# How much are climbers making in your area???



## Themadd1 (Nov 18, 2007)

So I was just wondering how much climbers are making around the country/world. As we become more professional as an industry I think we are making, for good reasons, more money.

So income range, and state/country???


In Ohio I am looking at between $15.00 and $25.00 an hour


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## a_lopa (Nov 19, 2007)

Lineclearance 20-$30 hr

Climber $20 good climber $30 V good $40 down quick $50 superman $100 

All in hourly rates


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## Blinky (Nov 19, 2007)

Contract climbers around here get $200 - $350 a day depending on the season. Storm recovery work can be as high as $500 a day.


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## Industry (Nov 19, 2007)

I was making 11.50 as the foreman of a line clearance climbing crew.


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## hammer0419 (Nov 19, 2007)

Industry said:


> I was making 11.50 as the foreman of a line clearance climbing crew.



Holy S***! Call the cops....You've been robbed!


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## hammer0419 (Nov 19, 2007)

Industry said:


> I was making 11.50 as the foreman of a line clearance climbing crew.



Call the cops....That's robbery!


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## (WLL) (Nov 19, 2007)

*ne pa usa*

$15-$40per hr depends who ya work 4. i like day rate & %'s because i can make $250-$300 and still make it home for lunch:hmm3grin2orange: and some of the best companys round here aint payn chit. a local company round here is payin $20 topps no matter what ya can do. he is a former isa pres. 97'-98' i wont mention his name but he is a very smart man.bla bla bla no bennies highest charging around no o/t napa10w40 bar oil this man has a tuun a work and no good workers lol i wood love to work for him long term but he is to damd cheep.wtf is wrong with ppl so open the phone book and start shopping the options are endless be choosey:help:


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## dshackle3 (Nov 19, 2007)

I the Atl. $200 or $300 aday.


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## ropensaddle (Nov 19, 2007)

200 per day for average 250 no problem climbing but
way too few actually are there!


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## treesquirrel (Nov 19, 2007)

dshackle3 said:


> I the Atl. $200 or $300 aday.



Yep, in Atlanta metro area about 250 per day for a decent climber.

But there are those hazardous jobs where a good climber will top 500 per day if he's fast.


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## tree md (Nov 19, 2007)

Atlanta is where I learned my craft... A good climber with basic ropes and gear could make a grand a day if he was doing his own thing... but that was when I was a kid. Thank God I found a better market!!! 

A good climber with people skills can write his own ticket... Sky's the limit boys...

Raise a glass to the climber!!!


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## ropensaddle (Nov 19, 2007)

treesquirrel said:


> Yep, in Atlanta metro area about 250 per day for a decent climber.
> 
> But there are those hazardous jobs where a good climber will top 500 per day if he's fast.


I would prefer to work them of percentage as I 
would prefer to work I made a company I worked for fifteen years
ago 3500.00 per day average and expected fifteen percent so 500
is doable but have to work!


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## ropensaddle (Nov 19, 2007)

tree md said:


> Atlanta is where I learned my craft... A good climber with basic ropes and gear could make a grand a day if he was doing his own thing... but that was when I was a kid. Thank God I found a better market!!!
> 
> A good climber with people skills can write his own ticket... Sky's the limit boys...
> 
> Raise a glass to the climber!!!


Say now care to share the market secret


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## OLD CHIPMONK (Nov 19, 2007)

Hey ! $10,000 a day plus lunch on me. If you will show up on time, bring you're own climbing gear & saw . Then work a standard 8 hr. day, without wanting to go home early. Being able to keep a crew working & doing no damage to the customers property. Pass a drug screen , criminal background check & credit screening . Present a valid Ga. drivers license & pass a motor vehicle background check. Pass a rigorous physical exam including eye & hearing . Also be able to sell jobs & yourself to our consumers at the highest market rates ! As climber-crew leader, you must have a comprehensive knowledge all facets of tree care. At least 10 yrs. , verifiable experience , starting as ground-man , climber , bucket operator & an ability to work with cranes. The knowledge to repair minor equipment issues ( visible broken wires,replace fuses, light bulbs , etc.). Pour your heart & soul into our company. A strong desire to succeed & grow with us. All this while working & accepting a weekly paycheck ( with all the standard deductions ). Our company affords workers comp. coverage , paid sick days ( 6 per yr. ), 4 weeks paid vacation ( during the 1st. yr.) 401K retirement plan,company profit sharing, 12 wks. paid maternity leave ( women only ) , company stock options & co-pay additional coverages ( eye & dental ). Yes, you are afforded unemployment coverage. Also all OSHA training & PPE is provided. Furthering educational benefits are encouraged & monetary aid programs are available. If you feel you are ready , come & join us. We are all looking for this & maybe, someday, possibly , we will all find this " Pot of Gold , at the end of the rainbow. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU JOB SEEKERS !!!!!!:deadhorse:   :hmm3grin2orange:


