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The differences between directors of retail 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 retail operations and an area director. Additionally, a director of retail operations has an average salary of $108,032, which is higher than the $100,433 average annual salary of an area director.
The top three skills for a director of retail operations include retail operations, business development and project management. The most important skills for an area director are customer service, patients, and home health.
| Director Of Retail Operations | Area Director | |
| Yearly salary | $108,032 | $100,433 |
| Hourly rate | $51.94 | $48.29 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 153,695 | 47,326 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A director of retail operations spearheads and oversees the overall retail functions of a company. It is their duty to manage employees, set goals and budgets, establish guidelines and timelines, streamline roadmaps, gather and analyze data to identify the strengths and weaknesses of operations, develop solutions against vulnerable areas, and create strategies to optimize the workflow and the performance of the workforce. Moreover, as a director, it is essential to lead and encourage staff to reach goals while enforcing the company's policies and regulations, implementing new ones as necessary.
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.
Directors of retail operations and area directors have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director Of Retail Operations | Area Director | |
| Average salary | $108,032 | $100,433 |
| Salary range | Between $72,000 And $161,000 | Between $55,000 And $182,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Boston, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | DoorDash | AstraZeneca |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a director of retail operations and an area director in terms of educational background:
| Director Of Retail Operations | Area Director | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between directors of retail operations' and area directors' demographics:
| Director Of Retail Operations | Area Director | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.4% Female, 32.6% | Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.1% 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% |