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Job outlook for business unit directors in the United States
Business unit director job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected business unit director job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 189,200 new jobs for business unit directors are projected over the next decade.
Business unit director salaries have increased 4% for business unit directors in the last 5 years.
There are over 9,722 business unit directors currently employed in the United States.
There are 95,707 active business unit director job openings in the US.
The average business unit director salary is $135,050.
Are business unit director jobs in demand?
Business unit director job and salary trends over time
Business unit director jobs over time
Business unit director job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 9,722 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 7,645 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 7,818 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 7,458 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 7,205 | 0.00% |
Average business unit director salary over time
Business unit director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $135,050 | $64.93 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $131,310 | $63.13 | --0.1% |
| 2024 | $131,506 | $63.22 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $130,828 | $62.90 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $129,395 | $62.21 | +1.6% |
Business unit director jobs by state
Most common states for business unit directors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 480 | 69% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 285 | 27% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,699 | 25% |
| 4 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 471 | 25% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 183 | 25% |
| 6 | Mississippi | 2,984,100 | 681 | 23% |
| 7 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 203 | 23% |
| 8 | Alabama | 4,874,747 | 1,084 | 22% |
| 9 | Louisiana | 4,684,333 | 1,040 | 22% |
| 10 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 645 | 22% |
| 11 | Delaware | 961,939 | 214 | 22% |
| 12 | Vermont | 623,657 | 135 | 22% |
| 13 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 649 | 21% |
| 14 | Oklahoma | 3,930,864 | 792 | 20% |
| 15 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 263 | 20% |
| 16 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,178 | 19% |
| 17 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,077 | 19% |
| 18 | Arkansas | 3,004,279 | 559 | 19% |
| 19 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 500 | 17% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 181 | 17% |
Most common cities for business unit directors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watertown Town | 1 | 3% | $140,602 |
Business Unit Director job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of business unit director experts
University Of Puget Sound
Catawba College
Pennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Landmark College
Northwestern Michigan College
University of West Georgia
Tiffin University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University
What Business Unit Director skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Kim Roberts: Business professionals lead organizations by focused efforts that revolve around products/services, processes, and people. Business professionals work to ensure the firm's products and/or services meet customer expectations, with an eye toward an ever-changing market. They manage processes that produce or support the firm's products. This requires the ability to analyze data to make informed decisions, to drive continuous improvement, and to solve problems through critical thinking. Successful business professionals must also create climates that promote teamwork and foster collaboration.
What will help Business Unit Directors increase their earning potential?
Dr. Kim Roberts: Now is a good time to enter business professions because of the projected growth of employment opportunities. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Overall employment in business and financial occupations is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations from 2022 to 2032." Furthermore, the growth of online learning and online degrees means a full-time job and family commitments are not roadblocks to earning a business degree.
Andreas Udbye Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorUniversity Of Puget Sound
School of Business and Leadership
What soft skills should all Business Unit Directors possess?
Andreas Udbye Ph.D.: Collaboration and teamwork skills are crucial, as well as the ability to focus and meet deadlines. Although it is nice to mention that you are a good multi-tasker, most people are these days, and employers seem to like people who can stay the course and complete tasks on time and with high quality. Tenacity and accuracy are other attractive attributes.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Unit Directors?
Andreas Udbye Ph.D.: Job listings in supply chain management will typically list more technical skills than what can realistically be possessed by one person (SQL, Python, ERP, project management, etc.), but at a minimum, an applicant needs strong spreadsheet skills and at least some exposure to database management.
Dr. Elizabeth Homan Ph.D.
Professors, Department ChairCatawba College
Theatre Arts
What soft skills should all Business Unit Directors possess?
Dr. Elizabeth Homan Ph.D.: Networking, networking, networking. And being a nice, friendly, honest human being. Flexibility and a level head in the face of persistent change. Resilience and an ability to work with the conditions in which you find yourself. Working with what you have, not what you wish you had.
Bernie Cerasaro
Assistant Teaching ProfessorPennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny
Business Department
What skills stand out on Business Unit Director resumes?
