Tree Surgeon Hourly Rate UK – How Much Can You Earn?
So you quite like the idea of being a tree surgeon, but have no idea what they earn? With money tighter than ever for most households, it’s totally understandable that you’d like to know your potential earnings as an arborist.
Truth be told, there are various different levels when it comes to tree surgeon careers. What you earn therefore depends on what qualifications and experience you have. In short, the more training you get in, the more you can earn.
Average Salaries
Let’s answer the question of exactly what a tree surgeon can earn, assuming they work 40 hours a week for 52 weeks of the year.
Groundworkers with little to no experience can generally expect to earn just under £20,000 per year. Translated into an hourly rate, this will generally come in at around £9.50 an hour – the current minimum wage for the United Kingdom.
However, as an entry-level tree surgeon on course to gain a qualification in the industry, you can start to expect more bang for your buck. The average salary at this level is £24,000 a year – which equates to around £11.50 an hour.
As a qualified tree surgeon, you're going to be looking at £13 an hour – or £27,000 a year. Meanwhile, more experienced workers will earn closer to £33,000 a year – or £15.80 an hour.
Tree Surgeon Hourly Rate: Is There a Ceiling?
Many people who decide to become a tree surgeon may be hoping to earn a much higher hourly rate than any of the figures we have already mentioned. If this is the case for you, please don’t be discouraged. While £15-16 p/h is a reasonable rate for more experienced tree surgeons in the UK, it should in no way be considered as a ceiling. In other words, if you are keen to earn more, you will almost certainly be able to find opportunities to do so, wherever you happen to live or work. Carry on reading to discover some of the ways in which you can maximise your tree surgeon hourly rate once you have some experience under your belt.
Maximise Your Tree Surgeon Hourly Rate - There are many different ways in which you could enhance your future earnings as a tree surgeon, including the following:
Specialise – By specialising in a certain field or discipline of tree surgery, you could well find an increased demand for your services, especially if you pick a relatively unpopular field or discipline.
Form Your Own Company – The rates we have already quoted are for employed positions. However, if you form your own tree surgery practice, whether as a self-employed professional, sole trader or limited company, you can easily exceed these rates by a considerable margin.
Review Your Rates Regularly – As an independent contractor, be sure to review your rates at least annually and to raise them in line with inflation if necessary.
Market Your Services – If you form your own company, you can improve your hourly rate by marketing your services to potential customers. If you are able to create more awareness of your services and more demand, you will be able to raise your rates more easily in the future.
You can learn more about how to enhance your future tree surgeon hourly rate in the UK by enrolling in one of our professional training courses, on which you will also be taught many practical skills. Call or message us for full details.
How You Can Earn More
Here at the DTE Academy, we offer a wide range of courses and qualifications that will not only give you new experiences, but will massively help with your take-home salary and hourly rate.
Our industry-recognised courses can take you from a fresh-faced ground worker to a fully qualified tree surgeon. As we've already established, that is worth an extra £7,000 a year in your pocket.
Our academy is run by fully qualified and experienced tree surgeons who are passionate about their work. Together, we take pride in developing well-trained arborists of the present and future.
You can find out more about the courses we offer here on our website.
How to Quickly Increase Your Current Tree Surgeon Hourly Rate in the UK
If are already working for an arboricultural service provider or providing services as an individual service provider, there are a number of ways in which you can try to enhance the hourly rate you’re being paid right now. Some apply only to those who are working for a company and others only to those who are self-employed. Others still can be utilised equally well by either type of tree surgeon.
Network With Prospective Clients – If you are working on your own, with your own client base, one of the best ways to enhance your hourly rate is to network with prospective clients. The more clients you can add to your roster, the sooner you’ll be able to increase your rates.
Earn More Qualifications – Gaining more industry qualifications is an excellent way to broaden your appeal and increase demand, thereby creating a commercial environment that is more conducive to the higher rates you would like to charge.
Go the Extra Distance – Whenever you are able to provide more than is expected of you, take the opportunity to do so. Every time you underpromise and over-deliver, you will make a new loyal client: a client who will probably be willing to pay more for your services in the future.
Consider Providing an Emergency Service – Tree surgeons who provide a 24/7 emergency service are often in a position to increase their rates sooner than would otherwise have been the case.
Enhance Your Reputation – The better your reputation among local businesses and residents, the more the demand for your services and the more you can charge.
Talk to Your Employer – If you work for an arboricultural services company, higher rates could be just a short conversation away.
If you are still at the beginning of your journey as a tree surgeon, you could enhance your tree surgeon hourly rate for UK clients by enrolling in our courses for arboricultural industry professionals in the United Kingdom. Feel free to browse our range and to contact us if you should need any assistance.