Blog>Trade>Growing your trade business>How much do tree surgeons earn?
Last updated: 4 April 2024
How much do tree surgeons earn?
Tree surgery is a growing trade in the UK and local tree surgeons are often in demand. But, how much do tree surgeons earn? In this guide we look at average tree surgeon earnings.
Whether you're starting out as an apprentice tree surgeon, thinking about setting yourself up as a self-employed tree surgeon or you run a tree surgery company – this guide is for you.
How much can a tree surgeon earn? Keep reading to find out.
How much can a tree surgeon earn in the UK?
When it comes to average earnings, as a UK tree surgeon you can expect to earn anywhere from around £11,063 as an apprentice, up to about £57,779 as a tree surgery limited company owner.
Your exact earnings will depend on your qualifications, skills and experience – as well as the type of tree surgery jobs you do and where you’re based.
There’s no doubt that, if you start your own tree surgery business (whether that’s as a sole trader or a limited company), you’ll have the potential to earn a lot more than being employed.
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Approx take-home salary (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £6.30 | £50 | £11,063 | £10,715 |
| Newly qualified | £12 | £96 | £21,072 | £17,823 |
| Employed | £15.50 | £124 | £32,282 | £25,445 |
| Sole trader | £37.50 | £300 | £48,400 | £37,010 |
| Limited company owner | £47.50 | £380 | £57,779 | £45,455 |
| Last updated: May 2024 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | ||||
How much does a tree surgeon earn a year?
As an annual income, here are the average salaries for tree surgeons in the UK:
Apprentice tree surgeon – £11,063 (£10,715 take home)
Newly qualified tree surgeon – £21,072 (£17,823 take home)
Employed tree surgeon – £32,282 (£25,445 take home)
Sole trader tree surgeon – £48,400 (£37,010 take home)
Tree surgery company owner – £57,779 (£45,455 take home)
How much do tree surgeons earn a month?
Based on the tree surgeon salaries above, we’ve put together the average take-home figures (after tax) for how much tree surgeons earn a month in the UK:
Apprentice – £893 per month
Newly qualified – £1,485 per month
Employed – £2,120 per month
Sole trader – £3,084 per month
Tree surgery limited company owner – £3,788 per month
How much does a UK tree surgeon earn a week?
As a breakdown per week, here are some of the average figures for how much a UK tree surgeon earns a week:
Apprentice – £252 per week
Newly qualified – £480 per week
Employed – £621 per week
Sole trader – £1,500 per week
Tree surgery limited company owner – £1,899 per week
How much does a tree surgeon earn in a day?
A lot of tree surgery jobs are charged using a day rate, so it’s useful to know how much you can earn a day as a tree surgeon. Here are the average tree surgeon day rates in the UK:
Apprentice – £50 per day
Newly qualified – £96 per day
Employed – £124 per day
Sole trader – £300 per day
Tree surgery limited company owner – £380 per day
Do tree surgeons make good money per hour?
The average hourly rate for tree surgeons in the UK varies depending on your skills and experience, and whether you’re employed or a business owner.
So, do tree surgeons make good money per hour? Here’s a guide to the average tree surgeon hourly rates in the UK:
Apprentice – £6.30 per hour
Newly qualified – £12 per hour
Employed – £15.50 per hour
Sole trader – £37.50 per hour
Tree surgery limited company owner – £47.50 per hour
How much does a tree surgeon earn near Nottingham?
Cities like Nottingham have a constant demand for tree surgeons and the earnings are in line with the national averages. So, if you’re a tree surgeon near Nottingham, you can expect to earn around £32,282 per year as a qualified tree surgery employee.
How to become a tree surgeon
What is a tree surgeon? A tree surgeon’s (or arborists as they’re sometimes called) primary role is providing tree care services. This ranges from cutting them down, trimming them, and performing health assessments to check a tree for conservation purposes. However, for those daredevils who are
How much does a self-employed tree surgeon earn in the UK?
When looking at earning potential, starting your own tree surgery business as a self-employed tree surgeon can massively boost much money you can make compared to being an employed tree surgeon.
Below are the average earnings for a self-employed tree surgeon in the UK:
Hourly rate – £37.50 per hour
Day rate – £300 per day
Yearly salary – £48,400 per year
Annual take-home pay – £37,010 per year
It’s worth noting that, as a self-employed tree surgeon, your take-home pay above reflects the deduction of tax, as well as the costs for running your business – such as your work vehicle, fuel, tools and insurance, etc.
How much do tree surgeons earn in profit as a business?
Many tree surgeons in the UK will set themselves up as an independent tree surgery business, either as a sole trader or a limited company.
The nature of your tree surgery business will affect how much profit you make, after you deduct tax and business running costs.
On average, a self-employed tree surgeon can expect to earn an average take-home salary of £37,010 per year as a sole trader. While, as a tree surgery limited company owner, you’re looking at an average take-home pay of around £45,455 per year.
Want tips to expand your tree surgery business? Check out our guide on how to grow your business:
How to grow your trade business in 2026 - Free guide included
4 ways to grow your trade business Are you looking at how you can take your business to the next level? We've created a no-nonsense guide with the tips you need to grow your trade business. The guide will help you: Understand why online marketing is essential, and what options you have See why old
How to make your tree surgery business more profitable
Ensuring that your jobs are profitable is key to running a successful tree surgery business. At the end of the day, you want to make sure that all the tree surgery work you’re doing is making you money.
To help you boost your profits, we’ve put together our top tips to make your tree surgery business more profitable:
Make sure you're charging enough to cover your outgoings (including tools, materials, insurance, marketing, wages, fuel etc).
Focus on the jobs that make you the most money and require you to spend the least (for tools, materials, etc).
Limit how far you travel to avoid vehicle and fuel costs eating into your profits.
Minimise your outgoings by trying to have no or as little debt as possible.
Shop around for the best deals (like our member partnerships) on tools, equipment, materials and workwear.
Get your business name out there through marketing (your website, customer reviews and SEO).
Provide the best customer experience to all your customers to build a strong reputation and win more work through word of mouth.
Join a trade directory like Checkatrade to build your reviews and online reputation.
Expert tips for increasing profits in 2026
What is profit? Profit is money left over after subtracting all your business expenses from your total revenue. As a trade business, you've probably always got your eye on making a profit.
Become your own boss with your new tree surgery business
You could get your tree surgery business started in just 7 days with the help of our 'Become the Boss' series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoRV0Fsrgnk
You'll get 1 email a day with actionable tips. That's seven emails in total (and a cheeky bonus email) featuring fellow tradespeople who were once in your position. You'll also receive a free business strategy call, and at the end of it all, you'll get to be the Founder of your new business. What's not to love?
To get trade business insider secrets sent to your pocket, put your email address in the form below so we can help you to get started.