You probably already know that the salary you offer will directly correlate with the type of prospective hires that you attract to your tree care business. An experienced individual is going to expect a certain tree worker salary that can earn them a fair living wage for their hard work.
But you might be wondering how much to pay for a tree trimmer salary.
What is that fair wage?
While there is no simple answer to that question (as there are many factors that come into play), we can help provide some guidelines that will help. We want to do what we can to help set you up for success in the recruiting and hiring process.
Our best piece of advice in determining how much to pay for any given tree worker role is to keep up with the going rate in your market. This is going to vary from market to market, which is why we can’t give a specific number. But you can easily do some research to find this information out.
We can’t emphasize enough that you should have a good understanding of the standard rates for the roles for which you’re hiring….then plan to go higher.
If you are truly looking to attract the best candidates, then you should be offering a tree worker salary that is higher than the market average.
It’s also important to understand that this number is not going to be stagnant so it’s something that you should keep up with over time. If you were hiring a tree worker a year ago, recognize that things have likely changed and you need to likely bump up your rate.
It’s important to keep track of how the market has evolved so that you’re continuing to maintain a business that expects the best (and is willing to pay for it).
As we mentioned, it’s typically the local market that sets salary averages, and that’s going to vary across the country. But there are obviously a few factors that can impact compensation.
For instance, a tree worker who already has several years of experience in the field will likely provide immediate value to your company compared to someone who is brand-new and will require training. This could be something that you are willing to compensate for and you might pay that experienced person more money to start.
Skills and experience are worth something and are likely why you’re offering a higher tree worker salary to begin with.
You want to attract the most qualified applicants.
That being said, we have also always emphasized the importance of hiring off of core values. While you might find someone who has a ton of experience, if they aren’t a good fit for your company culture, then it could still be a mistake. Experience should not trump core values.
In addition to the tree worker salary you also have to think about additional perks and benefits that are going to attract the best hires. Today’s workers are interested in more than just the salary.
At Joshua Tree Experts, our full-time positions include a wide range of additional perks and benefits including:
Medical
Dental
Vision
Paid holidays
Paid sick days
Paid vacation days
Safety incentives
Year-end bonuses
Retirement planning
These additional incentives can make a big difference in attracting the most qualified workers. When you pay a wage higher than the market average and you offer enticing benefits, you have all the right to set high expectations for your team members.
Another really important point that we want to make when talking about a tree worker salary is that many of your team members will be looking for ways that they can climb the career ladder…and ultimately earn more money.
That’s why we emphasize the importance of having a defined career ladder that details exactly what it will take to get to the next level. While a tree worker might start at an entry-level position (earning an entry-level wage), he or she likely doesn’t want to stay in that role forever. If they demonstrate willingness to learn, there should be a defined path for how they can work their way up to other roles.
At Joshua Tree Experts, we have already developed a career ladder that shows team members exactly what’s needed to rise to the next level and earn more money. If you are a Joshua Tree Experts franchise owner, we can help provide guidance on creating a career ladder of your own. We have that model for you.
We understand that a lot of this can be overwhelming….but you’re not on your own.
If you are a Joshua Tree Experts franchise owner, then we are here to help. We can help you to determine the optimal salary range for positions in your area. We can also assist in developing a career ladder that will show team members how they can continue to improve.
Hopefully this has given you some helpful insight on developing the optimal tree worker salary for your business so that you can begin to recruit the best possible team members.
Are you ready to grow a successful business from strong roots? Joshua Tree Experts has the proven systems and processes in place to help. Request a meeting and begin your journey today.