An excavation chief executive officer makes two calls that shape the next few years: which dirt work to chase and how big a fleet to carry. They pick among builder lots, land development, utilities and commercial pads, sign off on machine loans, and stay close to the developers whose phase plans fill the backlog.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, other specialty trade contractors · BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $83,500, middle half $113,900 to $319,020, 90th percentile $392,040. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
Owners or board
Department
Operations
Schedule
Weekdays 8 to 5, travel, on call · Weekdays 8 to 5, longer days for big projects or deals, regular site and client travel, and on call for urgent issues
Also called
President · Owner and president · President and CEO · Principal
Provides visionary leadership to drive the overall strategic direction of the excavation and site work division. Secures high-value contracts and manages business relationships to maintain a strong market presence. Ensures profitability through strategic planning, operational excellence, and high-level decision-making. Represents the company in industry forums, negotiating key partnerships and advancing long-term growth objectives.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develops and implements strategic plans that align with the company’s growth targets and long-term vision.
Identifies, secures, and negotiates contracts to drive revenue and expand market share.
Oversees day-to-day operations to ensure efficiency, safety, and profitability.
Collaborates with senior leadership to allocate resources, monitor financial performance, and optimize business processes.
Represents the company in industry events, trade shows, and strategic meetings to enhance brand credibility and business opportunities.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conducts regular meetings with senior management to review operational performance and align on strategic initiatives.
Engages with potential and existing clients to understand their needs and secure new business opportunities.
Reviews financial reports and operational metrics to identify areas for improvement and cost optimization.
Participates in industry events and network with key stakeholders to build strategic relationships.
Provides leadership and mentorship to ensure team alignment and effective execution of business strategies.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Revenue Growth: Achieve an annual revenue increase of at least 12%.
Contract Win Rate: Secure new contracts with a target win rate of 40% or higher.
Profit Margin: Maintain a gross profit margin of at least 25%.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Achieve a customer satisfaction score of 4.8 stars or higher.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Construction Management, or a related field.
Minimum of 10 years of progressive management experience in the home services or construction industry.
Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and decision-making capabilities.
Strong financial acumen with the ability to analyze complex business metrics and drive profitability.
Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the excavation, site work, or construction industry with a proven record of driving growth.
Previous role as an executive or senior leader within a related industry.
Demonstrated success in contract negotiations and securing large-scale projects.
Familiarity with industry regulations, safety standards, and best practices in operational management.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally visit construction sites and navigate uneven terrain.
Minimal physical strain required, with an emphasis on regular travel to various project locations.
Works primarily in an office environment with periodic field visits for inspections and meetings.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional extended hours may be required based on project demands and business objectives.
Regular travel to client sites, industry conferences, and strategic meetings is expected.
On-call availability for urgent business matters during non-business hours as needed.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $150,000 - $250,000 USD, based on experience and qualifications.
Performance-based bonuses tied to achieving strategic KPIs and overall business growth.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401(k) retirement plan with company match.
Additional fringe benefits including paid time off, professional development opportunities, and company-sponsored events.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a culture of innovation, transparency, and excellence, encouraging every team member to drive positive change and achieve both personal and professional growth; our commitment to quality and customer satisfaction sets us apart in the competitive field of excavation and site work.
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
A site work company lives on a fleet it borrows to buy and on customers whose plans change with the housing market. The CEO's calls on both shape every year that follows.
First on the land, first to feel the cycle
Site work starts before any foundation is poured or house is framed. When developers stop opening new phases, mass grading and street utilities slow down before the builders' other trades feel it. The CEO stays in touch with developers about land plans, lot supply and lenders. When the signs turn, they move sales toward commercial pads or public work before the backlog runs thin.
The fleet sets the fixed costs
Each excavator, dozer and dump truck bought on a loan keeps billing whether the backlog is full or not. The CEO sets how many crews and machines the company carries into next year. They decide how much peak work goes to rentals and hired trucks, and they sell older machines while used prices are strong, not after they fall.
A trench death can become a criminal case
Under the federal OSH Act, an employer whose willful violation of a safety standard causes a worker's death can be prosecuted. A first conviction can bring up to six months in prison, and a second up to a year. The CEO makes it plain that no schedule, builder or bonus is worth skipping a trench box, and backs every foreman who stops work to set one. Source: OSHA: OSH Act section 17, penalties (including willful violations that cause a death).
