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The differences between business unit managers and operations 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 manager and an operations manager. Additionally, a business unit manager has an average salary of $122,782, which is higher than the $76,894 average annual salary of an operations manager.
The top three skills for a business unit manager include continuous improvement, customer service and product line. The most important skills for an operations manager are customer service, logistics, and continuous improvement.
| Business Unit Manager | Operations Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $122,782 | $76,894 |
| Hourly rate | $59.03 | $36.97 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 295,151 | 343,868 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A business unit manager handles a unit or segment of the company. This unit may be a specialized team on specific projects or a part of a significant production process. The business unit manager ensures that the unit works efficiently and productively by implementing strategies and techniques that will enhance the productive output. A business unit manager also provides suggestions, offers solutions to problems, handles tasks delegation, planning production processes, and training and monitoring of employees in a unit.
Operations managers are in charge of running the main business of the organization. They ensure that the business is running smoothly from an operations standpoint. They make sure that the processes in place produce the necessary output by implementing quality control measures. They also manage finances and ensure that there is enough budget to keep the operations of the business running. They also ensure that the production of goods or services is cost-efficient. Operations managers also handle people-related concerns. They are responsible for interviewing candidates, choosing the ones to hire, and ensuring that individuals assigned to operations are properly trained.
Business unit managers and operations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Unit Manager | Operations Manager | |
| Average salary | $122,782 | $76,894 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $184,000 | Between $47,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | East Providence, RI | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Delaware |
| Best paying company | Citi | McKinsey & Company Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a business unit manager and an operations manager in terms of educational background:
| Business Unit Manager | Operations Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between business unit managers' and operations managers' demographics:
| Business Unit Manager | Operations Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% | Male, 69.4% Female, 30.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% 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, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |