licensed arborist pay scale

[dkt316]

I work for a landscape company in mid coast of Maine--I'm foreman of the lawn care crew (mowing and fert--new lawn installations) and nov. thru march am foreman of the tree crew. My boss (owner of the company) calls tree work "somthing to just get us by for the winter", five months of tree work seems more than just getting by to me. I supervise climbing, pruning, removals and am our only faller. I'm the guy on the job ensuring the clients confidence in our ability to complete the job efficiently and safely put the trees or the limbs on the ground, clean up the whole mess and bring everyone home in one piece.
I write proposals for bid contracts and drum up atleast half our winter tree work--I do this all for $12.00 an hour.
I recently took the State of Maine Arborist exam--passed--bought my own liability insurance (requirement of licensure in Maine) and am now wondering: What am I worth now? I am our only licensed arborist. Maine law states whoever advertises complete tree work--climbs a tree, falls a tree, diagnosis' a tree, prunes a tree...... etc. must be licensed by the state of Maine.
So....what do you guys who are licensed get paid? Those of you who employ licensed arborist--what do you pay them for their services?
It all boils down to this: Licensed arborists--what are we worth and to whom are we worth it?

 

[murphy4trees]

I know a big landscaping outfit looking for qualified and experienced tree crew leaders. Pay is around $50K/year plus benefits and bonuses. 45 hrs/week...
you do the math... it's a lot more than $12/hr.

 

[Stumper]

I deplore parterships but it sounds to me as if you must now be more than an employee. Your company's ability to advertise tree work depends upon you. I'm not sure about all the regulations but what you have said implies that YOU are the prime contractor for the tree work. You need to renogiate, perhaps work a role reversal on tree work where you become a contractor working for a percentage or guaranteed minimum base daily rate. Or you may want to part company and go off on your own. You have been doing tree work during the off season-Not just the lawn care off season but the all types of landcape maintenance off season. Winter is a fine time to prune trees but spring, summer and fall are the busier times- when customers are outside and thinking about such things.

 

[Trignog]

GO ON YOUR OWN! Or move down to CT. 12 bucks is brush dragger pay man. As far as the lisence isssue it seems to be the same in Ct, you need a lisence to do any thing but takedowns. Your boss would make more doing tree work 12 months a year. If your a Maine lisnced arborist (with your own saw and climbing gear) with liability ins. do side work I bet youll make more on sat than all week long. Things pick up fast, before you know it youll have a dump truck and a chipper and a lot of work!

 

[a_lopa]

your worth between $12-$120p/h name your price,itl soon be worked where you fit in the food chain

 

[vharrison2]

We bill our ISA arborist @ $ 125.00 per hour for consultations...you should be making more than 12.50, a lot more.

 

[clearance]

316-You deserve way more than that. Tell buddy to put down the crack pipe, pony up some decent money or else. Better still just find something better and then quit with no notice. No respect deserves no respect. The most useless groundsman get $12hr here, I mean guys that can't tie a bowline or fall a christmas tree.

 

[Ekka]

Better still just find something better and then quit with no notice.

How unprofessional and immature. I call this type of mentality industrial sabotage.

Do the respected thing, make your employer aware of the situation and try to negotiate a new rate. You already have a relationship, dont burn your bridges, your boss may be ignorant of your feelings and situation ... and he will also realize that if you leave your replacement will be paid more anyway ... so why not pay you more.

Just get together with him in a neutral environment, nice and relaxed, have a chat and both of you will grow.

Should you choose the Clearance method you may soon earn a negative reputation ... don't do it ... employers don't like quitters.

 

[dkt316]

Lots of good feed back guys. I have seriously thought about going on my own--and no i haven't talked to my boss as of yet to re-negotiate--he's in Florida right now on a three week vacation! I'd say he did more than just "get By this winter"!
We're supposed to have a sit down talk when he gets back--that's why I posed my question now--I need as much valid Ammo as i can get---keep the tips coming--they are all gladly appreciated!

