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What is a regional director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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A regional director oversees the operations of a specific geographic area for a company or organization. They manage multiple departments and ensure that teams meet their objectives. Regional directors collaborate with other executives to develop strategies that align with the company's overall mission. They also communicate with clients, stakeholders, and employees to build relationships and maintain a positive company reputation. Regional directors typically have experience in management and possess leadership, communication, and analytical skills.

ScoreRegional DirectorUS Average
Salary
6.1

Avg. Salary $78,190

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
6.4

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.7
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.24%

Asian 4.07%

Black or African American 3.24%

Hispanic or Latino 9.82%

Unknown 4.41%

White 78.23%

Gender

female 38.92%

male 61.08%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress level
6.4

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a regional director?

Pros

  • High level of responsibility and autonomy

  • Competitive salary and benefits package

  • Potential for career advancement and growth

  • Flexibility in scheduling and work arrangements

  • Access to resources and support from headquarters

Cons

  • Long hours and demanding workload

  • Dealing with difficult or resistant team members or departments

  • Limited control over decisions made by headquarters or upper management

  • Risk of burnout or exhaustion from the intensity of the role

  • Limited work-life balance due to the nature of the job

Regional director career paths

Key steps to become a regional director

  1. Explore regional director education requirements

    Most common regional director degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.5 %

    Master's

    18.3 %

    Associate

    9.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific regional director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Healthcare12.51%
    Patients9.57%
    Customer Service8.19%
    Oversight7.94%
    Professional Development4.49%
  3. Complete relevant regional director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New regional directors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a regional director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real regional director resumes.
  4. Research regional director duties and responsibilities

    • Achieve 140 RevPAR index for first year, first place in STR report.
    • Recruit, train, and manage multiple alumni boards of volunteers.
    • Achieve $20 ADR increase through mix of business and capturing multiple new accounts.
    • Achieve five-star rating in each of the CMS rating system categories for a skil rehab facility.
  5. Get regional director experience

    Generally, it takes 6-8 years to become a regional director. The most common roles before becoming a regional director include general manager, director team lead and district manager.
  6. Prepare your regional director resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your regional director resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a regional director resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable regional director resume templates

    Build a professional regional director resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your regional director resume.
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    Regional Director Resume
    Regional Director Resume
    Regional Director Resume
  7. Apply for regional director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a regional director job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first regional director job

Zippi

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Average regional director salary

The average regional director salary in the United States is $78,190 per year or $38 per hour. Regional director salaries range between $41,000 and $147,000 per year.

Average regional director salary
$78,190 Yearly
$37.59 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do regional directors rate their job?

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Regional director reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

I am responsible for everything be it any side of the business


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2022
Cons

Being restricted to working with a smaller group, than might need Leadership training and coaching.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2020
Pros

Working with teams, creating and sustaining service delivery systems, variety of tasks and projects, making it happen.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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