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The differences between business unit leaders and business owners 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 owner. Additionally, a business unit leader has an average salary of $111,361, which is higher than the $50,934 average annual salary of a business owner.
The top three skills for a business unit leader include continuous improvement, quality standards and lean manufacturing. The most important skills for a business owner are customer service, payroll, and financial statements.
| Business Unit Leader | Business Owner | |
| Yearly salary | $111,361 | $50,934 |
| Hourly rate | $53.54 | $24.49 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 88,824 | 107,663 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| 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 owners, also known as Entrepreneurs, are responsible for their company and brand's success. There are many areas of responsibility when you're a business owner, such as in the aspects of planning and budgeting, arranging finances and legal documentation, and even hiring the workforce essential for the business to grow. However, these responsibilities will vary according to how a business owner will uphold them. Moreover, building a business from the ground up requires dedication and a vision and mission for the brand.
Business unit leaders and business owners have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Unit Leader | Business Owner | |
| Average salary | $111,361 | $50,934 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $191,000 | Between $27,000 And $94,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Seattle, WA |
| Highest paying state | New York | Washington |
| Best paying company | Goldman Sachs | BD |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Retail |
There are a few differences between a business unit leader and a business owner in terms of educational background:
| Business Unit Leader | Business Owner | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 52% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between business unit leaders' and business owners' demographics:
| Business Unit Leader | Business Owner | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% | Male, 51.4% Female, 48.6% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |