A tree care HR manager hires the climbers, ground workers and office staff a tree company runs on, and keeps the records behind them. That covers training files, drug and alcohol rules, testing after incidents, and the federal limits on what workers under 18 may do around saws and chippers.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, landscaping and tree care companies · BLS, May 2025
As an Arborist / Tree Care HR Manager, you will be responsible for all aspects of human resources functions within our tree care operations. This involves recruitment, training, and managing staff relations, contributing to the company's success by ensuring our team is skilled, motivated, and aligned with our company values.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop, implement and manage recruitment strategies for Arborist / Tree Care positions.
Oversee the creation and delivery of training programs.
Foster a positive work environment and manage staff relations.
Ensure compliance with labor laws and company policies.
Handle HR-related inquiries or issues.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Manage recruitment processes, including job postings, interviews, and hiring.
Coordinate and conduct training sessions for new hires and refresher courses for existing staff.
Handle employee relations, including conflict resolution and disciplinary actions.
Maintain records of employees and manage HR documentation.
Conduct performance evaluations and manage feedback sessions.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Employee turnover rate: <10% annually.
Time to fill open positions: <30 days.
Employee satisfaction rating: >4.5 stars.
Compliance with labor laws and company policies: 100%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or related field.
Certified Arborist credential is a plus.
5+ years of HR experience, preferably in the home services industry.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Proficient in HR software and Microsoft Office Suite.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in the tree care or home services industry.
Experience managing HR functions in a small to medium-sized company.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to work in an office environment.
Ability to travel for recruitment events or training sessions as needed.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional travel may be required for recruitment or training purposes.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $70,000 - $85,000 annually.
Eligible for performance-based bonuses.
Benefits include Health, Dental, Vision, and 401k.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we believe in empowering our employees to reach their full potential. We foster a culture of growth, learning, and respect, where everyone’s contribution is valued. We are committed to providing exceptional service to our customers and this starts by investing in our team members.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Most people at a tree company run chain saws, chippers and lifts, so HR's files carry more safety weight than in most trades. When someone gets hurt on a removal, the follow-up lands on HR's desk the same day.
Teens can't even clean the chipper
Under federal Hazardous Occupations Order 14, workers under 18 may not set up, adjust, repair, oil or clean a chain saw or wood chipper, on top of the ban on running or helping on one. So a summer hire can't oil saws in the shop or clear a jammed chipper. Registered apprentices and student-learners are exempt only when that work is brief, occasional and closely supervised in training. An unexpired federal or state age certificate on file protects you if a hire's age proves wrong. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 570.65, chain saws and wood chippers (Hazardous Occupations Order 14).
Cannabis rules depend on the state
Drug and alcohol policies have to fit each state's law. In New York, for example, the law protects legal cannabis use off the clock, off your property and away from your equipment. You may act when a worker shows specific signs of impairment on the job that hurt their work or your duty to keep the workplace safe, or when a state or federal rule requires it, as federal testing does for CDL drivers. Get an employment lawyer to check the policy in every state where you have crews. Source: New York Labor Law section 201-D: Off-duty conduct, including cannabis.
Test after an incident, not after a report
Many tree companies drug test after a chipper, saw or rigging incident. OSHA's recordkeeping rule bars punishing a worker for reporting an injury. OSHA's 2018 guidance on that rule says testing to find the root cause of an incident is generally allowed, as long as you test everyone whose actions could have caused it, not only the worker who reported being hurt. So the written policy says who gets tested, such as the climber and the ground worker running the lowering line. Source: OSHA memo: Post-incident drug testing and safety incentive programs under 29 CFR 1904.35(b)(1)(iv) (October 11, 2018).
Training only counts once it's shown
If any of your crews clear trees around power lines on the utility's behalf, OSHA counts their training as done only after each worker has shown they can do the work. It also calls for a check on each worker at least once a year and retraining before tasks done less than once a year. Records are one way to track this, OSHA notes. A tree company can keep the same kind of file for every climber: rescue drills, saw and chipper sign-offs, lift training and credential dates. Source: eCFR: 29 CFR 1910.269, electric power generation, transmission and distribution (line-clearance training).
How much tree care HR managers make
The closest BLS group for tree care HR managers is human resources managers. Human resources managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $139,010 a year ($66.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $149,280 median for human resources managers in all industries. About 180 of the 220,660 human resources managers in that survey work for landscaping and tree care companies.
