Eventually get both. I don't know that one is necessarily "higher" than the other. In terms of education, that would be Certified Arborist...so I think the temptation is to say that is the higher Certification. But I don't think that is a fair comparison because the climber specialist is much more specific. You can be a CA and never have climbed a tree...there are lots of very good arborists who do work other than climbing a tree. If I were hiring a climber, I'd certainly be more interested in somebody who had the climber specialist than a certified arborist. If I were hiring a PHC arborist, I would be more interested in a Certified Arborist than a Climber Specialist. Where do you want to go with your career...and what do the people who you want to work for expect (clients, potential employers, etc...)?
