What are the main factors that influence a Business Unit Director's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

What industry pays the highest salary for Business Unit Director?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Business Unit Director roles, with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.

How does experience change A Business Unit Director's salary?

A Business Unit Director's salary grows with experience: starting around $172,598 for beginners, reaching about $174,924 at mid-level, and approach $178,981 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Business Unit Director?

Business Unit Director salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Business Unit Director roles are District of Columbia $196,251, California $195,507, Massachusetts $192,901. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Business Unit Director roles make?

Salaries for Business Unit Director level roles vary by specialization: Business Unit Financial Controller, Sr.: $180,200; Business Unit Controller, Sr.: $180,179; Unit Director: $170,497; Business Unit Manager: $150,458; Assistant Unit Director: $145,356.

How do different companies affect a Business Unit Director's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Business Unit Director roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Business Unit Director Salary in the United States

How much does a Business Unit Director make in the United States?

As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a Business Unit Director in the United States is $177,250 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $85.

However, a Business Unit Director's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $210,927
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $160,501 to $194,878
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $145,252

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Business Unit Director Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$194,878	$16,240	$3,748	$94
Average	$177,250	$14,771	$3,409	$85
25th Percentile	$160,501	$13,375	$3,087	$77

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Key Factors That Influence Business Unit Director Salaries

A Business Unit Director's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Business Unit Director Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Business Unit Director's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $172,598
Early Career (1-2 years): $173,296
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $174,924
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $176,785
Expert (over 8 years): $178,981

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Business Unit Director	$172,598
Intermediate Level Business Unit Director	$173,296
Senior Level Business Unit Director	$174,924
Specialist Level Business Unit Director	$176,785
Expert Level Business Unit Director	$178,981

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Business Unit Director Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Business Unit Directors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $196,251.
California: $195,507.
Massachusetts: $192,901.

District of Columbia $196,251 California $195,507 Massachusetts $192,901 Washington $192,192 New Jersey $192,121 Alaska $191,873 Connecticut $189,427 New York $188,434

Hawaii $185,262 Rhode Island $183,773 Maryland $182,762 Minnesota $181,380 Colorado $180,848 Illinois $180,671 Oregon $179,997 Delaware $179,501

New Hampshire $179,189 Virginia $178,491 Pennsylvania $176,452 Nevada $175,424 North Dakota $175,088 Michigan $174,556 Wisconsin $174,361 Vermont $173,971

Texas $172,890 Maine $172,819 Arizona $172,712 Ohio $172,588 Georgia $170,958 Indiana $170,142 Wyoming $169,983 Utah $169,735

Iowa $169,628 Kansas $168,777 Louisiana $168,529 North Carolina $168,441 Missouri $168,405 Florida $167,714 Montana $167,342 Nebraska $166,987

Kentucky $166,792 South Carolina $166,083 Tennessee $165,640 Idaho $165,463 New Mexico $164,169 Oklahoma $163,885 Alabama $162,840 South Dakota $161,085

Arkansas $160,128 West Virginia $159,614 Mississippi $158,072

Top Paying Cities for Business Unit Directors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $223,565
San Francisco: $221,118
Oakland: $216,458