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## treesquirrel (Nov 20, 2007)

OLD CHIPMONK said:


> Hey ! $10,000 a day plus lunch on me. If you will show up on time, bring you're own climbing gear & saw . Then work a standard 8 hr. day, without wanting to go home early. Being able to keep a crew working & doing no damage to the customers property. Pass a drug screen , criminal background check & credit screening . Present a valid Ga. drivers license & pass a motor vehicle background check. Pass a rigorous physical exam including eye & hearing . Also be able to sell jobs & yourself to our consumers at the highest market rates ! As climber-crew leader, you must have a comprehensive knowledge all facets of tree care. At least 10 yrs. , verifiable experience , starting as ground-man , climber , bucket operator & an ability to work with cranes. The knowledge to repair minor equipment issues ( visible broken wires,replace fuses, light bulbs , etc.). Pour your heart & soul into our company. A strong desire to succeed & grow with us. All this while working & accepting a weekly paycheck ( with all the standard deductions ). Our company affords workers comp. coverage , paid sick days ( 6 per yr. ), 4 weeks paid vacation ( during the 1st. yr.) 401K retirement plan,company profit sharing, 12 wks. paid maternity leave ( women only ) , company stock options & co-pay additional coverages ( eye & dental ). Yes, you are afforded unemployment coverage. Also all OSHA training & PPE is provided. Furthering educational benefits are encouraged & monetary aid programs are available. If you feel you are ready , come & join us. We are all looking for this & maybe, someday, possibly , we will all find this " Pot of Gold , at the end of the rainbow. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU JOB SEEKERS !!!!!!:deadhorse:   :hmm3grin2orange:



I know a guy like that!

Unfortunately he was crucified over 2000 years ago! I keep waiting for his return.


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## OLD CHIPMONK (Nov 20, 2007)

I agree with you T.S. but sometimes dreams are all we have. Just a little humor for the newbies ! Lord knows we all need it ! It has gotten so bad around Savannah, it's hard to beat out a living . Would you beleive 46 tree wizzards trying to under-bid each other . Got enough to organize a UNION .:hmm3grin2orange:


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## treesquirrel (Nov 20, 2007)

OLD CHIPMONK said:


> I agree with you T.S. but sometimes dreams are all we have. Just a little humor for the newbies ! Lord knows we all need it ! It has gotten so bad around Savannah, it's hard to beat out a living . Would you beleive 46 tree wizzards trying to under-bid each other . Got enough to organize a UNION .:hmm3grin2orange:



Sounds like Atlanta. I've been seeing bids so low for hazardous trees it is like they were being dropped into an open field.

Recently had a client call me to let me know he found a lower price that was less than half mine and I bid jobs tight as possible my friend.

Good luck down there.


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## OLD CHIPMONK (Nov 20, 2007)

They can't keep the low prices rolling forever. I can remember back in 1963 or 64 getting 500 to 700 for a medium size dead ELM up in western N.Y. The new guys always hurt themselves by low-bidding. I believe tighter restrictions on tree insurance policies ( verifiable experience 4-5 yrs. ) . W.C. is tough down here . Dump sites harder to find. :monkey:


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## ropensaddle (Nov 21, 2007)

OLD CHIPMONK said:


> Hey ! $10,000 a day plus lunch on me. If you will show up on time, bring you're own climbing gear & saw . Then work a standard 8 hr. day, without wanting to go home early. Being able to keep a crew working & doing no damage to the customers property. Pass a drug screen , criminal background check & credit screening . Present a valid Ga. drivers license & pass a motor vehicle background check. Pass a rigorous physical exam including eye & hearing . Also be able to sell jobs & yourself to our consumers at the highest market rates ! As climber-crew leader, you must have a comprehensive knowledge all facets of tree care. At least 10 yrs. , verifiable experience , starting as ground-man , climber , bucket operator & an ability to work with cranes. The knowledge to repair minor equipment issues ( visible broken wires,replace fuses, light bulbs , etc.). Pour your heart & soul into our company. A strong desire to succeed & grow with us. All this while working & accepting a weekly paycheck ( with all the standard deductions ). Our company affords workers comp. coverage , paid sick days ( 6 per yr. ), 4 weeks paid vacation ( during the 1st. yr.) 401K retirement plan,company profit sharing, 12 wks. paid maternity leave ( women only ) , company stock options & co-pay additional coverages ( eye & dental ). Yes, you are afforded unemployment coverage. Also all OSHA training & PPE is provided. Furthering educational benefits are encouraged & monetary aid programs are available. If you feel you are ready , come & join us. We are all looking for this & maybe, someday, possibly , we will all find this " Pot of Gold , at the end of the rainbow. GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU JOB SEEKERS !!!!!!:deadhorse:   :hmm3grin2orange:


For that my friend I will supply bucket and grapple and smile coming
to work and frown leaving the job!


