Arboriculture and tree surgery jobs in the UK
Tree care from the ground up — climbing, dismantling, pruning and surveying, with the tickets that make you employable.
Arboriculture covers everything to do with trees: planting, formative pruning, crown reduction and thinning, felling and dismantling, stump removal, and the survey work that decides what should happen to a tree and why. Field teams usually work in pairs or small crews with a climber and a groundsperson.
It is safety-critical work. Chainsaws, heights, rigging, overhead lines and public spaces all demand the right ticket and the discipline to work to a method statement. Employers will not put you in a tree without certification, so training is the fastest way to be taken on.
Arboriculture vacancies
Search all jobsNo open arboriculture vacancies today
New roles appear here as employers publish them. In the meantime you can search the full marketplace, set up a job alert from your candidate dashboard, or read the career guidance below to plan your next move.
Career progression
- 1
Groundsperson
Chipper, drag, rigging support and site tidying while building chainsaw competence.
- 2
Climbing arborist
Pruning and dismantling from rope and harness, or from a mobile elevating work platform.
- 3
Team leader
Planning the job, briefing the crew, controlling the site and signing off the work.
- 4
Arboricultural surveyor or consultant
Tree risk assessment, planning advice, reports and management plans.
Qualifications employers ask for
- NPTC/City & Guilds CS30 and CS31 for chainsaw maintenance and felling small trees
- CS38 for tree climbing and aerial rescue, and CS39 for using a chainsaw from a rope and harness
- CS40 and CS41 for dismantling and rigging where employers require them
- A Level 3 qualification in arboriculture for supervisory roles
- Level 4 or above (and professional membership) for survey and consultancy work
Skills that get you hired
- Rope access, climbing technique and aerial rescue
- Accurate pruning cuts and species-appropriate tree work
- Chainsaw maintenance, sharpening and safe use
- Rigging and controlled dismantling near buildings and services
- Risk assessment and working to a method statement
Next step: check the awarding bodies and qualification detail in the training and qualifications directory, or see this route stage by stage in career pathways.
Career advice for this role
- Exploring Careers in ArboricultureA clear introduction to careers in arboriculture, the roles, the ticket ladder, and who employs tree professionals.
- Machinery and Equipment CertificationsA guide to the machinery tickets and certifications that matter across gardening, landscaping and arboriculture.
- Working Safely in the Green IndustryThe core principles of working safely across gardening, landscaping and arboriculture, from risk assessment to first aid.
Other specialisms
Every specialist page follows the same structure: live vacancies, how the career progresses, and the qualifications employers actually ask for.
Vacancies on this page are advertised directly by employers through Gardening Careers. We do not create example roles to fill a category, and roles advertised on an employer's own website are shown separately as external opportunities. You can also browse the employer directory, read the career advice library, compare career pathways or find training and qualifications.