Arborist Wages Melbourne Area

SJU

G'day guys, great website!
Can anyone give me an idea of the kind of wage you can earn as an Arborist in the Melbourne area?
I've fancied a career change into this area for a while, but I'd be giving away an established job on $65K a year with a 4% rise anually.
I'm not wanting to earn a fortune or anything but lets assume a reliable, hardworking Arborist with a Cert3,white card, Chainsaw, HR Lic, EWP, 1st Aid, traffic cont, Limits of Appr. etc
This is where I'd like to be in a couple of years, but I giving away a solid job (although not very fulfilling anymore!) to re-train.
I have a Wife, Son and not unsubstantial mortgage to think about so if I do this I want to do it right!
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Eric Frei

I didn't think anyone would answer this.

No-one really wants the weight upon their shoulders if it doesn't work out, has to be your decision.

You get paid what you are worth, some guys are slow and useless hence they don't even get work. Others are friggin legends and get plenty. Some have own tools, others not. Thing is you said you need training, so you'll be dragging branches and shovelling stump grindings to start with.

But a "hardworking Arborist with a Cert3,white card, Chainsaw, HR Lic, EWP, 1st Aid, traffic cont, Limits of Appr. etc" can expect to earn what you have said, $65K especially as a contractor.

Remember, it isn't always sunny and fine.

It isn't always summer or winter.

It isn't always a good or easy tree.

You seldom if ever work alone so your team can make or break you.

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Apocalypsse

No experience/qualification? I think you'll be hard pressed finding somewhere that will pay you base groundie wages while sending you to TAFE, unless you work 4 day weeks and pay your own way through TAFE. Otherwise it will be an adult apprenticeship for you with apprentice wages. The first 2 years on apprentice wages as an adult are tough, I dare say it would be a nightmare while trying to support a family and pay off a mortage.

SJU

Thanks for the answers,
I am well aware that of the training and experience I lack (and skills, tickets, experience, motivation, drive etc I already possess), however that was not what I was discussing.

I guess I wanted a good idea of what the industry in Melbourne will pay a Qualified Arborist (hard working, professional with his own gear etc)
My point is I would love to carve a career out in the field and I will leave my job, go to Tafe (pay my way. buy all the gear etc) take crap wages while I learn and all the rest if I know I my goal of being the person described above is going to be sustainable in the long term. Eg. if the guy descibed above will be doing well to get 40-50k then it probably isn't.

No ones weight is upon anyones shoulders, i'm a big boy and take full responsibility for my own actions!

"Thanks for this Eric but..
So I guess this is why the question is not so easy to answer. Am I right to assume the vast majority of Arborists are not full time salaried workers. But employed contractually or casually?

It's all research!
Cheers

Eric Frei

The vast majority I cannot speak on behalf of, I can only convey my experiences.... over 13 years.

The best climbers I have seen and worked with are or were all contractors.

The best climbers know that they are the hub that all spokes connect to on a jobsite.... however that power goes to some of their heads as it does the employers who think they own them.

It takes no brains or balls to buy big trucks and chippers, anyone with money can do that. Then you need to feed it to make money and when trees cannot be felled then climbers come in.

The slowest climbers I see and in larger companies, often where the company bills per hour.

The fastest and most productive climbers I see are contractors especially those paid piece rate to bring a tree down regardless of time. Imagine being told you'll get $600 to bring a tree down and you do it in 2 hours and go home leaving a crew to clean up.

Graeme McMahon of Sherwood Trees in Victoria, works for himself or contracts out. Ask his day rate, you might fall over.

What you see often, even supported and torted by organisations is praise for corporate sponsors but seldom individuals. You often read generic crap like, "one of our many qualified staff will safely bring the tree down" all crap.

One of the best kept secrets for most companies and well hidden is who the bloody climber is.

Australian Tree Association will change all that, time for the real people to get the glory not the person who employs them.

I envisage a good contract climber will make upwards of $80K a year, and that is here.

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Apocalypsse

It depends on what path you want to take as well. Climbing isn't the only path you can take as a qualified arborist.

