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AI exposure Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance

Will AI replace tree trimmers and pruners?

Tree Trimmers and Pruners. US occupation 37-3013.

0.0%

of the time tree trimmers and pruners spend on their work goes on tasks where AI is already being used to do that work.of tree trimmers and pruners' working hours go on tasks AI has already started taking off their plate.

Ranked 346 of 756 US occupations. No AI use seen in the work yet, along with 410 other occupations.No handover started yet, along with 410 other occupations.

Average US job 7.7%

Among the least exposed jobs there are.Still waiting for liberation.

What AI already does for tree trimmers and prunersWhat tree trimmers and pruners no longer do alone

O*NET lists 24 tasks for tree trimmers and pruners. None of them shows meaningful AI use at work yet.

What it does not touch, yetWhat still needs a human

24 of the 24 tasks show no AI use at work in the data.

  • Cable, brace, tie, bolt, stake, and guy trees and branches to provide support.Core task
  • Clean, sharpen, and lubricate tools and equipment.Core task
  • Clear sites, streets, and grounds of woody and herbaceous materials, such as tree stumps and fallen trees and limbs.Core task
  • Climb trees, using climbing hooks and belts, or climb ladders to gain access to work areas.Core task
  • Collect debris and refuse from tree trimming and removal operations into piles, using shovels, rakes, or other tools.Core task
  • Cut away dead and excess branches from trees, or clear branches around power lines, using climbing equipment or buckets of extended truck booms, or chainsaws, hooks, handsaws, shears, and clippers.Core task
Show the other 18
  • Hoist tools and equipment to tree trimmers, and lower branches with ropes or block and tackle.Core task
  • Inspect trees to determine if they have diseases or pest problems.Core task
  • Load debris and refuse onto trucks and haul it away for disposal.Core task
  • Operate boom trucks, loaders, stump chippers, brush chippers, tractors, power saws, trucks, sprayers, and other equipment and tools.Core task
  • Operate shredding and chipping equipment, and feed limbs and brush into the machines.Core task
  • Provide information to the public regarding trees, such as advice on tree care.Core task
  • Supervise others engaged in tree trimming work and train lower-level employees.Core task
  • Trim jagged stumps, using saws or pruning shears.Core task
  • Trim, top, and reshape trees to achieve attractive shapes or to remove low-hanging branches.Core task
  • Apply tar or other protective substances to cut surfaces or seal surfaces and to protect them from fungi and insects.
  • Plan and develop budgets for tree work, and estimate the monetary value of trees.
  • Prune, cut down, fertilize, and spray trees as directed by tree surgeons.
  • Remove broken limbs from wires, using hooked extension poles.
  • Scrape decayed matter from cavities in trees and fill holes with cement to promote healing and to prevent further deterioration.
  • Split logs or wooden blocks into bolts, pickets, posts, or stakes, using hand tools such as ax wedges, sledgehammers, and mallets.
  • Spray trees to treat diseased or unhealthy trees, including mixing chemicals and calibrating spray equipment.
  • Transplant and remove trees and shrubs, and prepare trees for moving.
  • Water, root-feed, and fertilize trees.

How that compares

Among the 8 building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations, tree trimmers and pruners rank 8. The group averages 2.5%, and its most exposed job is First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping Workers at 10.8%. The average US occupation sits at 7.7%.

All 756 occupations, ranked

Level with 0.0%

  1. 346Transit and Railroad Police 0.0%
  2. 346Transportation Inspectors 0.0%
  3. 346Transportation Security Screeners 0.0%

What this does and does not mean

Exposure is observed use, not a forecast. Anthropic maps work conversations with Claude onto the tasks O*NET lists for each job and asks, of the tasks AI could speed up, which are actually being used for at work. A use that does the task outright counts in full and a use that assists a person counts half. The task scores are averaged into the occupation figure by the share of time spent on each task.

A high figure means AI is already part of how this work gets done. It does not mean anyone has been replaced. Anthropic's own reading of the labour market finds no systematic rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting exposed jobs.No measurable rise in unemployment among exposed workers so far, and about 14% fewer 22 to 25 year olds starting these jobs. Gap years for everyone. Labor market impacts, 5 March 2026.

Task list and titles from O*NET 31.0 by the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. Scores from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Checked 1 November 2026. How the ranking works.