers11 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/forestry-workers/) - [Highway maintenance workers8 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/highway-maintenance-workers/) - [Mining helpers11 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/mining-helpers/) - [Roustabouts6 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/roustabouts/) ## Questions about tree trimmers and AI Will AI replace tree trimmers? Partly. About 1 in 10 working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly giving tree care advice and building budgets. Climbing, cutting, and hauling debris stay with people because they need a body in the canopy. Which tasks AI is taking over? Public advice on tree care and budgeting for tree work are the most exposed, with exposure scores of 55 and 50. AI can draft the advice and build budgets and value estimates, and the arborist reviews each one before it goes out. Which tasks stay human? Climbing with hooks and belts, loading debris, and removing broken limbs from wires score 2 or 3 on exposure. Each one needs a person's hands on a tree, a truck, or a live line, so AI adds very little to them. How can tree trimmers stay valuable? Build valuation budgets in Excel, then check every AI draft line by line. Write client advice in Word with AI for a first pass. Hold the ISA Certified Arborist credential, and keep climbing and rigging skills sharp under ANSI Z133. ## Related jobs - [Farmworkers22 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/farmworkers/) - [Heavy equipment operators15 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/heavy-equipment-operators/) - [Construction workers13 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/construction-laborers/) - [Woodworking machine operators16 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/woodworking-machine-operators/) ## Next steps for tree trimmers - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.