from ground to canopy

Women Climb New Heights in Arboriculture 

The world of tree care is transforming as aspiring women arborists gear up and ascend to towering heights. Historically a male-dominated profession, the field of arboriculture is now welcoming a new generation of female workers. The allure of an outdoor office, competitive salaries, and the opportunity for meaningful work inspires women like Melanie to explore arboriculture as a career.  

Melanie joined Tree Trust’s Branches program eager to learn new skills for a tree care career. After completing her training, she advanced boldly into a new green career, immersing herself in the dynamic world of arboriculture. As Baby Boomers retire, an increasing demand for green workers is accelerating change in the field of arboriculture. This helps propel women arborists like Melanie to the forefront, bucking the status quo. 

A recent report from Zippia reveals the current demographics reported in arboriculture.  

  • There are over 8,257 arborists currently employed in the United States. 
  • 7.4% of all arborists are women, while 92.6% are men. 
  • The average arborist age is 41 years old. 
  • The most common ethnicity of arborists is White (65.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (19.9%), Black or African American (7.7%) and Unknown (3.8%). 
  • In 2022, women arborists earned 96% of what men earned. 

Tree Care Industry Shifts 

While these demographics indeed reflect tree care as a male-dominated profession, the arboriculture industry is evolving to include women arborists. Melanie’s forward momentum in her arboriculture career reflects this. She states, “In my office at Davey [Tree Expert Company], there are already lots of women and non-binary people there, so that really helped me feel welcomed.” The tree care industry extends a hearty welcome to women, coupled with attractive and competitive wages. Melanie went on to say, “Tree care is an amazing industry to get into. [There’s] not a huge barrier to get into it like some trade-type industries. You can really make a decent living.” Melanie is currently training to be a climbing arborist while employed full time with Davey Tree. She reported that, once her climbing training is completed, she will earn a significant raise.  

Women Arborists Create Space to Grow 

Melanie is excited to continue moving forward in her career, and encourages other women with an interest in green careers to explore arboriculture. “The biggest piece of advice I have is not being afraid to stand your ground and make space for yourself in the industry. I do think that there are tons of women who are entering the industry, and it does make it easier. There are a lot of others that are paving the way for us.” Another woman arborist challenging industry stereotypes is Tree Trust’s Director of Community Forestry, Karen Zumach. Her advice to aspiring woman arborists is to find their voice. “There are tons of women doing great work in this space – elevating the work of women both literally and figuratively – and it is important work. I often think of the quote, ‘Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes,’ by Maggie Kuhn. Sometimes you have to repeat yourself a few times. Sometimes you have to remind yourself and others in the room that you are the expert. So, like Melanie says, stand your ground. Make space for yourself, your experience, your education, and your motivation for this work. It’s never been more important than it is now.”   

Green industry jobs offer a path to rewarding, family-supporting, in-demand careers. Tree Trust’s vision of a thriving workforce living on a healthy planet comes to life as we train the next generation of environmental stewards. As Melanie climbs to new heights in arboriculture, she is blazing a trail of inspiration for others to follow.  

With your support we can help more young people like Melanie align their passion with purpose and explore the endless opportunities green careers have to offer. Won’t you work with us now as we transform lives and landscapes? You can help provide paid workforce training to assist young people in reaching their full potential and help plant trees to promote a vibrant urban forest. Donate Now!