Bernie Cerasaro: Skills employers would be looking for would be functional skills and interpersonal skills. Functional skills should stand out on a resume and be aligned to the business job in question. For example, if focused on marketing positions, marketing skills such as data analytics, market research, consumer behavior, global marketing, and professional selling skills would be areas for which employers would be looking. If the job market is looking for someone in accounting, then functional skills that would stand out would be intermediate financial accounting skills and courses on taxation and auditing. For those seeking positions in project management or supply chain management, skills that would stand out would encompass subject matter such as project management, portfolio management, operations planning and control, purchasing and materials management, and knowledge of ERP type systems and other business processes.
Skill sets can be enhanced via various types of certification. For example, those interested in accounting might pursue a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) license, which requires 150 credits. As most universities require 120 credits for a bachelor's degree in business, a CPA would require just an additional 30 credits, which students can start accumulating while still at college. Project management certification is also an opportunity to enhance the aforementioned skills and would certainly stand out on an applicant's resume. The Project Management Institute (PMI) promotes PMP certification, which validates that you are highly skilled in soft skills to lead project teams and have the required technical aspects of managing projects. Some universities are working with the PMI to have PMI-approved courses. Approved courses are used toward the PMP training hours required to sit for the exam. For example, Penn State University has received approval for two such courses, Portfolio Management and Organizations and Project Planning and Resource Management.
Due to the high rate of interaction with the global marketplace and the complexity of international business, managers are looking more closely at applicants who have some familiarity with global markets and international culture, such as applicants who may have study abroad experience, traveled internationally, speak a foreign language or have lived or worked in another country.
What skills will help Business Unit Directors earn the most?
Bernie Cerasaro: Some of the same skills as indicated above are important as the person works their way up the ranks and increases their salary. Prominent skills include strong leadership, superior performance, handling conflict, and creating a trusting and productive work environment.
The choice of a functional area can also impact one's earnings depending upon the market's needs. Areas such as corporate accounting and finance, project management, supply chain management, and entrepreneurship can command higher earnings due to a higher demand for such individuals in the marketplace. However, the higher salaries for some of these positions might require a master's degree.
As a concluding note, even though we are amid a pandemic, which has resulted in certain industries/companies being unable to find sufficient employees, this does not imply that this will be the situation for all industries or that the graduate can relax as to developing a strong skill-oriented resume. Graduates still need to focus on functional, technical, and soft skills in order to design impactful resumes that clearly indicate their strongest skills and experience.
What soft skills should all Business Unit Directors possess?
Bernie Cerasaro: Soft skills or conceptual skills are critical in today's business world. Lack of such interpersonal skills is a major reason highly qualified professionals are not promoted (Lee, n.d.)
As a former recruiter for Xerox Corporation, I looked for problem-solving, decision-making, and time management skills. Problem-solving supports creativity allowing workers to evaluate and prioritize options to determine the best solution. Much time and money can be wasted in selecting the wrong option.
Proper decision-making allows companies to quickly react to internal problems, customer concerns, changing market trends, and the use of ever-advancing technology in the workplace. The increased use of empowerment in the workplace, which has been enhanced due to the pandemic, has allowed employees to make more decisions, which requires strong decision-making capability. In addition, the pandemic has caused many businesses to use alternate work structures such as working from home, leading to less direct supervision. Consequently, employers are looking for people who are self-motivated, self-directed, and who employ good time management skills.
Teamwork is one of the most commonly required skills in the work environment. The ability to work together is essential. Due to downsizing, there are fewer managers within companies. Since few individuals possess all the knowledge and skills needed, teamwork has become essential. Getting along and working together to achieve objectives and meet deliverables is critical to project completion. Managers are also looking to teams to provide a greater range of ideas and innovation. Teams can also motivate each other for the timely completion of tasks.
Conflict management enhances decision-making abilities and increases creativity which produces innovative solutions for ongoing problems. The ability to handle conflict productively helps solve problems resulting in demoralization, absenteeism, and turnover. Productive resolution of such problems leads to increased trust and increased employee involvement.
For those aspiring to management positions, leadership is key. Leaders need to promote the company's mission and vision among their subordinates. They need to influence employees to achieve goals by motivating them, resulting in a higher level of performance. This type of leadership is paramount in today's marketplace for company advancement, expansion, and survival.
