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Business unit manager salary

Average business unit manager salary

$122,782

$59.03 hourly rate

Entry-level business unit manager salary
$81,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Understanding Business Unit Manager Salaries

The role of a Business Unit Manager is pivotal in shaping a company's direction and performance. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $122,782 per year. Factors influencing this salary include geographic location, years of experience, and the industry in which one works.

For instance, Business Unit Managers in higher-paying states such as California and New York tend to earn more due to the cost of living and market demand. Moreover, those with extensive experience may command salaries significantly above the average.

In addition to traditional roles, diverse opportunities exist within various industries, allowing managers to leverage their skills for better compensation. Understanding the salary landscape can empower professionals to negotiate better terms and pursue roles that align with their aspirations.

Average Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level positions typically start at lower salaries, while senior managers with extensive experience can earn upwards of $150,000 annually. It's crucial for aspiring Business Unit Managers to continuously develop their skills and expand their networks to enhance their career prospects and salary potential.

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Where can a Business Unit Manager earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
179k
159k
139k
119k
99k
79k
59k
Columbus, OH$156,442
Burlington, IA$89,247
Compare salary by company
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178k
158k
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98k
Citi$160,253
Johnson & Johnson$128,151

Business unit manager salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level business unit manager$50,600$24.31
Mid-level business unit manager$78,100$37.55
Senior-level business unit manager$142,000$68.09

Business unit manager salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert, Comparably and Payscale, the average salary for a business unit manager typically falls between $89,874 and $195,345.
zippia
$122,782yearly
glassdoor[1]
$116,052yearly
comparably[2]
$195,345yearly
Salary.com[3]
$126,486yearly
ZipRecruiter[4]
$112,000yearly
payscale[5]
$120,243yearly
SalaryExpert[6]
$89,874yearly

Average business unit manager salary by state

The average business unit manager salary in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average business unit manager salary states are Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Idaho.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for business unit managers

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1District of Columbia$151,519$72.85
2Massachusetts$145,120$69.77
3Rhode Island$154,476$74.27
4Wisconsin$122,250$58.77
5New York$140,168$67.39
6Delaware$135,104$64.95
7Ohio$112,090$53.89
8Washington$142,309$68.42
9Indiana$114,118$54.86
10Minnesota$111,890$53.79
11New Mexico$120,483$57.92
12Nevada$107,488$51.68
13New Jersey$135,330$65.06
14Michigan$105,765$50.85
15Virginia$124,837$60.02
16Pennsylvania$118,742$57.09
17Texas$108,102$51.97
18Connecticut$118,062$56.76
19Kansas$99,339$47.76
20Alabama$105,707$50.82
21South Dakota$108,264$52.05
22California$114,137$54.87
23Colorado$118,202$56.83
24North Carolina$104,966$50.46
25Maryland$116,835$56.17
26Louisiana$94,841$45.60
27Tennessee$91,342$43.91
28Illinois$96,839$46.56
29New Hampshire$95,834$46.07
30Florida$98,341$47.28
31West Virginia$87,459$42.05
32Iowa$88,136$42.37
33Alaska$92,584$44.51
34South Carolina$86,373$41.53
35Kentucky$83,948$40.36
36Georgia$96,630$46.46
37Oregon$97,128$46.70
38Missouri$80,330$38.62
39North Dakota$92,022$44.24
40Arizona$91,782$44.13
41Nebraska$86,788$41.73
42Maine$94,071$45.23
43Mississippi$82,358$39.60
44Montana$77,093$37.06
45Arkansas$73,809$35.49
46Vermont$90,062$43.30
47Oklahoma$75,889$36.49
48Wyoming$75,553$36.32
49Utah$63,317$30.44
50Idaho$75,446$36.27
51Hawaii$55,326$26.60

Highest paying cities for business unit managers

The highest-paying cities for business unit managers are East Providence, RI, Boston, MA, and Everett, WA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1East Providence, RI$156,442$75.21
2Boston, MA$146,382$70.38
3Everett, WA$145,007$69.71
4New York, NY$141,133$67.85
5Jersey City, NJ$136,002$65.39
6San Jose, CA$119,935$57.66
7Philadelphia, PA$119,321$57.37
8Denver, CO$118,355$56.90
9Branford, CT$118,303$56.88
10El Paso, TX$115,256$55.41
11Columbus, IN$114,038$54.83
12Columbus, OH$112,099$53.89
13Durham, NC$106,081$51.00
14Troy, MI$106,017$50.97
15Jacksonville, FL$104,160$50.08
16Glenview, IL$97,273$46.77
17Atlanta, GA$97,122$46.69
18Portland, OR$96,096$46.20
19Phoenix, AZ$92,086$44.27
20Burlington, IA$89,247$42.91

