Operations director vs area director

The differences between operations directors 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 an operations director and an area director. Additionally, an operations director has an average salary of $104,050, which is higher than the $100,433 average annual salary of an area director.

The top three skills for an operations director include customer service, continuous improvement and oversight. The most important skills for an area director are customer service, patients, and home health.

Operations director vs area director overview

	Operations Director	Area Director
Yearly salary	$104,050	$100,433
Hourly rate	$50.02	$48.29
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	114,993	47,326
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	6

What does an operations director do?

Operations directors oversee all company operations. They have the power to set the direction, change the course of the organization, and reform strategies to ensure efficiency in how the company operates. Operations directors manage business operations effectively by constantly analyzing company data and by anticipating any challenge that may come their way. As such, they make sound business decisions and recommendations that will help strengthen the organization. Operations directors oversee finances, quality control, and even human resources. They ensure that all aspects of the business are considered in making business operations decisions.

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.

Operations director vs area director salary

Operations directors and area directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Operations Director	Area Director
Average salary	$104,050	$100,433
Salary range	Between $65,000 And $164,000	Between $55,000 And $182,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Boston, MA
Highest paying state	California	New Jersey
Best paying company	Airbnb	AstraZeneca
Best paying industry	Finance	Health Care

Differences between operations director and area director education

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

	Operations Director	Area Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Operations director vs area director demographics

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

	Operations Director	Area Director
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 70.6% Female, 29.4%	Male, 63.9% Female, 36.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.9% Asian, 6.3% White, 67.9% 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 operations director and area director duties and responsibilities

Operations director example responsibilities.

Manage KPI reports from all warranty companies to ensure increasing sales and productivity.
Spearhead governance, security and compliance initiatives to achieve SOX and PCI compliance.
Manage a PMO style team to implement any changes across the global contact centers.
Develop all marketing strategies and materials as well as personally managing key OEM and national accounts.
Manage multiple vendor relationships for RFP development and review, contract negotiation, contract terms management, and accounts payable review.
Provide leadership to manufacturing organization by aligning overall KPIs to achieve near term and long term business objectives.

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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.

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Operations director vs area director skills

Common operations director skills

Customer Service, 12%
Continuous Improvement, 7%
Oversight, 7%
Patients, 6%
Project Management, 5%
Human Resources, 4%

Common area director skills

Customer Service, 8%
Patients, 8%
Home Health, 8%
Oversight, 7%
Human Resources, 5%
Financial Performance, 4%

Operations Director vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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