Other important soft skills include verbal and written communication, persuasive skills, negotiation, and listening skills. Communication is vital to company performance. The ability of company personnel to communicate clearly, succinctly, and accurately will increase productivity. Good communication requires being observant of both verbal and nonverbal signals.
Persuasion and negotiation, two other soft skills, require good listening skills. In today's work environment, employees are no longer subject to a hierarchical structure, a structure of non-questioning of their manager's requests. This requires managers to be more persuasive. Negotiation is practiced by all of us on a day-to-day basis, and more so in business. Strong negotiation skills are essential internally (managers and employees) and externally (sales negotiations, contract negotiations, etc.).
We often forget the skill of listening, as most of us prefer to talk rather than listen. However, it is essential to understand what your company and customers want. This is not just "hearing" but actually practicing listening skills by asking questions, confirming content heard, and providing feedback. Listening requires effort; it requires concentration and attention to what is being said.
What skills stand out on Business Unit Director resumes?
Dr. Jeanette Landin: Skills that stand out on contemporary business manager resumes are soft skills. Business managers indeed need insight and knowledge about the business and hard skills, including financial and other technical skills. What stands out on contemporary, successful business manager resumes are their soft skills. Interpersonal skills are atop the list because business is all about people working with other people to achieve a common goal: The business's mission. The people skills of communication, collaboration, and delegation are a vital part of the manager's ability to influence colleagues, delegate work, and achieve the company's mission.
Kristy Berak McDonald
Experiential Learning Institute DirectorNorthwestern Michigan College
Business Academic Area Faculty
What skills stand out on Business Unit Director resumes?
Kristy Berak McDonald: I asked a local HR expert for this question- Jennifer Ewing. She told me, "Ability to lead and motivate, financial acumen and a strategic thinker."
I would add that experiential learning (internships, work/study, relevant class projects) any real-world application of business skills stands out!
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Unit Directors?
Kristy Berak McDonald: All students should have strong computer skills, accounting basics, and marketing knowledge.
Thomas Gainey Ph.D.
Chair and ProfessorUniversity of West Georgia
Department of Management in the Richards College of Business
What soft skills should all Business Unit Directors possess?
Thomas Gainey Ph.D.: Soft skills are critical as many workers continue to work from home or at least work more of a hybrid schedule. The ability to work effectively with other individuals, sometimes from a distance, has never been more critical. Those individuals who exhibit excellent communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills will likely be in high demand.
Dr. Bonnie Tiell
Professor of Sport ManagementTiffin University
School of Business
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Unit Directors?
Dr. Bonnie Tiell: Direct occupational knowledge: Negotiating and understanding contracts | agreements, staff management, informational technology, budget, and financial reporting.
Hagit Weihs Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Accounting in the Brandeis International Business School and the Undergraduate Advising Head to the Business ProgramBrandeis University
International Business School
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Unit Directors?
Hagit Weihs Ph.D.: Employers appreciate accounting, finance, and marketing literacy. These include a deep understanding of the different business disciplines (good financial statement analysis skills, understanding how budgets are created and followed, understanding financial markets, marketing, etc.). Application of these skills using data analytics tools are very important - these include data manipulation and presentation for the purpose of decision making using various software tools.
What skills will help Business Unit Directors earn the most?
Hagit Weihs Ph.D.: Students who specialize in a certain discipline will earn a higher initial salary. Examples are accounting or finance, marketing, real estate - having a deeper understanding of the discipline and internship and/or field project experience in that discipline. Networking, drive, and creativity, as well as the willingness to continue to learn and grow, will all continue to increase salary down the road.
Aldo Musacchio Ph.D.
Professor, Program Director of the MBABrandeis University
Brandeis International Business School
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Unit Directors?
Aldo Musacchio Ph.D.: Lately, employers appreciate software skills to manipulate data, like some knowledge of Python or R, and information visualization software like Tableau. Many companies have their databases in SQL format, and having the capacity to work with it is key. Interestingly, digital marketing and social media skills also get a lot of traction as many employers do not know how to keep and manage a presence in social media, especially in Instagram, and may not be as good as students using tools like Google Analytics.