A commercial electrical chief executive officer decides which general contractors, owners and markets the company works for, and whether it runs union or open shop. The CEO approves the largest bids, hires the senior team, and guards the bonding that sets how big a job the company can take.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
Provides visionary leadership and strategic oversight for the company while ensuring profitability and sustainable growth. Establishes a clear company direction and builds strong relationships with General Contractors (GCs) and key industry partners. Drives operational excellence and financial performance in alignment with the company’s mission.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Define and implement the company’s overall strategy and operational goals.
Develop and nurture strategic partnerships with General Contractors (GCs) and industry stakeholders.
Oversee financial performance, ensuring profitability and sustainable growth.
Lead and mentor senior management teams across all operational areas.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review daily operational performance and adjust strategies as needed.
Conduct regular meetings with department heads to monitor progress and address challenges.
Evaluate and approve major project bids, proposals, and contracts.
Engage with key customers and industry partners to foster business development and strategic alliances.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth: Achieve a minimum annual increase of 10%.
Gross Margin: Maintain a gross margin of at least 35%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Achieve a customer rating of >4.8 stars.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
At least 10 years of executive leadership experience in a commercial or technical industry.
Demonstrated financial acumen with extensive experience in budgeting and strategic planning.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Proven track record in the commercial electrical or related technical industry.
Previous leadership experience with measurable achievements in profitability improvement.
Experience in building and sustaining robust relationships with contractors and industry partners.
Familiarity with industry-specific regulatory and safety guidelines.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally.
Work primarily in an office setting with a standard work environment.
May require periodic visits to project sites, including exposure to varying weather conditions.
Use of personal protective equipment when visiting construction or electrical sites.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Full-time position with typical office hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional travel to project sites and industry networking events.
On-call responsibilities during critical operational periods.
Hybrid work environment that combines in-person engagements with remote work options.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $150,000 - $250,000 USD annually.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses aligned with company profitability goals.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
401k plan with competitive company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a dynamic, growth-oriented company with a collaborative environment that fosters innovation and career development.
Our team values integrity, excellence, and a commitment to delivering outstanding service.
We emphasize professional growth and offer continuous training and development opportunities.
Join us and be part of a forward-thinking organization that rewards dedication and empowers leaders.
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
Most of this company's work comes through general contractors who ask several electrical subcontractors to price each building. The CEO decides how the company competes for that work, who does it, and where the company grows next.
Union or open shop is a CEO decision
Section 8(f) of the National Labor Relations Act is a construction-only rule. A contractor may sign a union agreement before the union has majority support among its workers. For a commercial electrical company that usually means an IBEW agreement, with wage and benefit rates set for its term and electricians often referred by the local. Open shop keeps pay decisions in-house, but every hire and every apprentice is yours to find. The choice sets your labor cost and which jobs you can win. Source: National Labor Relations Board: National Labor Relations Act, Section 8(f).
Getting in before the bid
Some owners and general contractors bring one electrical contractor in before the drawings are finished. This is called design-assist or negotiated work. The company helps choose the service size, gear and lighting, prices them as the design firms up, and often builds the job. Winning that seat takes trust and estimators who can price an unfinished design. The CEO decides how much work should come this way rather than from open bids, and which owners to court for it.
Crossing a state line starts with a license
Every state writes its own licensing law. In Mississippi, for example, every contractor and subcontractor on a commercial job over 50,000 dollars needs a commercial license from the State Board of Contractors. To apply, you send a financial statement reviewed by a CPA that shows a minimum net worth and proof of liability insurance. Every applicant takes the state's business and law exam. If you team up with a local firm, each firm in the joint venture, or the venture itself, needs a license before it bids. Source: Mississippi State Board of Contractors: Frequently asked questions.
Service work fills the gaps between buildings
New buildings come in waves, and a slow year can leave crews with nothing to do. A service department fills the gaps. It handles repairs, tenant changes, and lighting and generator upkeep for property managers and building owners. But it needs different people: electricians who work alone, a dispatcher, and someone who sells maintenance. The CEO decides whether to build that side, buy a company that has one, or stick to construction.
