There is a large number of students who take business studies as their major in college, and university, because business is a major that has multiple benefits starting from high-paying jobs to a chance of reaching the highest level in business management. This degree is similar to finance, and management degrees in terms of subject choices as you will study finance, business law, human resource management, accounting, supply chain management, communication, and other business-related subjects. If you are also looking forward to selecting business as a major, but you are not aware of what kind of jobs you will get or what career choices you will have? Below is a list of career choices that you can take after a business degree. This list will provide you enough information that will clear your mind about selecting this major.
TOP 15 CAREER CHOICES AFTER A BUSINESS DEGREE:
Here are fifteen top career choices after a business degree. Each of these choices has its benefits, from high-paying salaries to job security and satisfaction. Also, once you start from these positions, there will be a lot of chances to get promoted to even higher positions. Details about these career choices are given below.
- Business Analyst
- PR Manager
- Operations Manager
- HR Manager
- Account Manager
- Financial Analyst
- Marketing Manager
- Project Manager
- Sales Manager
- Sales Representative
- Management Consultant
- Actuary
- Supply Chain Manager
- Economist
- Business Teacher
DETAILS ABOUT THESE CAREER CHOICES:
Here is the detailed analysis of each job, which includes job duties and responsibilities, and also salary, chances of promotion, career growth, bonuses, and other benefits that come with these jobs.
1. BUSINESS ANALYST:
This is one of the jobs that you can get soon after completing your bachelor’s studies, and start a career. Business analysts are the experts in analyzing the business practice and optimizing them to improve profitability and lower the cost of doing business. This job requires a little on-the-job training, meanwhile most of the skills that you need for this job you learn during your studies of the business degree. The role of a job analyst is very important for any company or organization as they help make business processes smooth by providing analysis on business practices. The skills you will need for this job include the ability to analyze data, research, problem-solving, and communication skills. Business analysts have a bright future as they can get promoted to higher positions after further education, training, and experience.
According to the data from bls.gov, business analysts have a median income of $83,610, meanwhile, the top 75% earners can earn up to $109,170 and low earners can make between $48,360 to $60,950. The top 10% in this field can make even more and earn up to $152,760. Also, there were 876,300 job positions of business analysts all across the United States, and that data for job outlook suggests that this job position will see an 11% growth that is much faster than most other job positions.
2. PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER:
The PR managers are responsible for communication and maintaining relationships between the general public and investors, companies, and stakeholders. PR stands for public relations, so as a PR manager, you will be managing the relationship, and working as a communicator on the behalf of your employer. You can start this job soon after the business degree. Most of the skills that you need for this job are already a part of your coursework and you will need only a minimum of training. This is a high-paying career choice that offers you a six-figure salary and other benefits including job satisfaction and security. At the start, you may have to start as a junior manager or a consultant to PR manager and will later be promoted as a PR manager after obtaining the required experience. In most companies, 5 years experience in the PR department is a must for reaching the position of top PR manager.
According to the data from bls.gov, PR managers have a median salary of $118,430, top earners can make up to $112,000, and low earners can make up to $50000. You need at least a Bachelor’s degree and five years’ experience to reach the top level. Also, the data suggests that there are 89,000 job positions related to PR managers in the United States. The data for job outlook has predicted a 13% growth rate that is much faster than most other career choices.
3. OPERATIONS MANAGER:
Another very rewarding career choice after a degree in business is the job of operations manager. It is one of the top management positions that you can reach with a business degree. This job requires the knowledge of running the operations of a business, company, factory, or organization. Operations managers are responsible for smooth operations performance to help the organization reach its goals. You will start as a junior operation manager or an assistant to the operation manager but with experience, and further education in the field, you can reach this position. Operation managers work with both top management and lower management and convey the message from top management towards lower management and vice versa. While doing so, they make sure that the business operations are running at an optimal rate, and if there is any need for improving the operational methods.
Operations Manager is one of the top positions in any organization, that is why it is a very rewarding and high-paying job. The median salary for general and operational managers is about $107,680 while the top earners can make up to $200000+, and low earners make more than $60000+. According to the data from bls.gov, there are 2,704,400 operation managers employed in various organizations and companies across the United States. This job has a potential of growth of 8% that is faster than the average growth rate.
4. HR MANAGER:
The HR Managers or Human Resource Managers are responsible for managing the employees within the organization. This requires advertising jobs, recruiting, training, and positioning new employees. The HR managers are also responsible for creating training materials, and sessions that will help the new employees to know their roles in the organization. Apart from that, it is also the job of the HR manager to check the performance of each employee and reward the high performers and deal with low performers. Also, transferring employees from one place to another, training them for future promotions, and dealing with human resource issues and legal issues also comes under the job of HR Manager.
You can become an HR manager or junior HR manager at firms and businesses soon after a Bachelor, but you may need further training to reach the top position. HR manager’s median salary is about $121,220 and top earners can make up to $200000+ and low earners can also make up to $50000. The number of jobs related to HR managers in the US as of 2019 was 161,700, and it has a potential of growth of 9%.
5. ACCOUNT MANAGER:
An Account Manager (an account here represents a customer) is also an important position in any company, and it is a very rewarding career choice. This job requires basic skills of communication, as they serve as a link between the company and its buyers. They make use of multiple strategies to increase the sales of their company product. Once the sales of company products increase, you are rewarded with multiple bonuses apart from salary. That is why it is known as a very lucrative career choice. You can start this job soon after your bachelor’s, but you may need some training in sales.
According to the data from bls.gov, account managers have a median pay of $134,180 per year and the top earners in this field can make even more. A higher position in this department may require experience of up to 5 years. Data reflects that more than 681,700 account manager job positions are there in the American job market. Also, it has a growth rate of 17% that is much faster as compared to many other job positions.
6. FINANCIAL ANALYST:
The job of a financial analyst is to analyze the finances of its company and learn about the things such as risks in the future and prepare financial reports. Financial analysts take a look at a company’s current trajectory and compare it against the goals of the company. This helps in finding out if the company will be able to meet its own goals or not. This data is then used by the higher-level management to make the changes required to increase the output to reach the goals on time. The skills required for this job can be obtained during the study of financial subjects during your degree. It requires the skills of research, analysis, making calculated decisions, and reporting.
Financial analysts are one of the top management job positions and you may need some experience to reach that. According to bls.gov, financial analysts have a median salary of $83,660 per year and top earners can make up to $150000+. Also, it has the potential of growth of 6%, and there are 492,100 job positions related to financial analysts in various organizations across the United States.
7. MARKETING MANAGER:
Marketing Manager is another job that you can get after a degree in business. Marketing managers are responsible for creating brand awareness and marketing the products or services. In some cases, marketing and sales departments work closely to increase the sales of the product. The role of a marketing manager is to make sure that customers are aware of the product or brand, also they manage the expenses related to marketing, and devise marketing strategies that cost less and help improve the profitability of the company. All the basic skills that you need for this job, you can learn during your course of study. You may need the training to reach the top marketing manager level, apart from training, some experience is also required.
The median pay for marketing managers is about $141,490, and top earners can make even more. Also, there are 314,900 job positions related to marketing managers in the United States. From 2019 to 2029, the growth rate for this job role is being predicted at 6%. Also, there are great chances of reaching the top-level management position as well.
8. PROJECT MANAGER:
Project managers are an important part of any business that is working on a medium or large scale. These businesses have multiple projects going on at the same time, so they hire project managers to manage their projects. The role of a project manager is to know the basics and advanced requirements of the task or project and make use of the available resources to ensure that the project will complete on time. Project managers plan and devise new strategies or improve the already present strategies according to the task and make sure that they can complete it within the given resources. You can become a project manager directly after a master’s, but if you have a bachelor’s degree, you will need some training and four to five years of working experience in the field to reach this position.
Project Managers have a median salary of $77,420 meanwhile the top earners can make up to $135,220 and low earners can make up to $42,180. According to bls.gov, there are 1,444,420 job positions related to project managers in multiple fields and industries. This job has a growth rate of 6% from 2019 to 2029.
9. SALES MANAGER:
The job of a sales manager is to help a company sell its product and make a profit. Sales are considered the most important part of a business as it determines the success or failure of a company or product. Sales managers are people who help these companies sell their products by the use of various strategies of sales. In a small organization, you can directly become a sales manager after completing your degree, but to become a sales manager in a big corporation or organization, you may need further education, experience, or training. Sales managers create and implement multiple sales strategies that can improve the sales of the product, they are also responsible for managing the sales staff.
According to the data from bls.gov, sales managers have a median salary of $132,290 and top earners can make more than $200000, while the low earners can make up to $50000. The total number of sales manager jobs in the US is about 397,900 and it has a growth rate of 7%. There are also a lot of career growth opportunities in this job but you will need more experience and some on-the-job training.
10. SALES REPRESENTATIVE:
Sales representatives work under the supervision of a sales manager. They are the ones responsible for following the strategies devised by the sales manager to ensure the increase in sales. Basic skills that you need for a sales representative job are good communication, the ability to understand the marketing strategy and create sales. This job requires reaching the customers, telling them about the product or service through multiple channels, including online, offline communication channels. You can start the job of a sales representative after a short period of training.
The data from bls.gov states that the median salary of sales representatives is about $65,420, and top earners can make more than $100000. There are more than 1,625,700 job positions for sales representatives in the United States. The growth rate in this job for the next ten years is about 5%.
11. MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT:
Management consultants can work as independent consultants and can also join other firms that offer consultancy services. These management consultants consult national and international clients and help them in their business needs. Every small and large business has some complex problems that need to be resolved so that the business or company can achieve its goals. The job of these consultants is to identify the improvement needs and solve these problems. Management consultants also work with governments and state departments. They help in improving and streamlining the processes to ensure the completion of organizational goals.
This job requires a business degree and some skills that you learn during your course of study. To reach this position, you may also need some experience, 5 years of experience is considered enough in most cases. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the management consultants make $87,660 in median salary, and have 876,300 jobs across the US. This job has a growth outlook of 11% that is much faster than average.
12. ACTUARY:
The job of an actuary is related to the finance division and actuaries work closely with the finance departments of the companies. Their job is to take the business data and analyze it to foresee any risks and report them to the higher management. You need a degree in business to obtain these skills as it requires the use of multiple financial, and business theories and basic statistical analysis to predict the results. You can think of an actuary as a risk prediction system of the businesses. You need a bachelor’s degree to enter the field, but to get promoted to a higher level, you may need some experience and on-the-job training.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary of actuaries is about $111,030 and top earners can make more than $200000. The total number of jobs related to actuary is about 27,700, but this job has seen one of the fastest growth rates as it is growing at a 24% rate that is faster than most of the other jobs in the market. So, there are better and higher chances of promotions and bonuses.
13. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGER:
The job of a supply chain manager is to manage, oversee, and keep in check the supply chain system of the company. Be it the delivery of raw materials, or resources, or the delivery of products, every business needs supply chain, and thus, there is a need for experts to manage these supply chains. You can become a supply chain manager after taking business as a college major, but in some organizations, apart from education, experience is also required. Supply chain managers work closely with the top management to decrease the supply chain costs and increase its profitability.
All the skills that you need for this job can be acquired during your course of study and through small training. The Bureau of Labor Statistics data suggests that supply chain managers have a median pay of $76,270 per year, and top earners can make more than $100000, while the low earners can also make up to $50000. The total number of available jobs in this profession is about 191,000 and it has a growth potential of 30%.
14.ECONOMIST:
Economists are responsible for creating forecasts, using business statistics and data from different departments. They are also responsible for creating new business models and using data to predict which business model will perform better. Their job is to analyze the data from multiple sources, and use statistical analysis and implement financial and business theories to find out the future of the business. Economists also write books and publications to reach their business strategies and business models so that others can adapt to them and benefit. Many international and national organizations, universities hire expert economists to help them create new and improved business models.
The median salary of an economist is about $108,350, and top earners can make more than $200000. Also, there are 18,600 jobs related to the economist position in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also suggests that this job will see a growth rate of 13% that is much faster than the average job.
15. BUSINESS TEACHER:
After a business degree, you can also become a business and finance teacher. But you will need a Master’s degree at least to teach at postsecondary schools. To teach at college levels, you will need a doctorate or Ph.D. To become a teacher, one of the important job roles will be to do research and provide the latest knowledge and skills to your students related to your subject.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, teachers have a median income of $83,460, and teachers at colleges and universities can make a lot more. The total number of jobs for teachers and lecturer positions is about 1,276,900 and it has a 12% growth potential for the next ten years.
BENEFITS AND SALARIES FOR BUSINESS RELATED JOBS:
| Job Title | Number of Jobs a as of 2019 | Degree | Growth from 2019 till 2029 | Per year Salary |
| Business Analyst | 876,300 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 11% | $109170 |
| PR Manager | 89,000 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 13% | $118,430 |
| Operations Manager | 2,704,400 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 8% | $107,680 |
| HR Manager | 161,700 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 9% | $121,220 |
| Account Manager | 681,700 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 17% | $134,180 |
| Financial Analyst | 492,100 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 6% | $83,000 |
| Marketing Manager | 314,900 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 6% | $141,490 |
| Project Manager | 1,444,180 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 6% | $77,420 |
| Sales Manager | 397,900 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 7% | $132,290 |
| Sales Representative | 1,625,700 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 5% | $65,420 |
| Management Consultant | 876,300 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 11% | $87,660 |
| Actuary | 27,700 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 24% | $111,030 |
| Supply Chain Manager | 191,000 | Bachelor’s / Master’s | 30% | $76,000 |
| Economist | 18,600 | Bachelor’s / Master’s / Ph.D. | 13% | $108,350 |
| Business Teacher | 1,276,900 | Bachelor’s / Master’s / Ph.D. | 12% | $83,460 |
Note:(Bachelors for the job and Masters for further promotion) data source bls.gov
TYPES OF BUSINESS DEGREES:
There are three types of business degrees or three levels of a business major. Here is complete detail about each of these types of business degrees.
1. BACHELORS IN BUSINESS:
Bachelor’s in Business is the first degree that you will get in college or university after passing high school. This is a four-year study program that focuses on developing a business mindset and business skills required for a career in the business field. Most of your classwork will be related to the study of theoretical subjects including statistics, finance, and other business-related subjects. Practical work will require studying and applying multiple business theories in real-life scenarios. You can learn many important skills from your degree, starting from communication and ending with profession-specific skills such as data analysis. This degree requires 120 to 130 credit hours to complete the course work in four years. The average cost of this degree is about $28,000 per year and up to $130,000 for four years. You can get a job at a junior manager level in any of your specific career choices after this degree.
2. MASTER’S IN BUSINESS:
If you want to progress quickly and get promotions and recognition faster, you will need a higher education degree. Master’s in Business offers you an advanced level of knowledge and business-related skills that you will need as a senior manager. This is a 2 to 2.5 years long educational degree, that requires the completion of at least 30 to 40 credit hours of coursework. It can cost between $80000 to $120000 on average. You will get promotions faster and will be considered for higher positions even at the start of your career. You can also teach at high schools and some colleges after this degree.
3. PH.D. IN BUSINESS:
Ph.D. in Business is the top-most level of education in the field of business. This degree is required for some jobs including economists, teachers, and top-level government and private business positions including CEOs and consultants. A pH. in business can take between 4 to 8 years to complete and require 120 credit hours of coursework. It can cost between $100000 to $200000 in total. A Ph.D. is needed for those jobs that require the topmost level of knowledge and most advanced skills in the business.
REQUIREMENTS FOR A DEGREE IN BUSINESS:
If you are looking forward to doing a business degree, you should know that it is designed for people who have a specific mindset and possess some skills related to business. Here are some of the most important skills that are needed for this degree.
- Knowledge of Business Communication.
- Business mindset, business skill set.
- Knowledge of Finance and business
- Knowledge of basic mathematics, and statistics.
- Problem-solving ability.
- Passion in the field of business and business administration.
CONCLUSION:
There are three types of business degrees, bachelor’s in business, master’s in business, and Ph.D. in business. Each of these degrees offers you a different level of knowledge and skills required for running the operations of a business. There are a lot of career opportunities for people who have a degree in business. A degree in business not only offers a lucrative career and higher salaries, but it also offers better job satisfaction and job security. The article above contains fifteen top career choices that you can make after taking business as a major. Each of these jobs has different salaries, career growth options. So, you should make your choice with complete consideration about what career path you take. Make sure that you are following your passion along with your financial and career goals as this will increase the chances of your success in the field of business.
FAQS:
Question: What jobs can you get after a business degree and what are the salaries?
Answer: There is a huge list of career opportunities after taking the business major and you can make more than $100,000 in salaries after the business major. Most of the jobs that you will get are related to business management. You will start as a junior manager and can reach the top level as a CEO of a company.
Question: Is business management a good degree?
Answer: Yes, business management is one of the good majors, as it is not only easy to pursue your studies in the business management field, but also it offers the most high-paying career choices after the degree as well.
Question: Business vs Finance degree, what is better and why?
Answer: Both of these are good degrees as they offer a chance to reach the top level in any organization, also both of them are easy. But, finance, as it is related to the financials only, is a limited degree, meanwhile, a business degree offers a wider range of career choices.