A commercial landscape CEO sets the plan for a company that maintains HOAs, office parks and retail centers, decides which contracts and markets to chase, and is accountable to the board or owners for growth and profit. They also carry the biggest risks: snow liability, key accounts and any acquisition.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
As the CEO, you will steer the strategic direction of our Commercial Landscaping division by shaping business vision, forging robust commercial partnerships, and ensuring sustainable profitability.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership and vision for the commercial landscaping division.
Develop and implement growth strategies to expand market presence and enhance profitability.
Build and nurture strong commercial partnerships with key industry and corporate clients.
Collaborate with senior leadership to drive operational excellence and financial performance.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Oversee daily operations while making strategic decisions to drive business growth.
Evaluate market trends and adjust business strategies to maintain competitive advantage.
Conduct regular meetings with commercial clients, partners, and internal leadership.
Review financial reports and performance analytics to steer profit-driven initiatives.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Annual Revenue Growth: Achieve a minimum of 10% increase year-over-year.
Gross Margin: Maintain a target margin of at least 25%.
New Commercial Partnerships: Secure a minimum of 5 strategic partnerships annually.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain an overall rating of >4.8 out of 5.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of executive leadership experience.
Exceptional strategic planning, financial analysis, and decision-making skills.
Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Proven track record in commercial landscaping or facilities management.
Experience managing large-scale commercial portfolios and complex business operations.
Familiarity with sustainable landscaping practices and innovative green technologies.
Prior involvement in mergers, acquisitions, or corporate restructuring within relevant industries.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally travel and visit commercial client sites.
Prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer.
Minimal physical exertion required in an office-based environment.
Occasional lifting of materials up to 20 lbs may be necessary for site visits.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Full-time executive leadership role with standard business hours of 9 AM to 5 PM.
Frequent travel to commercial client locations and industry events.
On-call availability for emergencies or strategic decision-making as needed.
Office-based role with periodic outdoor site visits.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Competitive salary range between $150,000 - $250,000 USD per year.
Annual performance bonuses based on profitability and growth targets.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans.
401(k) plan with employer matching contributions.
Additional benefits including company vehicle allowance and professional development opportunities.
10. Company Culture and Overview
A collaborative and growth-oriented environment that values innovation and strategic thinking.
A commitment to ethical business practices and community engagement.
Opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and continuous learning.
We foster a culture where each team member is empowered to make a significant impact.
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
Every CEO owns strategy, capital and the top team. In commercial landscaping, multi-site contracts, winter liability and federal size rules shape those calls.
Past the federal small business line
SBA's size standard for landscaping services (NAICS 561730) is 9.5 million dollars in annual receipts. A company your size is over it, so it can't claim small business status on a federal set-aside that uses this code. The CEO decides whether federal grounds work is worth chasing through full and open bids or as a subcontractor to a small prime, or whether private HOA and office park bids are a better use of the estimators. Source: eCFR: 13 CFR 121.201, SBA size standards by NAICS industry.
Snow is where the claims come from
A slip on an icy lot or walk can bring a claim that names both your company and the property owner, so the CEO sets the contract triggers, insurance limits and record rules for winter. New Hampshire, as one example, shields certified salt applicators and the owners who hire them from claims over hazards caused only by snow or ice, when they follow the state's best management practices without gross negligence. They must keep written records of material, rate, dates and weather for three years. Source: New Hampshire RSA 508:22: Liability limited for winter maintenance.
Account managers carry the relationships
Property managers can follow a trusted account manager to a competitor. A non-compete is one guard, but Wisconsin, for one, enforces it only when the limits are reasonably necessary to protect the employer, and an unreasonable one is void in full, even the parts that would have been fine. Have a lawyer write narrow agreements, and give each large client more than one contact at your company. Source: Wisconsin Statutes 103.465: Restrictive covenants in employment contracts.
A contract book is only as firm as its terms
Lenders and buyers will study your recurring maintenance revenue, so know what stands behind it. Read each agreement's term, renewal date and termination clause. A site that can cancel on short notice is worth less than its monthly billing suggests. Track when each large account goes out for bid, and open the renewal talk before the client starts asking other firms for prices.
