Pros
Excellent Training, most offices have loaner study materials and they'll pay test fees for certifications. Certifications also trigger automatic increases to your hourly pay, however becoming a certified arborist/pesticide applicator/commercial driver does shift more liability and responsibility onto you when something goes wrong. Lots of work, mostly: During the spring and summer there's plenty of hours. If you want to work, 8 out of 10 times there's going to be work. During the winter, it'll depend on the weather. Seasonality is part of the industry. Safety: Mostly good. On a corporate level it's very good. They bring in experts, pay for training, and emphasize it often. On a practical level, it's pretty variable depending on the office, manager, and rep. It's a dangerous industry and sometimes a rep will sell a job that's inherently risky and you just have to get it done, safe or not. Good money: If you're in a good office, with a good territory, and a competent rep. OR if you're a rep and you're in a wealthy area, with a good territory, and a good manager that supports you in getting a good crew. AND you're willing to put in some long hours.
Cons
Upward Mobility: Highly variable depending on your office. Not much structure or organization. Some divisions are better than other. Better if you're willing to relocate. Poor work-life balance, especially during the busy spring/summer season. Expectation is 50hrs minimum usually more like 60hrs. Again varies depending on office and rep. Unneeded Tree Work: Varies depending on your rep, but sometimes you're going to do something that wasn't needed. Either the customer wanted it done and the rep was happy to make a sale or, and this is what really bothered me, sometimes your rep needs to make their numbers. They're going to send you out some little old lady's house and have you pump $2000 of fertilizer into a bunch of plants that really don't need it. The work you do is rarely true arboriculture. Equipment: Varies from office to office, but sometimes employees have to provide their own equipment. This practice is common for the industry, but personally, I think they should provide equipment. Sometimes you get jobs that are going to trash your equipment and externalizing that cost onto their employees kills morale. Pay trends on the lower side: Very hard to make ends meet without overtime. Pay raises are often hard to come by. The tree care industry really needs a union or some sort of workers advocacy group. High turnover: Its a hard job, some people don't hack it. But the vast majority of workers come in, get their certifications, and they leave to go make more money elsewhere. Comp Time: Little to no vacation time, no sick days.