Each new line of work brings its own risk
Adding a pipe crew for water and sewer mains puts people in deep trenches every day. Adding land clearing brings timber sales, burning and haul-off questions. Bidding public work can bring bonds, prevailing wages and certified payroll. The CEO chooses which line comes next and names the leader who will run it before the first contract is signed.
How much excavation chief executive officers make
The closest BLS group for excavation chief executive officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $151,900 a year ($73.03 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 490 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for other specialty trade contractors.
The template ties the bonus to growth goals. Pay part of it on profit after equipment costs, so growth bought with new machines on loan doesn't count as a win until those machines earn their keep.
Other specialty trade contractors
$151,900$151,900 median Middle half $113,900–$319,020 10th–90th $83,500–$392,040
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
Other specialty trade contractors
$83,500
$113,900
$151,900
$319,020
$392,040
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS doesn’t publish pay for excavation 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
Has been the top leader of a site work, utility or grading company
Has bought, financed and sold heavy equipment through a slow market
Knows the builders, developers and engineers who send site work in your region
Treats trench and utility safety as a line no schedule crosses
Can tell from a job cost report whether rock, rain or the crew sank a job
Teach these on the job
Your equipment dealers and their trade-in and service terms
The phase plans of the developers you work for
Which builders get lots from you without a bid, and why
The machine control and telematics systems already on your fleet
Your yard, shop and fleet records
The CEO's weekly view is the backlog by customer and type of work, the fleet list with hours, loan balances and resale values, and last month's job results. Most of it comes from the estimating, accounting and telematics systems the managers already run, so the CEO needs to read those reports well, not build them.
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 · Bonding capacity and risk
A developer offers a contract twice the size of your biggest job, and the performance bond would use most of your bonding capacity. How do you decide whether to take it?
A strong answer: Weighs cash flow, equipment and crew capacity, contract terms, the customer's payment history, and what else the bond would block, talks to the surety early, and is willing to walk away.
Behavioral · Capital decisions
Tell me about the biggest equipment or hiring bet you've made and how it turned out.
A strong answer: Names the bet, like a dozer with GPS grade control or a new pipe crew, the utilization or backlog numbers behind it, what happened, and what they would do differently.
Rain, frost and one developer's phase plan can each move a year's numbers. Agree with the owners before the year starts on how to tell a weather miss from a company miss.
Revenue Growth
Split this year's earned revenue by grading, utilities and clearing, and by builder, developer and commercial customers. One developer's mass grading job can cover up a shrinking builder book.
Contract Win Rate
Count open bids only. Track lots a repeat builder hands over without a bid as their own number, since mixing them in makes your pricing look sharper than it is.
Profit Margin
Gross profit on closed jobs, read by line of work. If grading earns well and pipe work doesn't, that should shape which crews and machines you add next year.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask each builder and developer for a score when a phase closes, and track who came back with the next one. A high score from a customer who never returns says less than it seems.
Career path
Project managerWins and builds the company's largest grading and utility jobs.
General managerRuns the office and field together, a step below the top seat.
How can I check an excavation CEO candidate's safety record?
Ask for the yearly injury summaries (OSHA Form 300A) from companies they ran, along with the workers' comp experience rating. Then look those companies up in OSHA's establishment search, which lists federal and state plan inspections and what each one cited. Open cases and citations can still change through settlements or contests, so ask the candidate to explain what you find before you judge it.
How much does an excavation chief executive officer make?
Chief executives who work for other specialty trade contractors earned a median of $151,900 a year ($73.03 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $113,900 and $319,020 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Should a founder who still runs a machine become the CEO?
Only if they are ready to leave the seat. The CEO's week goes to lenders, developers, leaders and the fleet plan, and a day spent digging crowds that out. If the founder wants to stay hands-on, hire a CEO or general manager. Then let the founder lead estimating or the hardest jobs, where that eye for dirt pays off.
When is GPS machine control worth buying across the fleet?
When much of your work is grading to a design, such as building pads, roads and parking lots, and the machines will log enough hours to pay back the kits. Count the full cost: the machine kits, rovers, a base station or correction subscription, training, and a modeler or surveyor to build the files. Ask the dealer whether a kit can move to a new machine when you trade the old one in.
Should we take lots instead of cash from a developer?
Some developers who are short on cash offer finished lots in place of payment. Taking them makes the company a land owner, with money tied up until the lots sell. Lot prices can also fall in the same slowdown that left the developer short. Decide with the owners whether to hold land at all, and how much. Get an independent appraisal, and have your attorney and CPA review the deal before you sign.