One property firm can control many sites
A regional property management company may run several of your retail centers and office parks through one person. Win that manager's trust and you grow quickly. Lose it and a big slice of revenue can leave in one season. Report revenue by management firm as well as by site, and set a limit on how much of the book any single firm may hold.
How much commercial landscape CEOs make
The closest BLS group for commercial landscape CEOs is chief executives. Chief executives who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $158,670 a year ($76.28 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 200 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for landscaping companies.
Pay is mostly salary. The template adds an annual bonus based on profit and growth goals.
Landscaping companies
$158,670$158,670 median Middle half $122,870–$215,290 10th–90th $91,010–$267,670
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
Landscaping companies
$91,010
$122,870
$158,670
$215,290
$267,670
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
BLS reports residential and commercial landscaping companies 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 a multi-site service business and owned its profit and loss
Reads job cost and contract margin reports without help
Sells to property management firms and HOA boards at the executive level
Builds and keeps a leadership team, including the COO and CFO
Weighs risk on snow contracts, insurance and acquisitions
Teach these on the job
Plant, turf and irrigation terms
Your field platform and its reports
Local snow practices and contract triggers
The bid calendars of your largest clients
Expect the CEO to work from monthly financials, a job cost report by site and service line, and the bid pipeline in your CRM. Many commercial landscapers run on an industry platform such as Aspire or LMN; name yours in the ad so candidates know which reports they'll get.
Commercial landscape CEO 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 · Portfolio deals
A large property management firm wants you to service all [40] of its sites in the region at a discount. How do you decide?
A strong answer: Checks route density, crew capacity, margin by site, contract terms and concentration risk, and may propose a phased start.
Behavioral · Acquisitions
Tell me about an acquisition, merger or large portfolio of accounts you took over. What worked and what didn't?
A strong answer: Names the deal, how they kept the clients and crew leaders (site visits, account manager handoffs, pay alignment), what broke in systems or contracts, and what they'd do differently.
Use the template's goals only until the first board meeting. Then rewrite them from your recent results and the contracts coming up for renewal.
Annual Revenue Growth
Break the year-over-year change in revenue into renewals, price increases, new sites and acquisitions, so you can see which growth was earned and which was bought.
Gross Margin
Revenue minus field labor, materials, equipment and subcontractor costs, from the monthly job cost report. Read it by service line too, because snow, maintenance and installs seldom earn alike.
New Commercial Partnerships
Keep each partner in the CRM with the date the agreement was signed and the bids and jobs that came from it, then review the list with the board once a year.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Survey each property manager or HOA board after spring cleanup and again before renewal, on the template's scale, and set the scores beside renewal results for each account.
Career path
Sales managerOwns the commercial bid pipeline and learns how property firms buy.
General managerRuns a branch or region and answers for its profit.
Should a commercial landscape CEO come from landscaping or from facilities services?
Either can work. The template prefers commercial landscaping or facilities management. A facilities leader knows how property managers buy, budget and judge vendors. A landscaping leader knows crews, plant material and seasonal cash. Whichever you choose, pair them with a strong second from the other side, such as a COO who has run field crews or a sales leader who has sold to portfolio owners.
How much does a commercial landscape CEO make?
Chief executives who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $158,670 a year ($76.28 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $122,870 and $215,290 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Which partnerships should count toward the CEO's yearly goal?
The template asks for new partnerships each year, so define the word before you hire. Useful ones include a property management firm that adds you to its approved vendor list, a general contractor that hands you landscape installs on new buildings, snow subcontractors who add storm capacity, and a nursery that holds plant material for your projects. Count only the ones that led to bids or revenue.
What should a commercial landscape CEO check before buying another company?
Beyond the contracts, find out who holds the client relationships and whether they will stay. Check the age and hours on mowers, trucks and plows, and whether the new sites fit your current routes. Look at the seller's snow subcontractors and salt supply, past injury claims, and any sites priced below cost. With the seller's permission, talk to a few property managers before you close.
Why does a CEO job list lifting at all?
The line covers short field visits, not field work. The CEO may walk a large office park or retail center with a client, step over curbs, mulch beds and uneven turf, and carry a plan set, a sample or a box of materials from the car. The template caps that lifting at 20 pounds. Put those tasks in the ad. A candidate who needs an accommodation to do them can ask, and you weigh each request on its own facts.
