The operations manager at a residential landscaping company runs every crew that leaves the yard: mowing routes, install jobs, sprinkler service and the tree crew. Each year they staff up for spring, keep trucks and equipment working, run the safety program, and fix whatever keeps making jobs run long or customers call back.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Annual pay: 10th percentile $46,520, middle half $62,400 to $123,080, 90th percentile $164,110. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Reports to
General manager or chief operating officer
Department
Operations
Schedule
Weekdays, early mornings in season · Weekday hours, with early starts and some weekends in spring. On call for storm cleanups, and plowing in snow markets.
Also called
Director of operations · Field operations manager · Maintenance operations manager · Ops manager
Oversee daily landscaping operations by managing schedules, allocating equipment, and supervising field resources to ensure efficient project execution and exceptional customer service.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Manage and coordinate daily schedules for landscaping crews to optimize productivity and meet project deadlines.
Oversee the allocation and maintenance of field equipment to ensure readiness and safety.
Supervise field staff, provide guidance, and enforce company standards and safety protocols.
Collaborate with project managers and client representatives to ensure timely and high-quality service delivery.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct morning briefings with crew leaders to outline daily objectives and safety updates.
Monitor on-site operations and resolve any scheduling or resource allocation issues immediately.
Coordinate with equipment vendors and service providers for maintenance and repairs throughout the day.
Maintain regular communication with clients to update them on project status and address any concerns.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Schedule adherence: Maintain a 95% adherence rate to planned daily schedules.
Equipment utilization: Achieve at least a 90% utilization rate for available equipment.
Customer satisfaction: Sustain a customer satisfaction rating of over 4.8 stars.
Field productivity: Improve productivity metrics by at least 10% quarter-over-quarter.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
Minimum of 3 years' experience in operations or project management within the home services or landscaping industry.
Strong communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with scheduling software and a working knowledge of equipment management systems.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience working in landscaping or outdoor home services industries.
Demonstrated track record of managing multi-site operations and field teams.
Familiarity with industry-specific software and modern equipment tracking technologies.
Experience in implementing process improvements to streamline operational efficiency.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and perform physical tasks related to on-site operations.
Comfortable working in outdoor environments subject to varying weather conditions.
Occasional requirement to stand, walk, and navigate uneven terrain for extended periods.
Capability to engage in moderate physical activity during periodic site inspections.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with flexibility to adjust based on project demands.
Occasional weekend or early morning hours during peak landscaping seasons.
Minimal travel between job sites within designated regional territory.
On-call availability during emergencies or high workload periods as required.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $65,000 - $85,000 USD annually based on experience and qualifications.
Eligibility for performance-based bonuses and incentive programs.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
401k retirement plan with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We are a forward-thinking company driven by a passion for quality service and community impact.
Our team is collaborative, supportive, and committed to continuous improvement and professional growth.
We celebrate innovation, integrity, and excellence in delivering outstanding home service experiences.
Join us to be part of a dynamic environment where your efforts contribute to both personal success and broader company achievements.
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
What makes landscaping operations management different
Running field operations always means fitting crews and machines to the work. In residential landscaping, the crew count swings between winter and spring, nearly all the work happens outdoors, and some of it, like tree work, carries real danger.
Four kinds of work share one yard
Weekly maintenance runs on fixed routes. Installs run as projects that take days. Irrigation and tree work come in as service calls. Each has its own crews, equipment and margins. In the spring crunch, the operations manager decides which division gets extra hands, and stops one from pulling people off another until both fall behind.
Seasonal hiring starts months early
To bring in seasonal workers on H-2B visas, the employer first needs a temporary labor certification from the Department of Labor, showing there aren't enough U.S. workers for the jobs. Then it petitions USCIS. Congress caps these visas each fiscal year, split into two halves. Headcount and start dates get locked in months before the first mow. Source: USCIS: H-2B temporary non-agricultural workers.
Heat is a daily safety issue
Crews spend summer days mowing, digging and hauling in full sun. OSHA lists state heat rules in places such as California, Oregon and Washington, and California's requires training, water, shade and planning. Where no state rule applies, the operations manager still sets the plan: water on every truck, shade and rest breaks, and new hires eased into hot weather. Source: OSHA: Heat exposure standards.
