Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between owners and owner/operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes More than 10 years to become an owner, becoming an owner/operator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an owner/operator has an average salary of $167,288, which is higher than the $90,334 average annual salary of an owner.
The top three skills for an owner include customer service, payroll and financial statements. The most important skills for an owner/operator are CDL, PET, and customer service.
| Owner | Owner/Operator | |
| Yearly salary | $90,334 | $167,288 |
| Hourly rate | $43.43 | $80.43 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 86,486 | 119,599 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Average age | 52 | 48 |
| Years of experience | - | 2 |
Owners, in the most basic sense, own the business, company, or organization. They are responsible for building the business. They create business plans and the general vision and mission of the company, set goals, work on these goals, and ensure that the business keeps running. They manage all aspects of their business, from finances to marketing to people, etc. When the business becomes stable, owners eventually hire more employees. As such, owners also become overseers who would ensure that the organization remains afloat.
Owners/operators manage the business in all aspects, especially in those related to operations. They ensure that every aspect of the business is running smoothly. They oversee finance, marketing, logistics, sales, and even the human resources of the whole organization. They set business goals, create action plans to achieve them, and make sure that the plans are followed through. They set strategic direction and make business decisions that would be the most beneficial to the organization. They ensure that the business has enough funds to continue operating and that the quality of the products and services they offer continuously improve.
Owners and owner/operators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Owner | Owner/Operator | |
| Average salary | $90,334 | $167,288 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $135,000 | Between $105,000 And $264,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | Bridgeport, CT |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Oregon |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Reddy Ice |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between an owner and an owner/operator in terms of educational background:
| Owner | Owner/Operator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 52% | Bachelor's Degree, 42% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | - |
Here are the differences between owners' and owner/operators' demographics:
| Owner | Owner/Operator | |
| Average age | 52 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.1% Female, 36.9% | Male, 66.8% Female, 33.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 7.6% Asian, 7.5% White, 76.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% Asian, 3.6% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% |
| LGBT Percentage | 12% | 4% |