A demolition operations manager turns the week's signed jobs into daily plans: which crew, machine and haul truck goes where, and in what order. They check that dust controls, utility locates and load covers are in place, and fix whatever keeps a tear-out from finishing on time.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Oversee and drive demolition operations, ensuring efficient allocation of crews, equipment utilization, and timely tear-out scheduling to support overall project success. Act as a key decision-maker to monitor site conditions and maintain high safety and quality standards while contributing to the company's operational excellence.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Allocate and manage demolition crews across multiple job sites to ensure optimal use of manpower and resources.
Schedule tear-outs and coordinate with project managers to meet project deadlines and quality benchmarks.
Monitor site conditions to ensure compliance with safety standards and effective execution of demolition plans.
Oversee equipment deployment and maintenance to minimize downtime and maximize project efficiency.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily work plans and assign tasks to demolition crews based on project requirements and site conditions.
Conduct on-site inspections to assess progress, identify challenges, and implement corrective measures.
Communicate with project managers and stakeholders to update on scheduling, resource allocation, and progress.
Maintain accurate documentation and reports regarding crew performance, equipment usage, and project milestones.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
On-time project completion rate: ≥ 95%.
Equipment utilization efficiency: ≥ 90%.
Incident and rework rate: < 5%.
Customer satisfaction rating: > 4.8 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years' experience in operations or project management within demolition or related industries.
Strong leadership and team management skills.
Proficient in scheduling software and project management tools.
Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous management experience in demolition or heavy construction projects.
Familiarity with state and local regulations related to demolition and environmental safety.
Experience working with diverse teams in high-pressure environments.
Demonstrated history of successful project turnaround and resource optimization.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to stand and move around construction sites for extended periods.
Capability to lift up to 50 lbs as necessary.
Comfortable working in varying weather conditions and potentially confined spaces.
Willingness to undergo and maintain necessary safety and fitness assessments for fieldwork.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: 8 AM – 5 PM with occasional evening meetings or on-site late shifts.
Regular travel between project sites and the company office.
On-call duties may be required during critical project phases or emergencies.
Fast-paced, dynamic work environment requiring adaptability and effective time management.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $75,000 - $95,000 USD per year, depending on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonus structure available.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance benefits.
401(k) plan with company match.
Additional fringe benefits including paid time off and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
A progressive, inclusive company that values integrity, continuous improvement, and innovative problem solving.
We foster a team-oriented atmosphere where every employee is encouraged to contribute ideas and pursue growth opportunities.
Committed to high-quality service, we offer a supportive environment that empowers our employees to excel both professionally and personally.
Our culture underscores respect, diversity, and a passion for achieving excellence in every project.
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
The operations manager's board has three columns that must line up: crews, machines and trucks. Each day also brings dust, buried lines and loads that can't leave the site loose.
Breaking concrete has set dust controls
OSHA's silica rule lists controls for common tasks. A jackhammer gets water fed to the spot where the bit strikes, or a shroud and vacuum dust collector, plus a respirator indoors or after four hours a shift outdoors. A machine breaking concrete is run from an enclosed cab, with water or a dust suppressant applied when workers outside the cab are part of the task. The manager sends the hoses, water and collectors each job needs. Source: eCFR: Respirable crystalline silica in construction (29 CFR 1926.1153).
Footings come out only after a locate
Digging out footings, foundations and buried tanks is excavation. OSHA requires the likely location of sewer, phone, fuel, electric and water lines to be found and the utility owners asked to mark them before digging. If they can't respond within 24 hours, or a longer time a state or city sets, digging may go ahead only with care and detection equipment. The manager books the locate request when the job is signed, not the day the excavator arrives. Source: eCFR: Specific excavation requirements (29 CFR 1926.651).
Debris loads have to stay on the truck
Federal cargo rules say a commercial truck on public roads must be loaded and secured so nothing leaks, spills, blows or falls off. Loose drywall, insulation and dust in an open box can blow or drop onto the road. The manager makes covering part of every load and checks local rules that may add to it. Source: eCFR: Cargo securement, general requirements (49 CFR 393.100).
