Tree Trimmers and Pruners

Using sophisticated climbing and rigging techniques, cut away dead or excess branches from trees or shrubs to maintain right-of-way for roads, sidewalks, or utilities, or to improve appearance, health, and value of tree. Prune or treat trees or shrubs using handsaws, hand pruners, clippers, and power pruners. Works off the ground in the tree canopy and may use truck-mounted lifts.

The occupation “Tree Trimmers and Pruners” has an automation risk of 12.4%, which closely matches its base risk of 12.5%. This relatively low risk indicates that while certain tasks within the role can be automated, a significant portion still relies on manual labor and decision-making. Many tree trimming jobs are performed in varied and sometimes unpredictable outdoor environments, which makes the implementation of fully autonomous machines challenging. Safety considerations, as well as the need to navigate densely vegetated or urban areas, add complexity that current automation technologies struggle to handle. Therefore, while some mechanization is possible, complete automation remains a limited threat in the near term. Among the tasks most susceptible to automation are those that involve operating shredding and chipping equipment and feeding limbs and brush into these machines. Similarly, the operation of boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, and other equipment and tools is highly automatable due to ongoing advancements in autonomous vehicle and machine operation. The physical act of cutting away dead and excess branches—especially using chainsaws and climbing equipment—can also be partially automated through remotely operated tools or robotics, though with notable safety and dexterity limitations. These tasks are generally routine and repetitive, making them the easiest targets for future technology integration. Conversely, the job’s most automation-resistant tasks require adaptability, judgment, and hands-on skills. Splitting logs or wooden blocks into posts or stakes with hand tools like ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets is difficult to mechanize due to the need for nuance and force adjustment based on variable material properties. Transplanting and removing trees or shrubs, as well as preparing them for moving, calls for significant experiential knowledge and careful handling to prevent damage. Finally, applying protective substances to cut surfaces to shield against fungi and insects demands precision and attention to context—factors that current robotics struggle to replicate. The bottleneck skill of originality (rated at 2.3%) further underscores how unique problem-solving and adaptability act as safeguards against widespread automation in this field.