San Jose, CA $223,565

San Francisco, CA $221,118

Oakland, CA $216,458

New York, NY $204,084

Paramus, NJ $201,602

Queens Village, NY $201,594

Passaic, NJ $201,425

Bergenfield, NJ $201,409

Stamford, CT $201,019

Huntington, NY $200,947

Newark, NJ $199,637

Bridgeport, CT $199,263

Vallejo, CA $198,910

New Brunswick, NJ $198,839

Petaluma, CA $198,733

Middlesex, NJ $198,396

Somerset, NJ $198,272

Santa Cruz, CA $198,041

Boston, MA $196,960

Monterey, CA $196,338

Seattle, WA $195,932

Santa Rosa, CA $195,897

Los Angeles, CA $195,844

Juneau, AK $195,383

Washington, DC $195,188

Orange, CA $194,557

Santa Ana, CA $194,089

Long Beach, CA $193,912

Anaheim, CA $193,876

Anchorage, AK $193,787

Santa Maria, CA $193,256

Everett, WA $193,220

Danbury, CT $192,596

Bremerton, WA $192,352

Tacoma, WA $191,714

New Suffolk, NY $191,710

Sacramento, CA $191,660

Santa Barbara, CA $191,465

Trenton, NJ $191,270

San Diego, CA $191,270

Brockton, MA $191,076

Fairbanks, AK $190,641

Lompoc, CA $190,189

Lowell, MA $190,046

Ventura, CA $190,012

Nashua, NH $189,977

Stockton, CA $189,959

Modesto, CA $188,665

Poughkeepsie, NY $188,275

Olympia, WA $187,938

Kennewick, WA $187,938

New Haven, CT $187,867

Lawrence, MA $187,229

Hartford, CT $187,052

Riverside, CA $187,016

New Bedford, MA $186,839

Richland, WA $186,839

Bakersfield, CA $186,591

San Bernardino, CA $186,520

New Britain, CT $186,502

Atlantic City, NJ $186,502

New London, CT $186,432

Norwich, CT $186,378

Portsmouth, NH $186,343

Boulder, CO $185,967

Portland, OR $185,723

Worcester, MA $185,705

Minneapolis, MN $185,155

Philadelphia, PA $184,907

Honolulu, HI $184,322

Saint Paul, MN $184,237

Vineland, NJ $184,198

Providence, RI $183,684

Chicago, IL $183,170

Bellingham, WA $182,957

Springfield, MA $182,816

Baltimore, MD $182,762

Chico, CA $182,319

Pittsfield, MA $181,841

Manchester, NH $181,504

Spokane, WA $180,724

Denver, CO $180,706

Albany, NY $179,873

Troy, NY $179,802

Nassau, NY $179,613

Schenectady, NY $179,430

Wilmington, DE $179,288

Burlington, VT $179,040

Salem, OR $178,969

Portland, ME $178,420

Yakima, WA $178,243

Rochester, MN $177,693

Reno, NV $177,605

Fresno, CA $177,605

Milwaukee, WI $177,445

Detroit, MI $177,268

Ann Arbor, MI $177,238

Allentown, PA $177,215

Colorado Springs, CO $176,913

Syracuse, NY $176,825

Carson City, NV $176,825

Houston, TX $176,576

Eugene, OR $176,488

Gary, IN $176,275

Springfield, OR $176,133

Bismarck, ND $176,098

Galveston, TX $175,974

Medford, OR $175,708

Fort Collins, CO $175,637

Concord, NH $175,548

Austin, TX $175,495

Mesa, AZ $175,123

Reading, PA $175,105

Phoenix, AZ $175,088

Dallas, TX $175,034

Saint Cloud, MN $174,864

Madison, WI $174,627

Utica, NY $174,148

Rochester, NY $173,865

Des Moines, IA $173,847

Raleigh, NC $173,829

Atlanta, GA $173,563

Battle Creek, MI $173,510

Salt Lake City, UT $173,457

Lancaster, PA $173,191

Harrisburg, PA $172,943

Kansas City, MO $172,766

Champaign, IL $172,730

Kansas City, KS $172,730

Fort Worth, TX $172,712

Columbus, OH $172,682

Boca Raton, FL $172,642

Pittsburgh, PA $172,571

Richmond, VA $172,500

Indianapolis, IN $172,464

Cleveland, OH $172,447

Las Vegas, NV $172,234

Cincinnati, OH $172,234

Petersburg, VA $171,968

Huntsville, AL $171,702

Lansing, MI $171,583

Lebanon, PA $171,560

Pueblo, CO $171,543

Appleton, WI $171,489

Buffalo, NY $171,418

Dayton, OH $171,365

Racine, WI $171,330

Charlotte, NC $171,312

Saint Louis, MO $171,259

York, PA $171,153

Elkhart, IN $171,153

Gastonia, NC $171,119

Billings, MT $171,076

Beaumont, TX $171,029

Lorain, OH $170,993

Benton Harbor, MI $170,958

Toledo, OH $170,922

Binghamton, NY $170,834