 

[topnotchtree]

Line clearance foreman near Detroit make over $22.00 an hour. Apprentices start out at $12.00

 

[Shespen]

It sounds to me like you are in a state of transition between being an employee and being a sub contractor. Employees don't assume responsibility for and are not liable for damages caused by the company. The company is a seperate entity and is responsible for liability. You just get fired. If you are hired under some contract agreement that states specifically that you are responsible and liable for damages caused by either you or someone on your crew then you are a sub contractor. The liscense is a contractors liscense. Liability insurance is for companys. Which are you? It sounds to me like you have a boss that is tring to exploit you in several areas. Most of which are illegal. Go to the library and look up the state laws that pertain to contracting, labor laws and liscensing. Don't take anybody's word for anything. Check it out yourself or ask a lawyer for direction. If you are under contract then it sounds like it is time to renegotiate the contract. I suggest that you turn the tables and use him as a mentor to get your own business going. Be his employee for landscaping if you want but for tree work, do that under contract and negotiate a seperate pay scale. Depending on Who's equipment is being used, Who assumes liability for damages, Who bids the jobs, who pays the employees, ect. negotiate a percentage of the job instead of an hourly rate. Meanwhile, pepper him with questions about running a business and read up on it as much as possible. In a year you should be on your own and Stumper is right, most of the tree work is happening when you are dealing with turf. Good luck on your venture and be bold about it. If you are not ready to go it alone then don't be afraid to quit. Just don't quit untill you have another gig lined up. It sounds like you can do better. Much better.

 

[clearance]

Ekka, I quit working for a construction company that paid me $20hr to work as a laborer that could help the carpenters with little notice (2days). They hired me back a few months later. The company I quit on before them said I could work for them anytime. I quit my job at a tree service with 2 weeks notice for $16 hr, hired back at $21. If you are a hard worker, you are rare, at least here. Think about it a little, if an employee is lazy and useless they deseve to be fired a.s.a.p., if the employer is using you and paying you ????e, they deserve no loyalty whatsoever. The relationship 316 has with his employer in regards to pay is more like a girl and her pimp, can you say USED. Industrial sabotage, how about learning a lesson the hard way, the kind of lesson people remember.

 

[Ekka]

Industrial sabotage, how about learning a lesson the hard way, the kind of lesson people remember.

Perhaps you wouldn't have had to quit if your negotiation skills were up to speed? And certainly I have never and never will hire back a quitter, so perhaps there's a lack of class and skill in your neck of the woods which has made you King _ick, but I assure you in this neck of the woods a reference in most cases is req'd and if I were hiring and discovered that you just walked from employers you wouldn't get a foot in the door.

The other thing is that the more often you do this the more likely you are to harden employers attitudes toward staff ... perhaps these previous bosses are percieved arrogant users by you because they've been burnt too often. So like the story of crying wolf they don't care till it's too late.

But good employers hold regular reviews, performance KPI's and incentives, and I certainly would be afraid of investing my time and resources in a short sighted quitter. Good things do come to those who wait and trust is earnt not granted.

I as an employer remember, and fortunately my skills have never left me in a position where I will be held to ransom either, so mature negotiation is what I respect, not immature quitting, vengence and dummy spitting.

 

[Tinwoodman]

Ekka has a good point that quitting without notice is unprofessional and not a very good thing to do. I think we also have to look at the relationship between 316 and his boss-- do they get along well other than this little problem? If 316 does go to him to negotiate, what kind of a response will he get? Ekka's right, negotiate and or give notice. But there does come a time when you do have to do one or the other. If you do just up and quit without notice, you better be prepared to own your own business. I don't have any employees yet, but I wouldn't hire a known quitter either. However, I wouldn't pay a man dirt pay either. Hang in there, 316, I'm a native Mainer myself. I know what you go through up there. I also do landscaping work as well. And, I am preparing to give my boss notice tomorrow. A very timely discussion. I will give him two weeks notice, and I may agree to stay on part time for a while after that. But I don't make enough there to feed my family, so I'm planning to go out on my own. I have God to look out for me, so I don't feel too stressed about it. I think the time is becoming ripe; it's time I could afford to keep my baby in diapers.

 

[Ekka]

Tinwoodman

Remember, bosses also hire sub contractors etc. So it's not always that going out on your own means the relationship is severed for life.

Leaving on good terms, as you have suggested, can only be beneficial.

I know I hire contractors because I'd rather they cut their own ropes than mine, use their owns saws etc, in return you usually get a more productive worker that's more responsible ...

... a win win.

Good on you and good luck.

 

[Tinwoodman]

You are right about the subcontracting, Ekka. And by the way, when you're climbing those gum trees, careful not to step out on the limbs, ok? (I know what happens)!