Director of field operations vs area director

The differences between directors of field operations and area directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a director of field operations and an area director. Additionally, an area director has an average salary of $100,433, which is higher than the $98,418 average annual salary of a director of field operations.

The top three skills for a director of field operations include oversight, project management and human resources. The most important skills for an area director are customer service, patients, and home health.

Director of field operations vs area director overview

	Director Of Field Operations	Area Director
Yearly salary	$98,418	$100,433
Hourly rate	$47.32	$48.29
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	166,986	47,326
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director of field operations do?

A director of field operations spearheads and oversees the daily field operations of a company, including its other branches or stores. They have the authority to make significant decisions based on extensive research and reviews while adhering to company standards and regulations. Their duties also entail administrative tasks, such as overseeing the department's employment and training procedures, developing sales strategies, setting objectives and guidelines, establishing budgets, and building positive relationships with potential business partners. Additionally, as a director, it is essential to lead and empower staff in a joint effort to reach program goals.

What does an area director do?

Area directors oversee the operations of the company in a particular area. They manage the company's presence in their assigned area. Area directors come up with strategies so that their area meets company goals. They manage the company's performance in their area, from sales to marketing to finance to human resources. Area directors are expected to have in-depth knowledge of the situation and the context in the area they handle. They should be able to identify strengths and areas for improvement in their area. As such, they would be able to capitalize on their strengths and address their areas for improvement. Overall, area directors are responsible for the fulfillment of the company's vision in their area.

Director of field operations vs area director salary

Directors of field operations and area directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Director Of Field Operations	Area Director
Average salary	$98,418	$100,433
Salary range	Between $70,000 And $137,000	Between $55,000 And $182,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	Alaska	New Jersey
Best paying company	Amazon	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Hospitality	Health Care

Differences between director of field operations and area director education

There are a few differences between a director of field operations and an area director in terms of educational background:

	Director Of Field Operations	Area Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Director of field operations vs area director demographics

Here are the differences between directors of field operations' and area directors' demographics:

	Director Of Field Operations	Area Director
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%	Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% 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, 67.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between director of field operations and area director duties and responsibilities

Director of field operations example responsibilities.

Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
Provide oversight of construction projects for commercial mechanical contractor.
Provide finance oversight of territory real estate portfolio decision making.
Leverage extensive technical subject matter expertise to evaluate and improve image quality; develop models to demonstrate improvements in establish KPIs.
Establish training and internal protocols around auditing of pertinent Medicare transactions, increasing frequency of audit while maintaining and improving compliance.

Area director example responsibilities.

Manage all aspects of selling process such as ROI, quotes, budgetary approval and demos.
Manage due diligence requirements and rehabilitation plans.
Lead operations for contract rehabilitation practice across north and central Texas.
Establish and manage the mid-Atlantic regional office of a privately own legal education company that provide educational services to law students.
Provide administrative (programmatic and fiscal) oversight for residential homes for people with cerebral palsy and developmental disabilities.
Offer risk management and insurance services to the healthcare industry.

Director of field operations vs area director skills

Common director of field operations skills

Oversight, 15%
Project Management, 9%
Human Resources, 7%
Continuous Improvement, 6%
Logistics, 6%
Direct Reports, 5%

Common area director skills

Customer Service, 8%
Patients, 8%
Home Health, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Human Resources, 5%
Financial Performance, 4%

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Director Of Field Operations
Director Of Field Operations vs Area Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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