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Business unit director salary
Average business unit director salary
$135,050
Understanding Business Unit Director Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a business unit director stands at $135,050 annually. This role, critical for guiding business strategies, shows significant variation based on experience and location. Entry-level directors may start around $95,000, while those with over ten years of experience can earn upwards of $180,000.
Salary by State
Geographic location greatly influences earnings. States such as California and New York offer some of the highest salaries for this position, with averages reaching $150,000 and above. Meanwhile, regions with a lower cost of living may offer salaries closer to $120,000.
Industry Impact
The industry also plays a crucial role in salary determination. Business unit directors in technology and finance generally command higher salaries compared to those in non-profit sectors. Understanding these variables can assist job seekers in making informed career decisions.
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Where can a Business Unit Director earn more?
Business unit director salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level business unit director | $55,600 | $26.74 |
| Mid-level business unit director | $85,900 | $41.30 |
| Senior-level business unit director | $156,000 | $74.89 |
Business unit director salary estimates from across the web
Average business unit director salary by state
The average business unit director salary in Alaska, California, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average business unit director salary states are Florida, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for business unit directors
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $187,255 | $90.03 |
| 2 | Alaska | $150,467 | $72.34 |
| 3 | Nevada | $133,893 | $64.37 |
| 4 | New York | $144,329 | $69.39 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $146,266 | $70.32 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $140,288 | $67.45 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $143,615 | $69.05 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $141,061 | $67.82 |
| 9 | California | $147,424 | $70.88 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $125,487 | $60.33 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $133,716 | $64.29 |
| 12 | Nebraska | $122,577 | $58.93 |
| 13 | Washington | $138,476 | $66.58 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $127,919 | $61.50 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $119,493 | $57.45 |
| 16 | Indiana | $121,954 | $58.63 |
| 17 | Texas | $125,241 | $60.21 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $121,732 | $58.52 |
| 19 | Delaware | $126,351 | $60.75 |
| 20 | Virginia | $135,269 | $65.03 |
| 21 | Maine | $124,193 | $59.71 |
| 22 | Michigan | $116,836 | $56.17 |
| 23 | Alabama | $112,721 | $54.19 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | $122,572 | $58.93 |
| 25 | Ohio | $112,789 | $54.23 |
| 26 | Oregon | $122,974 | $59.12 |
| 27 | Louisiana | $107,049 | $51.47 |
| 28 | Colorado | $128,783 | $61.91 |
| 29 | Illinois | $121,111 | $58.23 |
| 30 | Maryland | $128,516 | $61.79 |
| 31 | Iowa | $113,622 | $54.63 |
| 32 | Arizona | $121,893 | $58.60 |
| 33 | Missouri | $104,763 | $50.37 |
| 34 | Minnesota | $118,764 | $57.10 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $96,067 | $46.19 |
| 36 | Georgia | $117,766 | $56.62 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $112,803 | $54.23 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $101,386 | $48.74 |
| 39 | Kentucky | $97,464 | $46.86 |
| 40 | Vermont | $107,186 | $51.53 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $103,644 | $49.83 |
| 42 | Kansas | $94,508 | $45.44 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $87,653 | $42.14 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $89,832 | $43.19 |
| 45 | Montana | $86,950 | $41.80 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $95,605 | $45.96 |
| 47 | Utah | $97,280 | $46.77 |
| 48 | Idaho | $99,872 | $48.02 |
| 49 | Florida | $93,397 | $44.90 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $86,014 | $41.35 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $83,733 | $40.26 |
Highest paying cities for business unit directors
The highest-paying cities for business unit directors are San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, and Stamford, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $155,509 | $74.76 |
| 2 | New York, NY | $144,846 | $69.64 |
| 3 | Stamford, CT | $143,594 | $69.04 |
| 4 | Watertown Town, MA | $140,602 | $67.60 |
| 5 | Reston, VA | $136,230 | $65.50 |
| 6 | Raleigh, NC | $135,030 | $64.92 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $128,676 | $61.86 |
| 8 | Houston, TX | $125,990 | $60.57 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $125,976 | $60.57 |
| 10 | Pittsburgh, PA | $125,408 | $60.29 |
| 11 | Scottsdale, AZ | $122,064 | $58.68 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $121,677 | $58.50 |
| 13 | Peachtree City, GA | $117,299 | $56.39 |
| 14 | Troy, MI | $117,261 | $56.38 |
| 15 | Columbia, SC | $103,870 | $49.94 |
| 16 | Draper, UT | $96,929 | $46.60 |
| 17 | Pocatello, ID | $94,892 | $45.62 |
| 18 | Miami, FL | $93,294 | $44.85 |
Business unit director salary details
A business unit director's salary ranges from $95,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $190,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a business unit director's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $190,000 | $15,833 | $91 |
| 75th Percentile | $162,000 | $13,500 | $78 |
| Average | $135,050 | $11,254 | $65 |
| 25th Percentile | $112,000 | $9,333 | $54 |
| 10th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
Highest paying business unit director jobs
The highest paying types of business unit directors are senior director, senior director, operations, and senior business manager.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director Of Business Operations | $111,945 | $9,329 | $53.82 | 202,032 |
| Director New Business Development | $110,272 | $9,189 | $53.02 | 154,470 |
| Director/Manager | $128,735 | $10,728 | $61.89 | 287,314 |
| New Business Manager | $93,395 | $7,783 | $44.90 | 282,416 |
| Business Leader | $90,430 | $7,536 | $43.48 | 117,296 |
| Store Director | $56,596 | $4,716 | $27.21 | 225,468 |
Top companies hiring business unit directors now:
Which companies pay business unit directors the most?