Rock Hill, SC $170,816

Rockford, IL $170,727

Springfield, IL $170,656

Elyria, OH $170,639

Fargo, ND $170,639

Flagstaff, AZ $170,515

Fort Lauderdale, FL $170,408

Duluth, MN $170,302

Miami, FL $170,302

Cheyenne, WY $170,178

Grand Forks, ND $170,178

Bangor, ME $169,788

Cedar Rapids, IA $169,593

Durham, NC $169,518

Louisville, KY $169,504

Grand Rapids, MI $169,469

Hialeah, FL $169,451

Casper, WY $169,203

Scranton, PA $168,990

New Orleans, LA $168,937

Virginia Beach, VA $168,919

Akron, OH $168,831

Peoria, IL $168,600

Sarasota, FL $168,565

Nashville, TN $168,441

Omaha, NE $168,441

Green Bay, WI $168,441

Baton Rouge, LA $168,352

Charleston, SC $168,317

Jamestown, NY $168,228

Davenport, IA $168,228

Tucson, AZ $168,139

Saint Petersburg, FL $168,033

Tampa, FL $167,998

Evansville, IN $167,891

Port Arthur, TX $167,891

Bradenton, FL $167,820

Santa Fe, NM $167,501

Orlando, FL $167,182

Clearwater, FL $167,129

Canton, OH $166,757

La Crosse, WI $166,757

Albuquerque, NM $166,650

Newport News, VA $166,633

High Point, NC $166,580

Ogden, UT $166,509

Corpus Christi, TX $166,367

Norfolk, VA $166,261

Laramie, WY $166,261

Rock Island, IL $166,154

Saginaw, MI $166,119

Jacksonville, FL $166,101

Salisbury, NC $166,066

Boise, ID $166,030

Moline, IL $165,941

Fort Myers, FL $165,888

Memphis, TN $165,853

Tulsa, OK $165,764

Waterloo, IA $165,658

Spartanburg, SC $165,481

Lincoln, NE $165,392

Fort Wayne, IN $165,357

Provo, UT $165,339

Cedar Falls, IA $165,126

San Antonio, TX $165,055

Greensboro, NC $164,984

South Bend, IN $164,967

Savannah, GA $164,772

Muskegon, MI $164,701

Birmingham, AL $164,683

Winston Salem, NC $164,596

Lake Charles, LA $164,169

Anderson, IN $164,134

Lexington, KY $164,080

Augusta, GA $164,027

Greenville, SC $164,027

Lima, OH $163,885

Wichita, KS $163,868

Tuscaloosa, AL $163,868

Columbia, SC $163,708

Springfield, OH $163,673

Asheville, NC $163,389

Bloomington, IN $163,265

Knoxville, TN $162,627

Shreveport, LA $162,609

Wilmington, NC $162,379

Roanoke, VA $162,379

Topeka, KS $162,060

Frankfort, KY $162,040

Oklahoma City, OK $161,918

Chillicothe, OH $161,847

Longview, TX $161,829

Melbourne, FL $161,812

Sioux Falls, SD $161,528

Mobile, AL $161,510

Terre Haute, IN $161,439

Altoona, PA $161,333

Amarillo, TX $161,209

Killeen, TX $161,156

Fayetteville, AR $161,014

Chattanooga, TN $160,961

Sioux City, IA $160,801

Idaho Falls, ID $160,766

Lynchburg, VA $160,624

Gainesville, FL $160,394

Portsmouth, OH $160,305

Little Rock, AR $160,269

Lafayette, LA $160,199

Youngstown, OH $160,199

Daytona Beach, FL $160,092

Clarksville, TN $160,074

Pensacola, FL $160,057

Temple, TX $160,044

Hopkinsville, KY $159,525

Erie, PA $159,490

Florence, SC $159,419

Charleston, WV $159,135

Great Falls, MT $159,046

Macon, GA $158,798

Tallahassee, FL $158,781

Fayetteville, NC $158,745

Waco, TX $158,710

Helena, MT $158,586

Pine Bluff, AR $158,518

Vincennes, IN $158,302

Lubbock, TX $158,231

Alamogordo, NM $158,125

Twin Falls, ID $157,965

Rapid City, SD $157,912

Jackson, MS $157,593

Huntington, WV $157,581

Greenville, MS $157,575

Parkersburg, WV $157,394

Montgomery, AL $157,363

Wichita Falls, TX $157,185

Springfield, MO $157,185

Biloxi, MS $157,097

Monroe, LA $156,919

Johnstown, PA $156,795

Sumter, SC $156,724

Columbus, GA $156,707

Pascagoula, MS $156,370

Abilene, TX $156,370

Kingsport, TN $155,909

Albany, GA $155,909

Gulfport, MS $155,856

Alexandria, LA $155,271

Fort Smith, AR $154,828

El Paso, TX $154,349

Las Cruces, NM $153,552

Harlingen, TX $153,101

Pocatello, ID $153,073

Florence, AL $152,843

Brownsville, TX $152,807

Mcallen, TX $152,435