Tree crews need extra oversight
Tree work adds climbing, chain saws, chippers and power lines to the day. OSHA's tree care publications cover falls, falling objects and the danger of working near electricity. The operations manager makes sure only trained people climb, cut or work near lines, backs the arborist when a job is too risky, and checks that the tree crew runs its own safety briefing. Source: OSHA: Tree care.
Winter decides who comes back
When the grass stops growing, most maintenance work stops with it in cold climates. The operations manager decides how to keep the best crew leaders through the slow months: snow removal, pruning and tree work, equipment overhauls, or a layoff with a firm return date. Losing a trained crew leader in December means training a new one in March.
How much landscaping operations managers make
The closest BLS group for landscaping operations managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $89,990 a year ($43.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 34,230 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for landscaping companies.
Salary plus a bonus is typical, often figured on division profit, crew labor against budget, or how many maintenance customers renew.
Landscaping companies
$89,990$89,990 median Middle half $62,400–$123,080 10th–90th $46,520–$164,110
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
Landscaping companies
$46,520
$62,400
$89,990
$123,080
$164,110
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
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 managed lawn, install or tree crews through a spring rush
Spots a division running over on labor and fixes it within the week
Plans headcount months ahead of the spring ramp
Runs a safety program that crews actually follow
Keeps good crew leaders coming back season after season
Teach these on the job
Your software's job costing and crew hour reports
How each of your divisions prices work and makes money
Your seasonal hiring and H-2B calendar
Your equipment replacement plan and dealers
Your state's pesticide, irrigation and contractor license rules
Landscaping operations run on trade software, for example Aspire, LMN or Service Autopilot, for scheduling, job costing and crew hours, plus GPS on trucks and hour meters or trackers on major equipment. Ask candidates which crew hour and job cost reports they read each week, and one decision a report led them to make.
Go over these with the division leads each month. One division slipping, such as installs running long, can drag the company number down while the rest hold steady.
Schedule adherence
Each week, compare the stops and jobs your software planned with the ones crews finished that day. Tag every miss as weather, equipment, staffing or crew error, and work on the biggest cause first.
Equipment utilization
Hours each major machine, such as a skid steer, mini excavator or stand-on mower, spends working on jobs compared with the hours it's available. Use hour meters or trackers, and flag units that sit.
Customer satisfaction
Track survey replies and review stars by division and crew. Group the complaints by type, such as missed edging, debris left behind or late installs, so each manager knows what to fix.
Field productivity
Divide each division's revenue by its crew hours. The template compares one quarter with the next; also line each quarter up with that season last year, since spring and winter work aren't alike.
Everything that happens outside the office is theirs. In a common setup, the production manager, field supervisors, warehouse manager and dispatcher answer to them. They set each season's staffing, approve equipment buys and repairs, run safety, and watch labor and job costs by division. Crew problems that a supervisor can't settle land on their desk.
How much does a landscaping operations manager make?
General and operations managers who work for landscaping companies earned a median of $89,990 a year ($43.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $62,400 and $123,080 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Where does a landscaping operations manager's job end and a production manager's begin?
The production manager is down in the jobs: who is on which crew, the hours on each job, and the quality on site. The operations manager sets up what those jobs depend on, including hiring, the fleet, the yard, safety and the budget for every division. When one person holds both jobs, the field usually wins and the planning slips.
Do landscaping companies use H-2B workers?
Many do. In the Department of Labor's count of certified H-2B positions through June 2026, the landscaping and groundskeeping occupation led every other job, at close to half the total. Demand fills the visa cap fast: USCIS said it had enough petitions for the first half of fiscal year 2027 by early September 2026. Work with an immigration attorney or agent, and plan a season ahead.
How do you judge a landscaping operations manager candidate?
Ask about numbers they have owned: labor hours as a share of revenue, crew productivity, equipment costs and turnover. Ask how they staffed their last spring and what they would change. Walk the yard with them and see what they notice. Strong candidates ask about your divisions' margins and your crew leaders before they ask about the title.
What should a landscaping operations manager job ad include?
Show the size of the job: the divisions it covers, the crew and yard count, and the managers who would report to it. Say whether seasonal hiring, H-2B filings, equipment buying and safety sit with this role. Describe how the bonus is earned, and what winter means at your company, whether that's plowing or a slow stretch.