Business unit manager salary details

A business unit manager's salary ranges from $81,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $184,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average business unit manager salary graph
Average business unit manager salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a business unit manager's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$184,000$15,333$88
75th Percentile$152,000$12,667$73
Average$122,782$10,232$59
25th Percentile$99,000$8,250$48
10th Percentile$81,000$6,750$39

Highest paying business unit manager jobs

The highest paying types of business unit managers are senior business manager, senior business development manager, and senior operations manager.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Manager Of Business Services$98,244$8,187$47.23313,139
Day Manager$44,969$3,747$21.62280,978
Group Manager$118,324$9,860$56.89263,616
Plant Manager$113,843$9,487$54.73275,962
Division Manager$81,755$6,813$39.31349,279
Zone Manager$50,974$4,248$24.51298,152

Top companies hiring business unit managers now:

  1. Citi jobs (50)
  2. Accenture jobs (18)
  3. Weatherford International jobs (17)
  4. Abbott jobs (12)
  5. Frito-Lay jobs (13)

Which companies pay business unit managers the most?

Business unit manager salaries at Citi and TBWA Worldwide are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average business unit manager salary at companies like Goldman Sachs and Navistar are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Citi$160,253$77.04
2TBWA Worldwide$151,102$72.65
3Goldman Sachs$149,303$71.78
4Navistar$144,922$69.67
5Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC$142,701$68.61
6Accenture$142,208$68.37
7NTN Bower Corporation$140,837$67.71
8Amgen$139,840$67.23
9Hitachi Vantara$136,646$65.70
10ON Semiconductor$136,279$65.52
11Weatherford International$134,993$64.90
12MUFG EMEA$134,897$64.85
13Hayward Pool Products$133,182$64.03
14BD$132,709$63.80
15International Trucks$131,921$63.42
16Gilbane Building Company$130,592$62.78
17Hubbell$130,341$62.66
18YKK AP America$129,884$62.44
19Ball$129,096$62.07
20Johnson & Johnson$128,151$61.61

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$128,000$125,400$122,800$120,200$117,600$115,000
MaleFemale

Business Unit Manager salary by industry

The average business unit manager salary varies across industries:

  • The average business unit manager salary in the technology industry is $122,916, the highest of any industry.
  • The average business unit manager salary in the finance industry is $119,532.
  • Business unit managers in the finance industry earn an average salary of $110,036, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for business unit managers

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Technology$122,916$59.09
2Manufacturing$119,532$57.47
3Professional$117,864$56.67
4Automotive$114,627$55.11
5Finance$110,036$52.90

High paying business unit manager jobs

Business unit manager salary trends

The average business unit manager salary has risen by $10,069 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average business unit manager earned $112,713 annually, but today, they earn $122,782 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for business unit managers over the last decade.

Compare business unit manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average business unit manager salary over time

Compare business unit manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Business unit manager salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$123,000$59.03+2.8%
2024$119,000$57.40-0.1%
2023$120,000$57.48+0.5%
2022$119,000$57.18+1.1%
2021$118,000$56.56+1.6%

Recently added business unit manager salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Jabil Inc.Technical Business Unit ManagerSan Jose, CA06/26/2025$144,400
Conagra FoodsBusiness Unit ManagerTroy, OH06/21/2025$81,000
Conagra Brands, Inc.Business Unit ManagerTroy, OH06/20/2025$81,000
Zimmer BiometBusiness Unit Controller ManagerEnglewood, CO06/18/2025$125,000
Parker-Hannifin, CorporationBusiness Unit ManagerCarson, CA06/17/2025$153,052
Wunderlich-Malec CareersBusiness Unit ManagerOakdale, MN06/15/2025$170,000
Republic Services, Inc.Business Unit Finance ManagerRock Falls, IL06/11/2025$109,520
Anton Paar Usa Inc.Business Unit Sales ManagerAshland, VA06/10/2025$141,800
Regions BankBusiness Unit Compliance ManagerBirmingham, AL06/07/2025$118,539
International PaperBusiness Unit Manager-MaintenanceNunez, GA06/01/2025$146,560

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