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Group manager vs business unit manager

The differences between group managers and business unit managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a group manager and a business unit manager. Additionally, a business unit manager has an average salary of $122,782, which is higher than the $118,324 average annual salary of a group manager.

The top three skills for a group manager include client facing, project management and customer service. The most important skills for a business unit manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and product line.

Group manager vs business unit manager overview

Group ManagerBusiness Unit Manager
Yearly salary$118,324$122,782
Hourly rate$56.89$59.03
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs263,616295,151
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age4444
Years of experience66

What does a group manager do?

Group Managers are employees who oversee a specific department, team, or any group in the company. They are usually tenured employees or industry experts. Group Managers oversee their team's performance and professional growth. They set clear, strategic goals for the team and create plans to reach these goals. They monitor the achievement of such goals and guide their team along the way. They also manage the team professionally. The coach team members train the employees if there are updates or new strategies and ensure that they remain engaged. They motivate their team to perform well and strive hard to reach group goals.

What does a business unit manager do?

A business unit manager handles a unit or segment of the company. This unit may be a specialized team on specific projects or a part of a significant production process. The business unit manager ensures that the unit works efficiently and productively by implementing strategies and techniques that will enhance the productive output. A business unit manager also provides suggestions, offers solutions to problems, handles tasks delegation, planning production processes, and training and monitoring of employees in a unit.

Group manager vs business unit manager salary

Group managers and business unit managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Group ManagerBusiness Unit Manager
Average salary$118,324$122,782
Salary rangeBetween $78,000 And $178,000Between $81,000 And $184,000
Highest paying CityWashington, DCEast Providence, RI
Highest paying stateNew YorkRhode Island
Best paying companyGoogleCiti
Best paying industryFinanceTechnology

Differences between group manager and business unit manager education

There are a few differences between a group manager and a business unit manager in terms of educational background:

Group ManagerBusiness Unit Manager
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Group manager vs business unit manager demographics

Here are the differences between group managers' and business unit managers' demographics:

Group ManagerBusiness Unit Manager
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 67.9% Female, 32.1%Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2%
Race ratioBlack 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, 6.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between group manager and business unit manager duties and responsibilities

Group manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage SEO / paid media campaigns.
  • Manage the largest business intelligence portfolio, merchandising and pharmacy.
  • Establish PMO to manage significant interdependent assets align with strategic initiatives to ensure smooth interoperability and coordination.
  • Manage inter-relationships between diverse work groups in the brewing, packaging and distribution departments relating to internal logistics and production scheduling.
  • Manage payroll distribution process ensuring timeliness, accuracy, and confidentiality to protect client's privacy and prevent liability of exposure.
  • Maintain continuous alignment of architecture scope with strategic business objectives and drive modifications to enhance effectiveness toward end result.
  • Show more

Business unit manager example responsibilities.

  • Manage capital investment of $250k refurbishment project in RBD department to begin the plant's first TPM program.
  • Manage a portfolio of inpatient and outpatient products market to major academic medical centers, community hospitals and nursing homes.
  • Maintain establishment's monthly bills including payroll, utilities, advertisement, and vending.
  • Review as-is business processes and deploy new processes, roles & responsibilities and KPI's.
  • Calculate and paid all payroll taxes, sales taxes, and alcohol taxes for the business.
  • Develop and implement new business processes, tools, KPI's and scorecards to drive both improvement and adoption.
  • Show more

Group manager vs business unit manager skills

Common group manager skills
  • Client Facing, 13%
  • Project Management, 7%
  • Customer Service, 6%
  • Client Relationships, 6%
  • Process Improvement, 5%
  • Continuous Improvement, 5%
Common business unit manager skills
  • Continuous Improvement, 11%
  • Customer Service, 10%
  • Product Line, 5%
  • Project Management, 5%
  • Customer Satisfaction, 4%
  • Financial Performance, 4%

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