How To Become An Area Director: What It Is and Career Path

What is an area director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Area directors are responsible for managing the operational aspects of stores within the assigned area to ensure that they operate smoothly. They evaluate existing operations and develop appropriate strategies while monitoring sales across stores to check that quotas are met. Area directors earn an average salary of $79,000 annually or $38 per hour.

Area directors have a take-charge personality and a talent for getting things done by developing business plans, monitoring sales, and ensuring adherence to company procedures. They establish training programs for staff members to improve sales outcomes. They also manage capital investments, including real estate, computer equipment and peripherals, telephony, and the internet.

Area directors typically hold a bachelor's degree in business administration, business management, or related fields. They are usually goal-oriented with a proven ability to get results. Area directors possess solid leadership and communication skills. Some employers prefer to hire candidates who are proficient with computers and adept in mathematics and finance.

ScoreArea DirectorUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $100,433

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.43%

Black or African American 6.26%

Hispanic or Latino 15.44%

Unknown 4.35%

White 67.05%

Gender

female 36.11%

male 63.89%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress level

9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an area director

Explore area director education requirements

Most common area director degrees

Bachelor's

67.9 %

Master's

15.4 %

Associate

10.0 %

Start to develop specific area director skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	8.32%
Patients	8.25%
Home Health	7.84%
Oversight	7.35%
Human Resources	4.58%

Complete relevant area director training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New area directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an area director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real area director resumes.

Gain additional area director certifications

Area director certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific area director certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for area directors include Certified Sales Professional (CSP) and Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP).

More About Certifications

Research area director duties and responsibilities

Manage all aspects of selling process such as ROI, quotes, budgetary approval and demos.
Manage due diligence requirements and rehabilitation plans.
Lead operations for contract rehabilitation practice across north and central Texas.
Establish and manage the mid-Atlantic regional office of a privately own legal education company that provide educational services to law students.

Get area director experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become an area director. The most common roles before becoming an area director include general manager, manager team lead and district manager.

Prepare your area director resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your area director resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an area director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable area director resume templates

Build a professional area director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your area director resume.