Pipes and tanks are checked before the cut
OSHA requires the employer to find out whether hazardous chemicals, gases, explosives or flammable materials were used in pipes, tanks or equipment on the property. If any are suspected, they're tested and purged before demolition starts. Old restaurants, shops and plants can hide fuel tanks and gas piping, so the manager won't release a torch crew until that check is signed off. Source: eCFR: Preparatory operations for demolition (29 CFR 1926.850).
Crews, machines and boxes share one board
A crew that arrives before its excavator, or a full roll-off box with no truck to swap it, loses hours. The manager books crews, machines, attachments and boxes on one schedule each afternoon, confirms the next day with each lead, and moves equipment that sat idle.
How much demolition operations managers make
The closest BLS group for demolition operations managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $102,680 a year ($49.36 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 26,090 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for other specialty trade contractors.
Salary plus the performance bonus in the template. Link that bonus to what the manager steers every day, such as machine use and rework, along with on-time finishes.
Other specialty trade contractors
$102,680$102,680 median Middle half $75,710–$147,200 10th–90th $51,310–$203,280
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
Other specialty trade contractors
$51,310
$75,710
$102,680
$147,200
$203,280
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
BLS doesn’t publish pay for demolition contractors on their own. These figures cover other specialty trade contractors, 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
Five or more years scheduling or managing demolition or heavy construction work
Builds a next-day plan for crews, machines and trucks that holds up in the morning
Knows which dust controls, locates and permits each type of job needs
Spots a slipping job on a site walk and fixes the cause that day
Talks plainly with project managers, leads and drivers
Teach these on the job
Your scheduling software and daily report app
Your company's silica exposure control plan
Your disposal sites, their hours and their ticket rules
How project managers hand a signed job to operations
Each client's site rules for occupied buildings
The manager runs the day from a scheduling board or app, machine telematics, the roll-off tracking sheet, and the leads' daily reports and photos. Ask finalists how they would rebuild tomorrow's plan when a truck breaks down at 3 p.m.
Demolition operations 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 · Equipment conflicts
Two jobs need your only mini excavator on the same day. How do you decide?
A strong answer: Compares deadlines and penalties, checks if a rental is available, looks at sequencing on each job, and tells both project managers the plan.
Behavioral · Turning around a crew
Tell me about a time you turned around a crew that kept falling behind.
A strong answer: Found the cause, made specific changes, and tracked the improvement.
Track these weekly by crew, machine and truck for a few months, then set targets from what your own jobs show.
On-time project completion rate
Tear-outs finished by the scheduled date, with each late job tagged: waiting on a locate, a machine, a truck, a client decision or a hidden hazard.
Equipment utilization efficiency
Hours each machine and truck spent working on jobs, divided by hours it was available, from telematics and driver records, with planned service left out.
Incident and rework rate
Injuries, near misses, property damage and work redone because something came down that should have stayed, counted per job and per crew.
Customer satisfaction rating
A short score from the project manager or client contact after each job, with comments on daily updates and how the site was left each night.
What does the template's fitness assessment line mean?
The template asks candidates to undergo and keep up safety and fitness assessments for fieldwork, and it ships as written. In the ad, list the work itself: long site walks, stairs in gutted buildings, lifting up to 50 pounds. Once someone is hired, EEOC says any medical exam you require must be job-related and consistent with business necessity. Exams that a federal law such as the OSH Act requires are allowed.
How much does a demolition operations manager make?
General and operations managers who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $102,680 a year ($49.36 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $75,710 and $147,200 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Should a demolition operations manager still run a machine?
Only in a pinch. A manager in an excavator seat can't see the other jobs, take a client's call or rebuild tomorrow's plan. Hiring someone who has run machines pays off, since they know what a breaker can do in a day, but keep their hands on the schedule.
How do I plan a strip-out in an occupied building?
Agree with the client before the start date on loud-work hours, dust barriers, elevator use and how debris leaves the building. The operations manager books crews for after-hours shifts when needed and times the haul for when the loading dock is free. Put the agreed rules in the job file so every lead works to them.
Who decides when a job stops for weather or a hazard?
The lead on site makes the call to stop. The operations manager decides what happens next: move the crew to another job, send a machine elsewhere, or hold everyone until a tester or engineer has been out. Write down a rule for wind on high-reach work and for rain on concrete removal, so leads don't have to guess.