Hayden Watt

SJU, i did what you are researching.. left my office job and put myself through tafe... I didn't sign up as an apprentice because I didn't want to earn apprentice wages. My boss looked after me from the beginning as far a pay goes so i work hard for him.. i'll be cert 3 qualified in December this year. been 2 and a half years but now im on better money than my old job and happier at work because I now enjoy my job.
I do most of the climbing at work and love learning new tricks and techniques while on the job.
School will cost you roughly about 2000 for cert 2 and cert 3. cert 2 is 6 months and cert 3 is 2 years.
Full climbing gear will cost you between 2500 - 5000 depending on what you get and what brands you choose.
Im sure plenty of guys on here will help you out with more info about the industry as im still new too..
If you dont mind being filthy and wet most days be it sweat or rain, its a great career. very rewarding to prune a tree and get back on the ground to look up at your work.
Big decisions ahead for you mate.

Rob Chace

totally agree

Drouin Tree Service

Go and get a HR truck license and NUE260 Electrical Systems Identification and Powerline Clearance Requirements,First aid level 2,chainsaw level 1


And your a walk up start in many of the bigger vegetation managment organisations for many years to come(although staying there to long can be a pitfall) but you will get exposure to alot more equipment,rules,regulations and b**lsh*t and make your mind up from there.

People always ask me best way into trees and IMHO its a HR licence and willingness to learn and reliabilty.

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Drouin Tree Services | Excavator Hire - Drouin and SE Gippsland | Landclearing Melbourne

derwoodii

SJU

Brilliant reply Haydo and congratulations on your efforts mate.
I have already invested in some training, gear and equired into tafe off my own steam and am very prepared to continue to do so (i do all this without rocking the boat with my current employment) I will continue to do this until there comes a point where I will have to take a leap.

__________________
Sitting my HR Licence in 2 weeks! have L2 First aid, enrolled in Chainsaw Level 1 course next month, bought my own PPE & Pro Chainsaw.
Definitely willing to learn and reliable and will continue to look at other courses outside of tafe like NUE etc.
All being done in my spare time so far!

Hayden Watt

At the moment the most detailed course is NMIT in fairfield.. i think there is a long wait to get into the course but they are very thorough and source a lot of data from the old Burnley Arb course. Most of the experience arborist's around victoria studied at burnley.
if you can get away with doing cert 2 while in your current job you will have the best leg up into the industry as a groundy. Then its all up from there!
pardon the pun.

Sunraysia Tree Solutions

Remember although you can't climb forever.

Yes Yes I know someone will reply that they climb everyday and have for the last 100 years blah blah, the reality is that the vast majority of good climbers climbing 5 days a week doing as a crew a turnover of 2 to 3 k a day (average 4- 5 climbs a day will last 7 to 10 years max. IMO

The other thing to remember even with the best company out there doing private work the vast majority of the work is removals, (70 to 80 percent). This means that the clients see the tree as rubbish or a nuisence. What that this means is that they generally want the cheapest price possible, they don't care if its dangerous or requires great skill, they just want the bloody tree gone.

Unfortunately cheap removal prices means lower wages than we would otherwise like. Although others will prob earn more 65k imo is the upper end of what qualified arborists earn

Just my 2 cents, its not meant to put you off but just give you food for thought.

SJU

Thanks for that Fatkoala, the climbing aspect (done a fair bit of rock and ice climbing in my time) does appeal to me but it's not the only draw card. I think however your comments on potential earnings are my biggest source of anxiety, the thought of going through 2-3 years of training, investment in gear, commitment to learn, working hard etc only to see yourself earning 20-30% less than you were is not good . I'll just keep moving forward a step at a time!

dingo

Amongst the climbers I know many contract 80% of their work and then the other 20% are their own jobs. It makes alot of sense to me, whilst contracting you will develop contacts and observe how businesses are operated (large and small).You can have a crack at it yourself whilst not putting everything on the line. just my two cents

jtrobles

i agree with him on that! you cant climming forever. i have been climming 8yrs now, n i see now i cant clim forever! so now i am trying to get a bucket truck. i no that i wont be able to use on all jobs! but it will take some work load off, me some. never thought i would say that about me n climbing but just a fact i now except