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## Aaction (Nov 21, 2007)

In Sydney Australia climbers get $25 to $35 ph plus benefits as employees. Contract climbers with their own gear and insurance $300 to $500 per day.

Line clearance workers usually get much less.

Groundies with experience and truck drivers licence are worth nearly as much.


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## Themadd1 (Nov 21, 2007)

The cost of living is higher in Australia than in the US isn't it? I like to base my employees wages above cost of living. I remember what it was like trying to pay all the bills and still save some money to buy a house. If my employees respect me I respect them, and if they dont lie to me I keep them on. 

Respect, quality, timeliness, and being responsible are my key job requirements. It seems to work for us here in the big O-Hi-O....


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## beastmaster (Nov 22, 2007)

southern calif. 20+ years exp. crew leader, CDL, cert. arborist, most of my own equipment. Just got a dollar raise.17.00 an hour plus some cash incentives and I work for a really good company.


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## Themadd1 (Nov 23, 2007)

Sounds like you need to move. I cant imagine that S Cali is cheap to live. Around here I would get you in with your experience at a minimum $20.00. Although, everyone has to prove themselves on the jobsite first. I usually pay a good rate for the first day. If you impress me your rate goes up, if you are one of the many that have come through the door looking for work. One of two things happen.

You forgot your climbing equipment, borrowed mine, couldnt get up the tree. So I kick you to the curb. Usually these are the drunks..

Or you bring your equipment from 1974, borrow my climbing line, because I wont let you put your old hemp line in my customer's tree. You go to town get the work done well, I am impressed. I hire you and within two weeks you stop showing up to work, get drunk, and I fire you.

Sometimes, just sometimes, I get a climber who is awesome. Bring your own equipment, ask me which tree, what to do with it, and in the half the time you have the tree pruned and ask me which tree next. I have hired people on the spot like this and get really psyched. 

Move out of your area if you are good. The money is out there in this business. Look for a medium sized tree company, not the big boys or fly by night guys. That way you know your going to get paid, have opportunity for advancement/ownership, and work all aspects of the business.


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## hornett22 (Nov 23, 2007)

*around here.............*

if you have no equipment,no transportation,you're on drugs and/or are a drunk,you can make some serious money.

if you do not fit the discription above,no one will talk to you.


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## DonnyO (Nov 23, 2007)

hornett22 said:


> if you have no equipment,no transportation,you're on drugs and/or are a drunk,you can make some serious money.
> 
> if you do not fit the discription above,no one will talk to you.



it must be a sad little world you live in.........maybe attitude has someting to do with it??


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## hornett22 (Nov 24, 2007)

*i have a great attitude.*

and i work my ass off!


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## DonnyO (Nov 24, 2007)

hornett22 said:


> and i work my ass off!




I dunno, all of your posts seem to have a negative vibe.........


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## hornett22 (Nov 24, 2007)

*well,i suppose i see where you are coming from.*

i get annoyed sometimes.especially when i listen to employers constantly complain they can't find good workers but all they do is hire losers to save money.

i just like to vent.i'm actually pretty optimistic and positive.just not always here.

this i why i never had employees and i am always on the job.sometimes i think it would be nice to work for someone else but i'm sure it has it's cons as well.

thanks,for listening :hmm3grin2orange:


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## hornett22 (Nov 24, 2007)

*i'll elaborate.*

i hang out in the evenings at my buddies Mobil station.he and his father and i work together often doing tree work.great guys,some of the best. i prefer to work with them over anyone else.

many other tree guys we know come in and hang out and shoot the breeze.this is where i here all the complaining.they choose to hire guys that don't even have their own car or drivers license.then they wonder why they don't get decent workers.

i worked for one guy for a week on a big job.he meets us in the AM and sees whats going on,tells everyone what to do and leaves.literally as soon as he is driving away,the work stops and the weed comes out.i just sit and watch in amazement.the rest of the day i'm around people who are stoned out of their minds.i was not happy and i kept my distance.one guy i watched cut a stalk most of t he way through then he couldn't push it buy hand so he pulled the boom of the new bucket rtruck back and slammed it into the stalk a couple of times trying to knock off the chunk he cut.i asked myself why he didn't just finish the cut but then realized i was sober.

seems like paying a couple of experienced sober guys with some sense of reponsibility would be cheaper in the long run than a bunch of druggies that don't care about anything but themselves.

didn't mean to hijack the thread but i wanted to explain my mindset sometimes.