Dothan, AL $152,187

Columbus, MS $151,134

Altus, OK $150,308

Lawton, OK $149,971

Pierre, SD $149,333

What Skills Can Increase a Business Unit Director's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 14.02% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
User Stories (Mentioned in 2.03% Job Postings): In software development and product management, a user story is an informal, natural language description of one or more features of a software system. User stories are often written from the perspective of an end user or user of a system. They are often recorded on index cards, on Post-it notes, or in project management software. Depending on the project, user stories may be written by various stakeholders including clients, users, managers or development team members. User stories are a type of boundary object. They facilitate sensemaking and communication; that is, they help software teams organize their understanding of the system and its context. User stories are often confused with system requirements. A requirement is a formal description of need; a user story is an informal description of a feature.
Test Plans (Mentioned in 1.35% Job Postings): A test plan is a document detailing the objectives, resources, and processes for a specific test for a software or hardware product. The plan typically contains a detailed understanding of the eventual workflow.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	14.02%
User Stories	2.03%
Test Plans	1.35%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Business Unit Director's salary.

Decision Making: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
PowerPoint: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Decision Making	$186,113	5%
PowerPoint	$184,340	4%
Leadership	$182,568	3%
Oracle	$182,568	3%
Customer Service	$182,568	3%
Prioritization	$180,795	2%

Get Latest Data

Business Unit Director Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Business Unit Director roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 80% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average. In contrast, Business Unit Director positions in Retail & Wholesale or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Business Unit Director as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Business Unit Director

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals	$248,150	$119.0	40%
Energy & Utilities	$230,425	$111.0	30%
Aerospace & Defense	$221,562	$107.0	25%
Financial Services	$212,700	$102.0	20%
Biotechnology	$203,837	$98.0	15%

Business Unit Director Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Business Unit Director's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on July 01, 2026

$160,501

Average $177,250/year

$194,878

$13,375

Average $14,771/month

$16,240

$3,087

Average $3,409/week

$3,748

$77

Average $85/hour

$94

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$194,878	$16,240	$3,748	$94
Average	$177,250	$14,771	$3,409	$85
25th Percentile	$160,501	$13,375	$3,087	$77

Salaries of jobs related to Business Unit Director

Salary Trends for Business Unit Director

Salaries for a Business Unit Director can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $135,548 in 2023 to around $134,360 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Business Unit Director salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Business Unit Director Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$135,548

2024

$135,069

2025

$134,360

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$135,548
2024	$135,069
2025	$134,360
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Business Unit Director

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