An electrical general manager runs the daily work at an electrical shop or one of its branches. The GM weighs builder dates against homeowner calls, settles complaints, and leads the field, sales and office managers. The GM also answers for the month's profit.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, electrical contractors · BLS, May 2025
The General Manager - Electrical is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing and driving the performance and profitability of our electrical services operations. This role plays a critical part in supervising multiple departments, setting performance benchmarks, and ensuring exceptional service delivery and customer satisfaction.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Lead and manage overall operations across the electrical services department to achieve profitability targets.
Track performance metrics and implement strategies to enhance operational efficiency.
Supervise multiple departments, ensuring adherence to company policies and quality standards.
Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and exceptional customer service.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor daily operational reports and financial performance indicators.
Conduct regular meetings with department heads to review progress and resolve issues.
Oversee scheduling, resource allocation, and project management across electrical service teams.
Engage with key clients to ensure satisfaction and address any emergent concerns.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth: Achieve monthly revenue increases of at least 5%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a rating above 4.8 stars.
Operational Efficiency: Ensure capacity efficiency improvement of 90% or above.
Profit Margin: Realize a net profit margin of at least 15% annually.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of management experience within a service-oriented industry.
Strong financial acumen with the ability to interpret and act on operational data.
Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in the home services or electrical industry.
Background in overseeing multi-department operations and large-scale projects.
Proven track record of implementing strategies to improve operational performance.
Familiarity with industry regulations and compliance standards.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to operate in a traditional office environment and visit field operations.
Capable of lifting light equipment (up to 25 lbs) when necessary.
Comfort in navigating various work environments including construction sites.
Sustained periods of standing, walking, and occasional manual tasks.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours with occasional extended hours during peak periods.
Regular travel between company headquarters and job sites within the local region.
On-call availability for emergency operational issues beyond normal hours.
Collaborative work environment with a focus on team-driven performance.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range: $90,000 - $120,000 USD, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure available.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance packages provided.
401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic work environment where innovation, collaboration, and continuous professional growth are at the forefront. Our commitment to customer satisfaction and operational excellence sets us apart in the home services industry. We believe in empowering our employees to take initiative, lead with passion, and contribute to a culture of success and accountability.
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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What makes running an electrical business different
Every general manager leads managers and answers for results. At an electrical contractor, builders, homeowners, the utility and the inspector all have a say in whether a day goes to plan.
The day starts with two boards
A builder's rough-in can't slip, because insulation and drywall crews are booked right behind it. A homeowner with a dead circuit wants someone this week. When both need the same journeyman, the GM makes the call. The GM also decides when to say no to another builder's houses so service customers aren't left waiting.
A panel upgrade needs three schedules to line up
A new panel depends on the utility and the inspector as much as on your crew. In Laguna Hills, California, the city won't issue the permit until the utility's work order is on file. The utility then tends to cut power in the morning and turn it back on that afternoon, if the panel passes the city inspector's check. The GM makes sure the office books all three and tells the homeowner the power will be out for the day. Source: City of Laguna Hills: Electrical meter panel upgrades, permitting guidelines.
Chargers and generators start at the panel
A home may not have enough electric capacity for a Level 2 charger, the Department of Energy warns, and local permits may apply. A standby generator is sized from the home's loads too. The GM sets the rule: every charger and generator quote starts with a load check by a qualified electrician. Then no one hears one price and learns on install day that they also need a bigger service. Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center: Charging plug-in electric vehicles at home.
Inspections are the report card
In Texas, local authorities inspect electrical work under their own permits; the state licensing agency doesn't. A failed rough-in holds up the builder. A failed final means another trip to a homeowner who wants the job closed. The GM tracks pass rates by crew, reads the inspectors' notes, and has the field supervisor retrain crews on what keeps failing. Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Electricians compliance guide.
How much electrical general managers make
The closest BLS group for electrical general managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $119,990 a year ($57.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 29,880 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for electrical contractors.
Paid by salary; the bonus grows as the location's profit grows.
Electrical contractors
$119,990$119,990 median Middle half $84,900–$165,460 10th–90th $58,340–$230,120
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
Electrical contractors
$58,340
$84,900
$119,990
$165,460
$230,120
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
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 managed other managers across field, sales and office teams
Catches problems in the daily job, sales and labor numbers before they grow
Keeps builder superintendents and homeowners informed when plans change
Settles complaints fairly and fast
Coaches electricians and salespeople against clear targets
Teach these on the job
Your scheduling software and each builder's calendar
The utility's service upgrade steps in your area
Permit and inspection rules in the towns you work in
Electrical basics for panels, generators and chargers
Your price book and builder contracts
A GM's day runs on the job management system (Jobber, Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan or similar), the builders' schedules, and the location's monthly profit and loss. In the interview, ask finalists to show you a dashboard they used to run a team and what they changed because of it.
Electrical general manager interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Fit the template's targets to this location's own history. Review them with the department heads every week, and look at a full year before judging a slow month.
Revenue Growth
Compare each month's revenue with the prior month and with that month a year ago, split by builder, remodel, service and generator work. Builder closings and storms move single months, so read the trend.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Online star ratings, checked weekly. Log every complaint that lands on the GM's desk and the number of days until it is settled.
Operational Efficiency
Booked field hours divided by available field hours, weekly, by crew. Pair it with inspection pass rates and callbacks, so full schedules don't hide sloppy work.
Profit Margin
Net profit divided by total revenue on the branch's monthly statement. Check gross margin for each kind of job too, so one losing line can't hide inside a good total.
Career path
Field supervisorLeads crews on site and learns what good work costs.
Project managerOwns builder and remodel jobs from permit to final.
General managerAnswers for one location's profit and people.
The GM handles the location's daily business. Mornings start with the crew plan, worked out with the operations and production managers, and a look at yesterday's jobs and sales. Afternoons go to complaints that climb past the office and calls on overtime, hiring and new work. At a company with several shops, each shop has its own GM, who reports up to the COO or owner.
How much does an electrical general manager make?
General and operations managers who work for electrical contractors earned a median of $119,990 a year ($57.69 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $84,900 and $165,460 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
How do the GM and the production manager split the work at an electrical contractor?
The production manager is in charge of project jobs: new homes, remodels and big installs, with their crews and parts. The GM owns the whole location: service, sales, office staff and the bottom line. Production usually sits under the GM, sometimes with an operations manager in between.
Should you promote your best electrician to general manager?
Only if they want to manage people more than they want to do electrical work. A top master electrician knows the work and the crews, but the GM job is mostly numbers, hiring, complaints and coaching managers. Try it first by giving them one department to run, and pair the move with training on reading a profit and loss.
How should a new electrical general manager spend the first three months?
Ride with crews, sit with dispatch and the customer service team, and read the last quarter of failed inspections, callbacks and complaints. Meet the superintendents for your biggest builders. Then pick two or three fixes with clear numbers, such as quote follow-up or on-time starts, and report on them every week.
What goes in an electrical general manager job ad?
List the managers under the GM, the number of electricians and vans, and the share of builder, remodel and service jobs. Include the GM's boss, the bonus formula and the on-call schedule. If storms or a generator rush drive your busy season, say when it hits.