Business unit director salaries at Lasko Products and Master Fluid Solutions are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average business unit director salary at companies like Indeed and Applied Materials are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lasko Products | $138,959 | $66.81 |
| 2 | Master Fluid Solutions | $138,937 | $66.80 |
| 3 | Indeed | $138,633 | $66.65 |
| 4 | Applied Materials | $135,736 | $65.26 |
| 5 | Briggs & Stratton | $130,770 | $62.87 |
| 6 | HZO | $130,627 | $62.80 |
| 7 | Flex Construction | $130,582 | $62.78 |
| 8 | Kulicke & Soffa | $130,382 | $62.68 |
| 9 | Red Hat | $130,290 | $62.64 |
| 10 | Ingram Micro | $130,007 | $62.50 |
| 11 | CBRE Group | $128,812 | $61.93 |
| 12 | Danone Sverige | $127,686 | $61.39 |
| 13 | HennigesAutomotive | $126,325 | $60.73 |
| 14 | Northrop Grumman | $123,352 | $59.30 |
| 15 | Argus Consulting | $123,182 | $59.22 |
| 16 | Curtiss-Wright | $121,191 | $58.26 |
| 17 | Compass Group USA | $119,038 | $57.23 |
| 18 | Charles Schwab | $118,979 | $57.20 |
| 19 | Delphi Holdings, LLC | $115,050 | $55.31 |
| 20 | Carnegie Mellon University | $98,646 | $47.43 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Business Unit Director salary by industry
The average business unit director salary varies across industries:
- The average business unit director salary in the pharmaceutical industry is $137,899, the highest of any industry.
- The average business unit director salary in the finance industry is $129,369.
- Business unit directors in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $125,390, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for business unit directors
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmaceutical | $137,899 | $66.30 |
| 2 | Automotive | $129,369 | $62.20 |
| 3 | Professional | $129,332 | $62.18 |
| 4 | Technology | $127,830 | $61.46 |
| 5 | Manufacturing | $125,390 | $60.28 |
High paying business unit director jobs
Business unit director salary trends
The average business unit director salary has risen by $11,075 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average business unit director earned $123,975 annually, but today, they earn $135,050 a year. That works out to a 4% change in pay for business unit directors over the last decade.
Compare business unit director salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average business unit director salary over time
Compare business unit director salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Business unit director salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $135,000 | $64.93 | +2.8% |
| 2025 | $131,000 | $63.13 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | $132,000 | $63.22 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | $131,000 | $62.90 | +1.1% |
| 2022 | $129,000 | $62.21 | +1.6% |
Recently added business unit director salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microconnex, An Amphenol CMT Brand | Business Unit Director | Snoqualmie, WA | 06/10/2025 | $175,000 |
| Thornley Corporate Solutions | Business Unit Director | Hastings, MI | 06/10/2025 | $160,000 |
| Epiq Systems | Director of Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A)-Software Business Unit | Overland Park, KS | 06/09/2025 | $130,000 |
| Celestica | Director, Customer Business Unit | San Jose, CA | 06/07/2025 | $156,000 |
| Celestica | Global Customer Business Unit Director-Capital Equipment | New Hampshire | 06/01/2025 | $139,000 |
| Celestica | Global Business Unit Director 1 | San Jose, CA | 05/28/2025 | $156,000 |
| Pierce Manufacturing | General Manager/Business Unit Director-Oshkosh Airport Products | Neenah, WI | 05/27/2025 | $132,500 |
| Amphenol CMT | Business Unit Director | Snoqualmie, WA | 05/26/2025 | $175,000 |
| Oshkosh Corp | General Manager/Business Unit Director-Oshkosh Airport Products | Neenah, WI | 05/24/2025 | $132,500 |
| Exact Sciences Corporation | Director, Business Unit Finance | Madison, WI | 05/22/2025 | $174,000 |
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