Director, technical operations vs area director

The differences between directors, technical 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, technical operations and an area director. Additionally, a director, technical operations has an average salary of $141,158, which is higher than the $100,433 average annual salary of an area director.

The top three skills for a director, technical operations include project management, cloud and network infrastructure. The most important skills for an area director are customer service, patients, and home health.

Director, technical operations vs area director overview

	Director, Technical Operations	Area Director
Yearly salary	$141,158	$100,433
Hourly rate	$67.86	$48.29
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	166,100	47,326
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a director, technical operations do?

A director of technical operations is in charge of spearheading the efforts in optimizing business operations. Their responsibilities revolve around performing research and analysis to determine the best operational practices, setting goals and objectives, allocating budgets, coordinating different departments, and evaluating the performance of technicians and engineers. Furthermore, as a director, it is essential to serve as a driving force that leads and encourages the workforce to meet goals and new heights, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.

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, technical operations vs area director salary

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

	Director, Technical Operations	Area Director
Average salary	$141,158	$100,433
Salary range	Between $98,000 And $201,000	Between $55,000 And $182,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Brookfield Properties	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Technology	Health Care

Differences between director, technical operations and area director education

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

	Director, Technical Operations	Area Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 70%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Director, technical operations vs area director demographics

Here are the differences between directors, technical operations' and area directors' demographics:

	Director, Technical Operations	Area Director
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0%	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, 67.2% 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, technical operations and area director duties and responsibilities

Director, technical operations example responsibilities.

Manage global MPLS network provider and new installations.
Manage cloud-base, IAAS, or outsource relationships relate to business systems
Implement and manage SAN storage system and other large storage volumes creation and maintenance.
Manage construction managers, RF managers, and operations to coordinate successful project completions.
Lead the development, manufacturing and delivery of Linux backup appliance storage server solution for small business customers.
Define, document, and enforce guidelines regarding SOX compliance, pertinent to operational functions for all manage areas.

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, technical operations vs area director skills

Common director, technical operations skills

Project Management, 10%
Cloud, 6%
Network Infrastructure, 5%
Architecture, 5%
Windows, 4%
SAN, 4%

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, Technical Operations
Director, Technical Operations vs Area Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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