Salaried, with the template's performance-based bonus. Consider tying part of the bonus to ground workers who pass each climbing skill step, since trained climbers set how much work the company can sell.
Landscaping and tree care companies
$139,010$139,010 median Middle half $96,970–$145,660 10th–90th $85,770–$202,820
All industries
$149,280$149,280 median Middle half $111,110–$199,290 10th–90th $88,200–$267,810
$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Landscaping and tree care companies
$85,770
$96,970
$139,010
$145,660
$202,820
All industries
$88,200
$111,110
$149,280
$199,290
$267,810
BLS doesn’t publish pay for tree care companies on their own. These figures cover landscaping services, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has recruited climbers or other skilled field workers who can pick their employer
Keeps training and credential files an insurer or auditor can follow
Knows the federal teen work limits for saws, chippers and lifts, and when to call a lawyer
Handles discipline after a safety violation fairly and in writing
Earns trust at the morning yard meeting
Teach these on the job
Your climbing skill ladder and the pay step at each rung
ISA credentials and how to check them
Your aerial rescue drill and saw sign-off schedule
Plan on payroll software with a phone time clock, an applicant tracker for spring hiring, and a training tracker listing each worker's sign-offs and credential dates. ISA's online Verify a Credential tool confirms a climber's certification before you count it.
Tree care HR manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Climber retention
Climbers keep leaving for competitors. How do you find out why and keep them?
A strong answer: Exit interviews, pay benchmarks, a career ladder, gear quality, safety culture and schedules.
Behavioral · High-risk training
Tell me about a training program you built or ran for high-risk work, such as chainsaws, climbing or chippers.
A strong answer: Explains the content, hands-on skill checks before solo work, refresher timing and the result in incidents.
Each group is hired and lost at its own pace, so set targets for climbers, ground workers and office staff separately, from your own past seasons.
Employee turnover rate
Track who quit or was let go, with climbers, ground crew and the office counted apart, and don't count planned winter layoffs. A climber who quits costs far more than a seasonal ground worker.
Time to fill open positions
How long each opening stays empty, from sign-off to the new hire's first shift. Report climber openings apart from ground and office roles, since a qualified climber can take months to find.
Employee satisfaction rating
An anonymous pulse check in spring and fall, with questions on safety, gear, training and crew leaders. Read results by crew and by yard, not only as one average.
Compliance with labor laws and company policies
Quarterly file audits: I-9s, age certificates for minors, training sign-offs, credential copies and drug testing records where used. Score each file complete or not, and fix every gap before the next audit.
Career path
HR coordinator or generalistHandles new-hire paperwork and tracks who is due for which training.
HR managerHires crews and owns training, policy and personnel records.
HR directorLeads people and safety programs for a larger tree care group.
Ask your own climbers first, and pay a referral bonus after the new hire's first months. Then look at local arborist association events, climbing competitions and arboriculture programs at nearby colleges. Check any ISA credential a candidate lists with ISA's online tool. An ad that shows the steps from ground worker to climber, with the pay at each one, also draws people who want to learn the trade.
How much does a tree care HR manager make?
Human resources managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $139,010 a year ($66.83 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $96,970 and $145,660 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Why does the template mention the Certified Arborist credential for HR?
The template lists it among the requirements but calls it a plus, so treat it as a nice extra. An HR manager who knows the trade can read a climber's resume, judge which credentials matter and talk shop with crew leaders. Few HR candidates will hold it. One who doesn't can learn the crew roles and credentials in the first months, with time in the yard and a few days riding with crews.
Who keeps training records, HR or the equipment manager?
Split it by what the record is about. The equipment manager keeps records on the gear: rope and harness logs, lift checks and repairs. HR keeps records on the people: who was trained on which machine, who passed an aerial rescue drill, and when each credential expires. Link the two, so nobody is assigned a machine their file doesn't show them trained on.
Does the federal logging rule cover teen ground workers?
Hazardous Occupations Order 4 bars 16- and 17-year-olds from logging and from forestry service and timber tract work. Its definitions center on timber: felling it and cutting it into logs, poles or pulpwood, managing land that grows it, and supporting timber production. Pruning and removing trees at homes isn't named. If your crews clear wooded lots, thin woodlots or sell logs, ask the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division or a lawyer before a teen works on those jobs.
