Managing director vs business director

The differences between managing directors and business 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 managing director and a business director. Additionally, a managing director has an average salary of $129,690, which is higher than the $124,563 average annual salary of a business director.

The top three skills for a managing director include healthcare, portfolio and business development. The most important skills for a business director are project management, healthcare, and sigma.

Managing director vs business director overview

	Managing Director	Business Director
Yearly salary	$129,690	$124,563
Hourly rate	$62.35	$59.89
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	81,022	137,880
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does a managing director do?

A Managing Director oversees workflow and progress, making sure that all operations align within the company or organization's mission or set of goals. They are responsible for crafting strategies, devising effective business plans, and executing guidelines that would nurture a company's growth, and as well as to be the driving force that would direct employees to the company's objectives. Furthermore, a Managing Director must coordinate with those in a higher position, such as the members of the board.

What does a business director do?

Business directors are responsible for overseeing the development of an organization's business goals and objectives. They typically work to increase business revenue, identify and develop business opportunities, and expand the company's presence and its brands. Other duties and responsibilities may include establishing effective company policies, goals, and sales targets, overseeing financial and budgetary activities, and identifying ways to minimize cost and boost financial performance. Business directors are also expected to negotiate contracts with clients and suppliers and propose and develop new partnerships.

Managing director vs business director salary

Managing directors and business directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Managing Director	Business Director
Average salary	$129,690	$124,563
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $233,000	Between $86,000 And $178,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Providence, RI
Highest paying state	New York	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison	Ep Energy
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between managing director and business director education

There are a few differences between a managing director and a business director in terms of educational background:

	Managing Director	Business Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 69%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Managing director vs business director demographics

Here are the differences between managing directors' and business directors' demographics:

	Managing Director	Business Director
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5%	Male, 63.3% Female, 36.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 68.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between managing director and business director duties and responsibilities

Managing director example responsibilities.

Create and manage the social media presence via a festival page on Facebook.
Manage all consulting resources and have overall P/L responsibilities for the Atlanta office.
Manage the lessee and lessor relationships regarding exchange seat leases with major markets, such as NYSE, AMEX, CBOE.
Manage denials and expedite managed care appeals (reimbursement reconsideration).
Manage payroll processing for thousands of industrial temporary workers and bill respective clients.
Manage the Ketera SaaS relationship for IBM with engagement development and profitability responsibilities.

Business director example responsibilities.

Plan and project manage the migration, testing and deployment of a new ERP system.
Develop various tools and processes to identify operational risk, effectively manage KPI's and monitor vendor relationships.
Manage cost-centers and leverage unique Indian production and post- production capabilities and position the company as a prefer production partner.
Lead ERP selection process and implementation project.
Enter claims into Medicare system; bill Medicaid and long-term care policies.
Provide direct operational oversight and supervision for assign dining facility.

Managing director vs business director skills

Common managing director skills

Healthcare, 7%
Portfolio, 7%
Business Development, 6%
Oversight, 6%
Project Management, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common business director skills

Project Management, 10%
Healthcare, 8%
Sigma, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Oversight, 5%
Business Development, 5%

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Managing Director
Managing Director vs Business Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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