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## ropensaddle (Nov 24, 2007)

hornett22 said:


> i hang out in the evenings at my buddies Mobil station.he and his father and i work together often doing tree work.great guys,some of the best. i prefer to work with them over anyone else.
> 
> many other tree guys we know come in and hang out and shoot the breeze.this is where i here all the complaining.they choose to hire guys that don't even have their own car or drivers license.then they wonder why they don't get decent workers.
> 
> ...


Get a video of that chit call it cheach & chong
tree service and put on Americas funniest video!


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## hornett22 (Nov 24, 2007)

*the sad part is...............*

it's not the only one around here.someone is going to get seriously hurt or killed.drugs and alcohol have no place in our business.

two of his guys decided (in a drug induced haze i'm sure) that they were going out on their own.they called me today asking if i had any saws for sale with a 20" or larger bar so they could get a stalk down.i quoted them a price and they decided to save their money for later and went to rent one at HD.what scares me the most is someone actually hired them.


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## tree md (Nov 24, 2007)

I got an older guy that works the ground for me and put us on to a job earlier this year. We took down one tree for this elderly couple then they called us back out again to take down two more Elms for them. The ground guy I mentioned had been working for another guy who did some tree work for the couple before they ever called us. My ground hand said he was up on the patio talking to the HO when the climber and other ground man sat down on a log in the back lot and fired up a joint. My ground guy said the older gentleman said he would never have these clowns back to work at his house. There are some real dandies out there, I'm telling you boys!


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## treeman82 (Nov 25, 2007)

OLD CHIPMONK said:


> They can't keep the low prices rolling forever. I can remember back in 1963 or 64 getting 500 to 700 for a medium size dead ELM up in western N.Y. The new guys always hurt themselves by low-bidding. I believe tighter restrictions on tree insurance policies ( verifiable experience 4-5 yrs. ) . W.C. is tough down here . Dump sites harder to find. :monkey:



Most of the "tree companies" that I know around here don't have tree insurance. Either they can't get it, or they can't afford it. They get landscaper policies and call themselves a tree company. We're talking little guys though... the big guys play by the rules as far as I know. I know that when I went to get my insurance, I had to come up with a work history so that they could see I had experience, I had to provide them with a bunch of forms, and also an employee handbook.

As far as climbers go... I don't know what they pay for regular guys... I think about $20 per hour? if that. I know that when I go and work for other companies I don't walk away with less than $200 per day... and have gone up to $400 / $500 per day before.


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## Ed Roland (Nov 25, 2007)

treesquirrel said:


> I know a guy like that!
> 
> Unfortunately he was crucified over 2000 years ago! I keep waiting for his return.


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## beowulf343 (Nov 25, 2007)

Industry said:


> I was making 11.50 as the foreman of a line clearance climbing crew.



Wow, that's scary. Groundies on row crews were making that 10 years ago around here.


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## DLCRL (Jan 3, 2015)

I'm in Minnesota, I've 23 years experience. I do some of my own jobs, but 85% of my income comes from being an insured off the books subcontractor. I earn no less than $250 to leave the house and have earned as much as $1800 in a day. If you're reliable, proficient & efficient the sky is the limit, especially considering how many unreliable individuals there are. Companies tell me I'm the only one they pay 20% of the gross but I'm worth it. If particularly difficult job comes along companies who have in house climbers still have me do those jobs.


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## DLCRL (Jan 4, 2015)

treesquirrel said:


> Yep, in Atlanta metro area about 250 per day for a decent climber.
> 
> But there are those hazardous jobs where a good climber will top 500 per day if he's fast.


Obama not a black stereotype... Still lives in government housing LOL


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## mike515 (Jan 4, 2015)

I don't even bother climbing for anyone else anymore. If you can't do the job, don't bid the work. 

But if I did decide to do a job for someone else....I'm not even interested in putting my boots on for less than $500 and I really wouldn't even be happy to work an 8 hr day for that. That being said....I'm not one of those drugged up unreliable guys. I can do anything you need to have done without someone having to babysit me. I have at least twice the experience of anyone around here who might ask me to climb for them. I have my own insurance and equipment. And we're not doing it your way...we're doing it my way or I'm not doing it at all.....nobody around here would have a problem with that because I trained half of those guys. I'm absolutely someone who you want to have working for you...even for $500/day but....I have my own thing going on and I'd rather watch football on Saturday than work for someone else.


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