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The differences between leaders and unit leaders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a leader, becoming a unit leader takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a leader has an average salary of $86,964, which is higher than the $42,921 average annual salary of a unit leader.
The top three skills for a leader include customer service, strong time management and excellent interpersonal. The most important skills for a unit leader are conflict resolution, customer service, and cash handling.
| Leader | Unit Leader | |
| Yearly salary | $86,964 | $42,921 |
| Hourly rate | $41.81 | $20.64 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 172,293 | 63,952 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
Leaders pave the way for a company to achieve certain goals. They are in charge of bringing the organization to greater heights. They set the direction of the organization, much like how a captain sets the sails of the ship. They are responsible for coming up with main strategies and alternatives should there be challenges along the way. Leaders ensure that the company is guided by its vision and mission and that the employees emulate company values. They do so through leading by example. Leaders should have strategic skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
A unit leader is responsible for managing logistics and route efficiency to increase territory profits. Responsibilities include leading operational projects in manufacturing, coordinating daily cash reconciliation, and reviewing analytical reports before submission to QA. Additionally, you will be responsible for compiling reports for management and developing department communication strategies. As a unit leader, you will be assessing clients for a variety of entitlement programs and performing vendor management and administrative duties related to facilitation, special projects, and web-based training.
Leaders and unit leaders have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Leader | Unit Leader | |
| Average salary | $86,964 | $42,921 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $153,000 | Between $18,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, ME | Schenectady, NY |
| Highest paying state | Maine | New York |
| Best paying company | Eli Lilly and Company | Genentech |
| Best paying industry | - | - |
There are a few differences between a leader and a unit leader in terms of educational background:
| Leader | Unit Leader | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between leaders' and unit leaders' demographics:
| Leader | Unit Leader | |
| Average age | 46 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.8% Female, 50.2% | Male, 41.8% Female, 58.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 6% | 8% |