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The differences between business unit leaders and business 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 leader and a business director. Additionally, a business director has an average salary of $124,563, which is higher than the $111,361 average annual salary of a business unit leader.
The top three skills for a business unit leader include continuous improvement, quality standards and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a business director are project management, healthcare, and sigma.
| Business Unit Leader | Business Director | |
| Yearly salary | $111,361 | $124,563 |
| Hourly rate | $53.54 | $59.89 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 88,824 | 137,880 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Business Unit Leader manages growth initiatives such as future acquisition opportunities, strategic partnerships, and organic innovation. These professionals control strategy deployment to ensure operational productivity and economy. They offer this service to sites focusing on Human Resources, Information Technology, Lead Operation, Lean Accounting, Lead Process, Strategic Pricing, and more. Business Unit Leaders also lead by promoting talent management, counseling, team concepts, individual development, training, coaching, mentoring, and retaining. They develop and manage the business unit department budget and strategic plan.
Business directors are responsible for overseeing the development of an organization's business goals and objectives. They typically work to increase business revenue, identify and develop business opportunities, and expand the company's presence and its brands. Other duties and responsibilities may include establishing effective company policies, goals, and sales targets, overseeing financial and budgetary activities, and identifying ways to minimize cost and boost financial performance. Business directors are also expected to negotiate contracts with clients and suppliers and propose and develop new partnerships.
Business unit leaders and business directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Unit Leader | Business Director | |
| Average salary | $111,361 | $124,563 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $191,000 | Between $86,000 And $178,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | New York | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Goldman Sachs | Ep Energy |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Finance |
There are a few differences between a business unit leader and a business director in terms of educational background:
| Business Unit Leader | Business Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between business unit leaders' and business directors' demographics:
| Business Unit Leader | Business Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% | Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |