How to become an arborist in Australia
Arborists maintain and care for trees and shrubs by lopping limbs and shaping branches, treating trees with fertilisers and insecticides, removing dead or decaying trees, and advising on general tree care.
Pay and growth are for the wider gardeners group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the gardeners group are projected to grow 8.8% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Prunes trees and hedges, and installs plant support and protection devices.
- Examines trees to asses their condition and determine treatment.
- Lops limbs off trees and shapes branches using chain or handsaws.
- Sprays and dusts plants and trees to control insects and disease, and fells diseased trees.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A Certificate III or IV, including at least two years of on-the-job training where it is a Certificate III. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the gardeners group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 8% a degree or higher, 15% a diploma, 47% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. Arborist is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (1 April 2026), with qualifications including Certificate III in Arboriculture, Diploma of Arboriculture, Advanced Diploma of Arboriculture. Find a provider at Your Career or your state's TAFE.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
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We haven't matched this job to courses in the admissions lists. It usually starts with training on the job or at a registered training provider, not a course through an admissions centre. See Your Career.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Tree Trimmers and Pruners", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Apprenticeships: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, 1 April 2026.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.