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The differences between business unit leaders and senior business managers 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 senior business manager. Additionally, a senior business manager has an average salary of $134,737, 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 senior business manager are analytics, project management, and portfolio.
| Business Unit Leader | Senior Business Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $111,361 | $134,737 |
| Hourly rate | $53.54 | $64.78 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 88,824 | 303,902 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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.
A senior business manager oversees the daily operations in a company, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around directing and assessing workforce performance, setting company objectives and goals, and coordinating with different departments to be aware of any issues or concerns. It is also essential to devise strategies to find new sales opportunities, perform research and analysis to identify client needs, and promptly resolve any problems that may arise. Furthermore, as a senior business manager, it is essential to lead and encourage the workforce, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
Business unit leaders and senior business managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Unit Leader | Senior Business Manager | |
| Average salary | $111,361 | $134,737 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $191,000 | Between $96,000 And $187,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Hartford, CT |
| Highest paying state | New York | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Goldman Sachs | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Professional |
There are a few differences between a business unit leader and a senior business manager in terms of educational background:
| Business Unit Leader | Senior Business Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between business unit leaders' and senior business managers' demographics:
| Business Unit Leader | Senior Business Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.1% Female, 18.9% | Male, 64.4% Female, 35.6% |
| 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% |