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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Arboriculture

This qualification prepares you for trade-level work in arboriculture, the practical side of looking after trees in parks, streets, backyards and bushland.

Compare 7 providers
Illustration of a person working as arborist
How long it takes
2 years
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $2,190
Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $24,000
How you can study
On campus
Main job
Arborist
$72,800 (estimate) median pay, In demand
Taught by
7 providers
5 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Arboriculture asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • a genuine interest in trees and how they grow
  • a careful approach to safety at heights and below
  • good hand skills for using and maintaining chainsaws
  • an eye for detail when inspecting trees and branches

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Certificate III or Diploma?

The Diploma of Arboriculture is the higher level. This Certificate III prepares you for trade-level work, with activities like shaping and canopy management, tree health and remediation, and tree dismantling and removal.

See the course

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Arborist

    Arborists assess, prune and remove trees, keeping them healthy and safe around the people, buildings and powerlines below them.

    What else you need

    Complete trade-level arboriculture training and meet applicable tree-work rules and high-risk activity requirements; the award alone does not authorise every operation.

    Median pay$72,800 (estimate)

    In demand

If you study further

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $2,190

at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$24,000

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $2,190
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $24,000
    How long
    2 years

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 7 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

18 units: 9 that everyone takes and 9 you choose.

  • Identifying tree species
  • Pruning and canopy work
  • Felling trees safely
  • Tree inspection and risk
  • Chainsaw care and use
  • Ground rigging and ropes
See all 9 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for AHCARB213…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

It prepares you for trade-level work in arboriculture, looking after trees in parks, streets, backyards and bushland. You learn pruning, tree inspection, felling, rigging and chainsaw safety, with safety procedures throughout. The work involves high-risk operations at heights or supporting those above ground. It leads to roles such as climbing arborist, EWP arborist, crane specialist, environmental arborist and arborist works coordinator.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

There are no entry requirements for this qualification. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

How is it different from Diploma of Arboriculture?

The Diploma of Arboriculture is the higher level. This Certificate III prepares you for trade-level work, with activities like shaping and canopy management, tree health and remediation, and tree dismantling and removal.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.