Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between plant 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 plant manager and a business unit manager. Additionally, a business unit manager has an average salary of $122,782, which is higher than the $113,843 average annual salary of a plant manager.
The top three skills for a plant manager include continuous improvement, customer service and safety program. The most important skills for a business unit manager are continuous improvement, customer service, and product line.
| Plant Manager | Business Unit Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $113,843 | $122,782 |
| Hourly rate | $54.73 | $59.03 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 275,962 | 295,151 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
In general, plant managers are responsible for the entire operations in a manufacturing plant. Plant managers plan, direct, organize, and run the optimum operations of the plant daily. They create and execute organizational or departmental goals procedures, and policies. They aim to increase the manufacturing production and the capacity and flexibility of its assets while keeping its current quality standards and unnecessary costs. They are expected to have a better understanding of the manufacturing industry like equipment use and mechanical aptitude.
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.
Plant managers and business unit managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plant Manager | Business Unit Manager | |
| Average salary | $113,843 | $122,782 |
| Salary range | Between $85,000 And $152,000 | Between $81,000 And $184,000 |
| Highest paying City | Richmond, CA | East Providence, RI |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a plant manager and a business unit manager in terms of educational background:
| Plant Manager | Business Unit Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between plant managers' and business unit managers' demographics:
| Plant Manager | Business Unit Manager | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.7% Female, 6.3% | Male, 82.8% Female, 17.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 67.0% 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 Percentage | 10% | 10% |