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The differences between business partners and business unit managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 8-10 years to become a business partner, becoming a business unit manager takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a business unit manager has an average salary of $122,782, which is higher than the $96,324 average annual salary of a business partner.
The top three skills for a business partner include analytics, project management and customer service. The most important skills for a business unit manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and product line.
| Business Partner | Business Unit Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $96,324 | $122,782 |
| Hourly rate | $46.31 | $59.03 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 106,251 | 295,151 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 10 | 6 |
A business partner is an individual who is involved in a legal business partnership with other individuals to manage a business as co-owners. Business partners invest their money into the business, and each partner benefits from any profits and sustains part of any losses. They must file with the state in which they do business and are governed mostly by state laws. Business partners can also be either liable or not for the actions taken by the company.
A business unit manager handles a unit or segment of the company. This unit may be a specialized team on specific projects or a part of a significant production process. The business unit manager ensures that the unit works efficiently and productively by implementing strategies and techniques that will enhance the productive output. A business unit manager also provides suggestions, offers solutions to problems, handles tasks delegation, planning production processes, and training and monitoring of employees in a unit.
Business partners and business unit managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Partner | Business Unit Manager | |
| Average salary | $96,324 | $122,782 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $140,000 | Between $81,000 And $184,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | East Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | ZS | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a business partner and a business unit manager in terms of educational background:
| Business Partner | Business Unit Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Georgia | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between business partners' and business unit managers' demographics:
| Business Partner | Business Unit Manager | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.2% Female, 43.8% | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.0% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |