Corporate director vs business director

The differences between corporate directors and business directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a corporate director, becoming a business director takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a corporate director has an average salary of $154,906, which is higher than the $124,563 average annual salary of a business director.

The top three skills for a corporate director include project management, oversight and customer service. The most important skills for a business director are project management, healthcare, and sigma.

Corporate director vs business director overview

	Corporate Director	Business Director
Yearly salary	$154,906	$124,563
Hourly rate	$74.47	$59.89
Growth rate	5%	6%
Number of jobs	66,254	137,880
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	46	44
Years of experience	8	6

What does a corporate director do?

A corporate director is a business individual who is an elected or appointed member of the board of directors that directs or manages a corporation. Corporate directors are responsible for making decisions regarding the supervision of the entire enterprise as well as their products and services. They are in control of others' property and are liable to both their individual and joint actions. Corporate directors are also bound by the duty to act within the scope of their authority and must exercise due care in the performance of their corporate tasks.

What does a business director do?

Business directors are responsible for overseeing the development of an organization's business goals and objectives. They typically work to increase business revenue, identify and develop business opportunities, and expand the company's presence and its brands. Other duties and responsibilities may include establishing effective company policies, goals, and sales targets, overseeing financial and budgetary activities, and identifying ways to minimize cost and boost financial performance. Business directors are also expected to negotiate contracts with clients and suppliers and propose and develop new partnerships.

Corporate director vs business director salary

Corporate directors and business directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Director	Business Director
Average salary	$154,906	$124,563
Salary range	Between $102,000 And $233,000	Between $86,000 And $178,000
Highest paying City	Beaverton, OR	Providence, RI
Highest paying state	Oregon	Rhode Island
Best paying company	AbbVie	Ep Energy
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between corporate director and business director education

There are a few differences between a corporate director and a business director in terms of educational background:

	Corporate Director	Business Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate director vs business director demographics

Here are the differences between corporate directors' and business directors' demographics:

	Corporate Director	Business Director
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 66.4% Female, 33.6%	Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 4.1% White, 78.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	10%

Differences between corporate director and business director duties and responsibilities

Corporate director example responsibilities.

Lead corporate governance and compliance functions and manage securities law and relate issues for ESOP (employee-own) enterprise.
Manage RFP for selection of new benefit consultants.
Manage the RFP development and review process through to vendor selection and contract finalization.
Manage accounting staff to provide accurate financial close in compliance with all internal control and SOX requirements.
Manage EHS compliance for a large-scale construction company specializing in smokestack construction.
Manage activities of divisional quality representatives for compliance to ISO 9001 and quality initiatives.

Business director example responsibilities.

Plan and project manage the migration, testing and deployment of a new ERP system.
Develop various tools and processes to identify operational risk, effectively manage KPI's and monitor vendor relationships.
Manage cost-centers and leverage unique Indian production and post- production capabilities and position the company as a prefer production partner.
Lead ERP selection process and implementation project.
Enter claims into Medicare system; bill Medicaid and long-term care policies.
Provide direct operational oversight and supervision for assign dining facility.

Corporate director vs business director skills

Common corporate director skills

Project Management, 7%
Oversight, 7%
Customer Service, 6%
Financial Statements, 5%
Patients, 5%
Business Development, 4%

Common business director skills

Project Management, 10%
Healthcare, 8%
Sigma, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Oversight, 5%
Business Development, 5%

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Corporate Director
Corporate Director vs Business Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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