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The differences between business unit managers and senior 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 a senior operations manager. Additionally, a senior operations manager has an average salary of $126,839, which is higher than the $122,782 average annual salary of a business unit manager.
The top three skills for a business unit manager include continuous improvement, customer service and product line. The most important skills for a senior operations manager are customer service, project management, and continuous improvement.
| Business Unit Manager | Senior Operations Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $122,782 | $126,839 |
| Hourly rate | $59.03 | $60.98 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 295,151 | 247,414 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
A senior operations manager oversees the business operations within a particular department or establishment, ensuring that all procedures adhere to the policies and standards of the company. There are also instances when they must evaluate workers' performances, set budget and sales targets, produce progress reports and assessments, and coordinate with high-ranking officials. Moreover, a senior operations manager leads by motivating the workforce and devising strategies to improve the workflow and reach sales targets within the deadline. Should there be any issues, they must carry out corrective measures right away.
Business unit managers and senior operations managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Business Unit Manager | Senior Operations Manager | |
| Average salary | $122,782 | $126,839 |
| Salary range | Between $81,000 And $184,000 | Between $91,000 And $175,000 |
| Highest paying City | East Providence, RI | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | Citi | Airbnb |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a business unit manager and a senior operations manager in terms of educational background:
| Business Unit Manager | Senior Operations Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between business unit managers' and senior operations managers' demographics:
| Business Unit Manager | Senior Operations Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% | Male, 74.2% Female, 25.8% |
| 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, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |