A tree care general manager runs one market like a company of its own: the sales arborists, the crews and the office in that yard. The GM sets prices, keeps sold work in step with crew capacity, and answers for the market's revenue, profit, safety record and customer ratings.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, landscaping and tree care companies · BLS, May 2025
As the General Manager for our Arborist / Tree Care department, you will play a crucial role in guiding the operations and growth of our tree care services. Your leadership and expertise will drive the team towards maintaining the highest standards of service and safety, directly contributing to our company's success and reputation in the home services industry.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Oversee all aspects of the Arborist / Tree Care department, including operations, staff, and resources.
Develop and implement strategies to improve productivity and efficiency within the department.
Monitor arborist teams to ensure quality service and adherence to safety guidelines.
Liaise with clients to understand their needs and ensure their satisfaction with our services.
Coordinate with other departments to ensure seamless operations and service delivery.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Supervise daily operations of the arborist teams.
Conduct regular team meetings for updates and problem-solving.
Review and resolve customer complaints and queries.
Monitor financial expenditures and budgeting of the department.
Establish and maintain relationships with clients and stakeholders.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars
Operational Efficiency: >85%
Safety Compliance: 100%
Employee Retention Rate: >90%
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Arboriculture, or related field.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in a management role in the tree care or related industry.
Excellent leadership and team management skills.
Strong communication and customer relationship skills.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and other management software.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the home services industry.
ISA Certified Arborist or similar certification is a plus.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
Comfortable working in outdoor environments with varying weather conditions.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
Occasional weekend work may be required during peak seasons.
Minimal travel expected for client meetings and site visits.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $80,000 - $100,000 annually, depending on experience.
Performance-based bonuses.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance.
401k retirement plan.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we believe in fostering an environment that encourages growth, collaboration, and success. We are known for our commitment to customer satisfaction and quality. As part of our team, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to a thriving business while also enhancing your own professional skills and career trajectory.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
Each market has its own licenses, tree permits, prices and storm patterns. A good GM knows the local rules as well as the local trees.
Some states license the company
New Jersey requires every business offering tree care for hire to register with its Board of Tree Experts, carry liability and workers' comp coverage, and show its registration number on each service vehicle. Each branch also needs a licensed tree expert or licensed tree care operator. If that person leaves, the yard is out of line, so the GM keeps a second employee working toward the license. Since January 2026, board inspectors can take violators to court. Source: New Jersey Board of Tree Experts: Regulatory bulletin, notice of new enforcement framework (April 2026).
Big trees can need a city permit
Some cities protect large trees. In Austin, Texas, a permit is needed to remove a tree whose trunk is 19 inches or wider at 4.5 feet above ground. Removing a heritage tree, 24 inches or more on listed species such as all oaks and pecans, is barred unless the city grants a variance, and heritage trees 30 inches and up go through a public process. Taking off more than a quarter of a protected tree's canopy also needs a permit. Sales arborists check before they sell the job. Source: City of Austin: Tree reviews and permitting.
Tree work is often sold weeks before a crew arrives. The GM watches signed work counted in crew days. Too little and crews sit idle; too much and spring pruning customers wait months for work they bought in winter. When the backlog keeps growing, the GM raises prices or adds a crew before adding another sales arborist.
How much tree care general managers make
The closest BLS group for tree care general managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $89,990 a year ($43.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 34,230 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for landscaping and tree care companies.
Per the template, the GM earns a salary and performance bonuses. Pay it on the market's profit and its safety record together, so deep discounts or rushed crews don't pay off.
Landscaping and tree care companies
$89,990$89,990 median Middle half $62,400–$123,080 10th–90th $46,520–$164,110
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Landscaping and tree care companies
$46,520
$62,400
$89,990
$123,080
$164,110
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
BLS doesn’t publish pay for tree care companies on their own. These figures cover landscaping services, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has owned the results of a tree care or landscaping branch, sales included
Reads a tree job estimate and can tell if the hours and machines make sense
Coaches sales arborists to price for margin instead of discounting
Knows, or learns fast, the licensing and permit rules in the market
Calms a customer upset about a rutted lawn or a damaged roof
Teach these on the job
Your estimating and customer software
Storm pricing and approval rules
City permit and right-of-way steps in your market
ISA certification, which the template prefers
Your budget and monthly report format
The GM works from the tree care CRM and estimating system, the crew calendar and a monthly profit and loss for the market. Say in the ad whether the sales arborists report to the GM or to a sales manager.
Tree care general manager interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Skipped briefings
Your top-producing crew leader skips job briefings. What do you do?
A strong answer: Treats it as non-negotiable: a direct conversation, documentation, checks on future jobs and consequences if it continues.
Behavioral · Damage complaints
Tell me about a time a crew damaged a customer's property, such as a roof, fence or lawn.
A strong answer: Visited quickly, owned it, documented it, arranged a fair repair or claim, and changed the crew practice that caused it.
Pull each of these for the GM's market alone, so the result reflects the decisions the GM made.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
The market's ratings and comments each month, read by service line. Call every customer who rated low, and log what was fixed.
Operational Efficiency
How many of the month's jobs finished within the crew hours and machines the estimate called for, from job costing. When one sales arborist's jobs keep running long, fix the estimating, not the crew.
Safety Compliance
Spot checks the GM makes in person each month: gear worn, drop zone marked, briefing held. Track near misses reported too, since a market that reports none is usually not reporting them.
Employee Retention Rate
Crew members, sales arborists and office staff who reach their one-year mark, with exit reasons for the rest. Read climbers and crew leaders on their own line.
Career path
Sales arboristSells pruning, removals and plant health care.
Should a tree care general manager be an ISA Certified Arborist?
The template prefers it but doesn't require it. A GM who holds it can back up a sales arborist's diagnosis with a customer or a city reviewer, and can tell when a quote misses a risk. A GM from landscaping or another trade can earn it later. Pair them with a certified lead arborist in the meantime.
How much does a tree care general manager make?
General and operations managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $89,990 a year ($43.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $62,400 and $123,080 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How should a GM job ad describe physical work?
Keep the template's lifting and weather lines, and name the GM tasks behind them: walking properties with customers on wet or uneven ground, checking crews on job sites in July heat and January cold, and now and then moving gear as heavy as the 50 pounds the template names. EEOC guidance allows a job ad to state a physical requirement, such as lifting a set weight, and to ask applicants whether they can meet it. Questions about a disability must wait until after an offer.
Should the tree care GM run sales too?
Usually, yes. Prices, the backlog and crew capacity are tied together in tree work, and splitting them between two bosses invites trouble. With the sales arborists reporting to the GM, one person decides when to raise prices, slow selling or add a crew. Consider paying sales arborists on completed work rather than signed work, so the backlog doesn't swell with jobs the crews can't reach.
Is winter a slow season for a tree care GM?
Not always. Where winters are cold, leaves are off and the ground may be frozen, which suits removals and dormant pruning, and frozen lawns rut less under heavy machines. The GM sells that work in late fall, plans training and equipment repairs for the slowest weeks, and builds next year's budget and price list before spring calls start.