How much commercial electrical chief executive officers make
The closest BLS group for commercial electrical chief executive officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $172,410 a year ($82.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 630 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Some owners hold back part of the CEO's profit bonus until jobs close, so profit booked on work in progress isn't paid out before the job proves it.
Electrical contractors
$172,410$172,410 median Middle half $118,510–$266,910 10th–90th $90,720–$403,030
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Electrical contractors
$90,720
$118,510
$172,410
$266,910
$403,030
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS reports residential and commercial electrical contractors together. 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 an electrical, mechanical or other specialty subcontractor
Can name the general contractors in your area that pay on time and run their sites well
Has negotiated subcontract terms on indemnity, delays and retainage
Can question the labor hours in a large bid before it goes out
Has kept a field workforce together through a slow construction year
Teach these on the job
Your union agreement or open-shop pay plan
Your bid history with each general contractor
Your bonding capacity and how your surety reads your numbers
Your database of labor units for estimating
Which states and cities you're licensed in today
Bids here are built in electrical estimating software such as Trimble Accubid or McCormick, and job costs sit in construction accounting such as Foundation or Viewpoint Vista. The CEO doesn't run either, but signs off on bid recaps from one and reads the work-in-progress schedule from the other every month.
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 · Bid approval
Estimating wants to submit a very low number on a large hospital project to break into healthcare work. What do you decide?
A strong answer: Weighs the strategic value against the risk of losing money, checks whether the team has the experience and capacity, and only approves a number that doesn't bet the company.
Behavioral · Replacing a senior leader
Tell me about a time you replaced a project manager or division leader whose jobs kept losing margin between bid and closeout.
A strong answer: Shows the WIP and profit fade data they used, the coaching and warning given, how they protected jobs in progress and contractor relationships during the change, and who took over.
A couple of large jobs can swing a year's numbers at a contractor this size. Set each target from several years of closed work rather than the template's figures, and judge the CEO on the trend.
Revenue Growth
Look at revenue against last year and, beside it, field labor hours sold. Copper wire and switchgear prices can lift revenue with no more work behind it, so the hours show real growth.
Gross Margin
Read it two ways each quarter: on closed jobs and on open jobs in the work-in-progress schedule. Flag jobs where the owner bought the switchgear or fixtures directly, since less material runs through your price and the margin reads differently.
Project Completion
Weight it by contract value, so one late school counts for more than three late tenant suites. Then show the owners or board the trend by year, since a single troubled job can hide an otherwise steady record.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
One company-wide number each quarter for the owners or board. Blend general contractors' closeout scores with service customers' ratings, and show each one on its own line too.
Should a commercial electrical CEO come from a union shop or an open shop?
Hire for the model you run or plan to run. A CEO from a union contractor knows the agreement, the referral hall and the benefit funds, and how to win work where union labor is expected. One from an open-shop contractor knows recruiting, apprenticeship sponsorship and pay plans the company sets on its own. If you might switch, ask finalists how they would handle pension costs and the electricians who may not follow.
How much does a commercial electrical chief executive officer make?
Chief executives who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $172,410 a year ($82.89 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $118,510 and $266,910 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Which bids and contracts should reach the CEO?
Set the rules in writing before bid day. Common ones: a bid big enough to strain your bonding, a first job for a new general contractor, or a schedule that needs more electricians than you have. So are terms that hold your pay until the owner has paid the general contractor, or that leave delay damages with no cap. Everything else stays with the chief estimator and the general manager, so bid day doesn't wait on the CEO.
Can a commercial electrical CEO work partly from home?
The template allows it. Much of the CEO's work, like reviewing financials, approving bids and calling lenders, can happen anywhere. But general contractors and owners still expect to see the CEO at early planning meetings and on big jobs. Site visits and industry events stay on the calendar too. Agree on a weekly pattern so managers know when they can bring decisions in person.
Who keeps the general contractor relationships if the CEO leaves?
Strong ties with general contractors are part of the template, and they become a risk if they live with one person. Pair every key account with a project manager and an estimator who also know that general contractor's people, and bring them to the meetings that matter. Bid invitations then keep coming after the CEO retires or moves on.
