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The differences between business unit directors and area directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a business unit director and an area director. Additionally, a business unit director has an average salary of $135,050, which is higher than the $100,433 average annual salary of an area director.
The top three skills for a business unit director include project management, digital marketing and sigma. The most important skills for an area director are customer service, patients, and home health.
| Business Unit Director | Area Director | |
| Yearly salary | $135,050 | $100,433 |
| Hourly rate | $64.93 | $48.29 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 95,707 | 47,326 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A business unit director is a person that makes sure that a segment or unit of a company meets its daily goals. The business unit director monitors the production of units in a company and provides support to increase efficiency. The business unit director's responsibility is to determine each member of a business unit's skill development to ensure the increased productive output of the entire company. The business unit director works with the company's administrative and executive departments to ensure all business units work cohesively and well-coordinated.
Area directors oversee the operations of the company in a particular area. They manage the company's presence in their assigned area. Area directors come up with strategies so that their area meets company goals. They manage the company's performance in their area, from sales to marketing to finance to human resources. Area directors are expected to have in-depth knowledge of the situation and the context in the area they handle. They should be able to identify strengths and areas for improvement in their area. As such, they would be able to capitalize on their strengths and address their areas for improvement. Overall, area directors are responsible for the fulfillment of the company's vision in their area.
Business unit directors and area directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Unit Director | Area Director | |
| Average salary | $135,050 | $100,433 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $190,000 | Between $55,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Lasko Products | AstraZeneca |
| Best paying industry | Pharmaceutical | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a business unit director and an area director in terms of educational background:
| Business Unit Director | Area Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between business unit directors' and area directors' demographics:
| Business Unit Director | Area Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.8% Female, 18.2% | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |