An electrical chief operating officer sets the way work gets done on service calls, remodels, new homes and generator jobs. The COO writes the safety and quality rules, plans crews so apprentices get the oversight the state asks for, and leads the field managers.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
Serve as a strategic leader responsible for directing daily operations and improving process efficiency in the electrical home services sector. Oversee project execution and operational effectiveness to ensure high-quality service delivery. Drive continuous improvement efforts and align operational goals with the company’s overall growth strategy. Act as a key liaison between business units to promote cross-functional collaboration.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Direct overall operations and supervise the electrical service delivery process.
Refine and implement operational processes to boost efficiency and productivity.
Develop and execute strategic plans that support long-term business objectives.
Collaborate with senior management to identify and mitigate operational risks.
Ensure compliance with industry standards, safety regulations, and company policies.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Oversee the scheduling, resource allocation, and performance tracking of service teams.
Monitor and analyze key operational metrics to identify process improvements.
Conduct daily briefings with department leads to address operational challenges.
Engage in customer interactions to understand service quality and address concerns.
Implement best practices and operational protocols across all electrical service projects.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Process Efficiency Improvement: Achieve a minimum of 95% operational efficiency.
On-Time Service Delivery: Maintain a service completion rate of 98% within scheduled timelines.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Exceed a rating of 4.8 stars consistently.
Cost Reduction: Decrease operational costs by at least 10% year-over-year.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 10 years of experience in operations management, preferably within the electrical services industry.
Strong analytical skills with proven ability to optimize processes and drive continuous improvement.
Excellent leadership, communication, and decision-making skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in a senior management role within the home services or electrical industry.
Proven track record of streamlining operations and achieving measurable efficiency gains.
Familiarity with modern operational software and process automation tools.
Demonstrated success in managing cross-functional teams and large-scale projects.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally visit job sites and oversee field operations.
Capability to navigate diverse environments including office settings and service locations.
Comfortable with moderate physical activity such as walking and standing during site visits.
Adherence to safety protocols and guidelines while on site.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours with some flexibility for evening or weekend site visits as needed.
Minimal travel required for vendor meetings or multi-location oversight.
Occasional on-call duties during critical service events or emergencies.
Collaborative team environment with a focus on proactive communication.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive annual salary in the range of $150,000 – $250,000 USD, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure to reward operational excellence.
Comprehensive health benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Participation in a 401(k) retirement savings plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of innovation, integrity, and continuous growth.
Our team is driven by a passion for excellence in service and a commitment to our community.
We value collaboration, transparency, and the professional development of every employee.
We are dedicated to building a supportive work environment that empowers our team members to achieve their full potential.
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].
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A COO in any industry turns plans into routines. At an electrical contractor, live circuits, license rules for each person on a crew, and codes that change from place to place decide how that work is set up.
Dead circuits come first
NIOSH found that more electricians died of electrocution from 2011 to 2015 than workers in any other construction job. Its safety steps include lockout and tagout, so circuits are dead before work begins. They also point to OSHA's construction electrical rules and NFPA 70E. The COO writes the company's rules for lockout, testing and safety gear, trains every crew, and checks job sites to see the rules are used. Source: NIOSH Science Bulletin (2019): Preventing electrocution of construction contract workers.
Each crew needs the right license mix
State rules can cap how many trainees one electrician may watch over. In Washington, a journeyman or master doing general electrical work may supervise only one trainee on a job site, apart from some school programs. That electrician has to stay on the site for at least three quarters of each work day. The COO plans crews around rules like these, so one sick day doesn't leave an apprentice working alone. Source: Washington State Legislature: RCW 19.28.161, electrical training certificates and supervision.
New code editions mean retraining
Texas switched to the 2026 National Electrical Code on September 1, 2026, for all non-exempt electrical work in the state. Cities may amend the state code, TDLR says, as long as their changes are at least as strict as the NEC. So a crew that wires homes in three towns may face three sets of local rules. The COO tracks which edition and local changes apply where, and trains electricians before each switch. Source: TDLR, The Texas Circuit (July 2026): 2026 NEC adopted for Texas.
License renewals need one owner
In Texas, licensed electricians need four hours of classes before each license renewal. The hours cover the electrical code, NFPA 70E safety, and the state's electrician law and rules. Rules elsewhere differ. The COO keeps one list of every license, class and expiration date, and books classes early, so no one is pulled off a job because a license ran out. Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Electricians continuing education.
How much electrical chief operating officers make
The closest BLS group for electrical chief operating 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.
Usually salaried. The yearly bonus tracks profit and field numbers like on-time jobs, inspection pass rates and safety.
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 run field crews for an electrical or other licensed trade contractor
Writes safety and job procedures, then checks that crews follow them
Plans crews weeks out from backlog and builder start dates
Leads supervisors and managers through problems without taking over
Turns job cost, labor and rework numbers into changes on the job
Teach these on the job
Your state's license classes and supervision rules
Each city's permit and inspection steps
The scheduling and field service tools you use
Your builders' schedules and ordering portals
Install manuals for the generators and EV chargers you sell
The COO's toolkit is usually a service platform like Housecall Pro or ServiceTitan, a separate board for builder schedules, and a license and training tracker, even if that's a spreadsheet today. In interviews, say which of these exist and which the COO would build.
The template's targets mean little until you define each measure and record a starting month. After that, share results with the managers weekly and the CEO monthly.
Process Efficiency Improvement
Define efficiency first, for example billable hours against paid field hours, then track it weekly by crew and department. Rework, drive time and waiting on materials are the usual leaks.
On-Time Service Delivery
Count the jobs completed on their scheduled day or builder date, divided by every job on that week's schedule. Track builder phases and homeowner jobs apart, since they slip for different reasons.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Survey scores and online ratings, sorted by crew and job type. Low scores on one kind of job, such as panel upgrades, often point to a gap in the process rather than one bad day.
Cost Reduction
Monthly operating costs from the profit and loss, compared with the matching months a year earlier and adjusted for job volume. Look at overtime, repeat trips, fuel and wasted material first.
The COO owns the systems the field and office run on: safety rules, crew plans, training, license records, scheduling and quality checks. The operations manager reports to the COO, and so does the general manager if you have one. The production and warehouse teams sit under them. The CEO's week fills up with bankers and partners. The COO's fills up with crews and supervisors.
How much does an electrical chief operating 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.
How is an electrical COO's job different from an operations manager's?
An operations manager runs this week: who goes where, which jobs are late, and what went wrong yesterday. The COO works on next year: how crews are built, what training each apprentice gets, which software runs the schedule, and how quality is checked. A strong operations manager can grow into the COO job once those systems exist.
Does an electrical COO need an electrician's license?
Not to do this job. The COO manages people and systems rather than doing electrical work. In Texas, for example, the company's license runs through its master electrician. Still, a COO who has held a license earns trust faster and can judge work on site. If yours hasn't, pair them closely with your master electrician and field supervisors.
What should a new electrical COO fix first?
Usually the problems that cause repeat trips: thin job notes, missing material lists and failed inspections. Start by reading a month of failed inspections and callbacks with the field supervisors. The patterns point to a training gap or a step crews skip, and fixing them frees up crew days quickly.
What should an electrical COO job ad include?
Say which departments sit under the COO and who leads each one, how many electricians and apprentices you have, and how your work divides among builders, remodels and service calls. List the states and cities you work in, since license and code rules come with them. Name the problem you're hiring them to fix, such as missed builder dates or failed inspections.
