What Can You Do With a Business Degree?
Business is the most popular college major in the United States, with almost a fifth of recent bachelor’s degree recipients choosing it as their area of specialty. It’s a versatile degree that can pave the way for countless occupations, but it’s also so broad that narrowing your focus to a specific path can be challenging.
To help you better understand the many things you can do with a business degree, we’ve outlined the fields where it’s most prevalent and highlighted some of the highest-paying jobs you can get after majoring in business.
Fields you can pursue with a business degree
1. Management
At the core of every industry is a need for competent management. Management professionals are responsible for making informed decisions that drive strong performance and ensure profitability. You can parlay a business degree into a role overseeing a company’s operations, doing project management, or leading a team–all important aspects of keeping a company running smoothly.
2. Marketing
The courses you’ll take while getting a business degree will help you develop a blend of strategic and creative thinking that’s perfect for a career in marketing. Marketing requires the ability to combine unique ideas with hard data to create campaigns that resonate with consumers, using a combination of time-tested strategies and evolving tools.
3. Finance
If you have a knack for numbers, you might find a career in finance highly rewarding (not to mention lucrative). Finance professionals help companies and businesses optimize their financial results. Typical duties include analyzing data, managing assets, and providing insights that guide financial decisions.
4. Sales
Sales is a dynamic field that’s highly dependent on a number of key business capabilities, like building relationships, analyzing markets, and driving revenue growth. It requires persistence, strong interpersonal skills, and excellent communication. Sales roles are available in virtually every industry, from technology to consumer goods to pharmaceuticals, making it an enticing career path for individuals with the right skills.
5. Human resources
Human resources professionals manage a company’s most valuable asset: its employees. They’re responsible for things like recruiting talent, administering benefits, and fostering a positive company culture. With a business degree, you could pursue an HR career in a role like HR manager, talent acquisition specialist, or director of employee experience.
6. Logistics
Logistics deals with the planning and management of the movement of goods from their point of origin to the consumer. It’s an especially important aspect of business in sectors like manufacturing, food and beverage, retail, and e-commerce. Business grads can excel in a supply chain manager or logistics coordinator role, ensuring that a company’s products move from point A to point Z efficiently.
7. Healthcare
The healthcare field is one of the fastest growing and also one of the most in need of qualified professionals. It offers a wide range of opportunities for business majors, especially in management roles. Even without a clinical background, a business degree can set you up for a position like healthcare administrator or health system manager, where you’ll play a vital role in optimizing care delivery and improving patient outcomes.
8. IT
Technology plays a critical role in the functioning of almost every modern business. Business graduates interested in tech are uniquely qualified to help organizations leverage technology to identify opportunities and maximize results. Look into positions like IT project manager, business analyst, or product manager.
9. Real estate
Succeeding in the real estate field requires a combination of financial acumen and people skills that business majors often possess. As a real estate agent, property manager, or investor, you’ll be involved in the buying, selling, and management of residential and commercial properties. As the real estate sector is closely linked with the overall economy, a business degree can give you a distinct advantage in this often-competitive industry.
10. Politics
If you’re interested in shaping public policy, managing government programs, and improving constituents’ lives, a career in politics may be a good use of your business degree. Many politicians have a business background, which is no surprise given that skills like leadership, strategic thinking, and financial management are highly transferable into public service roles.
11. Nonprofits
We typically think of business professionals as being profit-oriented. However, using your degree to land a job with a nonprofit allows you to prioritize social value over a bottom line. At a nonprofit, you could put your business knowledge to work, benefiting the greater good in a job such as program manager, director of development, or chairperson.
12. Consulting
Business grads who enjoy problem-solving and working on a diverse array of projects may be suited to a job as a consultant. Consultants apply their business expertise to help companies improve efficiency, overcome challenges, and develop strategies for growth. Consultants often specialize in specific aspects of business like management, operations, or strategy.
13. Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is an enticing path for those with a passion for innovation and a desire to build something from the ground up. A business degree provides the foundational knowledge required to grow a business from scratch, from analyzing market opportunities to managing finances. The entrepreneur life can be challenging but rewarding, offering the potential for significant personal and financial success.
10 high-paying jobs you can get straight out of business school
1. Financial analyst
Average entry-level salary: $60,000 to $85,000 a year
Financial analysts help people and businesses make decisions by analyzing financial data, market trends, and economic conditions. They work in banking, corporate finance, and investment firms. Entry-level financial analyst roles pay well and can quickly lead to more senior positions for ambitious individuals.
2. Junior management consultant
Average entry-level salary: $70,000 to $90,000 a year
Junior management consultants help their senior counterparts analyze their clients’ business problems and develop solutions for them. These positions are common in consulting firms and allow you to work with diverse companies and industries, which can help you stay engaged.
3. Marketing analyst
Average entry-level salary: $55,000 to $75,000 a year
Marketing analysts help companies take raw data and turn it into useful information for enhancing marketing activities. They may be employed by marketing agencies, business consulting firms, or in-house by individual organizations.
4. B2B sales representative
Average entry-level salary: $50,000 to $70,000 a year
B2B sales representatives sell products and services, like software, to other businesses. Compensation typically includes a base pay plus commission and bonuses, so it can be very lucrative for high-performing reps.
5. Accountant
Average entry-level salary: $55,000 to $70,000 a year
Accountants maintain and prepare financial records, run reports, ensure accuracy, and help companies comply with industry regulations. Entry-level accountants often work in-house or in public accounting firms. A job as an accountant can offer more stability and work-life balance than some of the more high-pressure financial careers, along with a clear path for advancement.
6. Associate product manager
Average entry-level salary: $65,000 to $90,000 a year
Associate product managers assist with developing and managing a product from its inception to its market release. They work with design, engineering, and marketing teams to ensure a successful product launch. Associate product management roles offer particularly attractive salaries in the tech field, but they can be found in every industry.
7. HR specialist
Average entry-level salary: $50,000 to $65,000 a year
HR specialists work as part of a team to hire employees, manage benefits, and onboard and train new workers. An HR specialist job can be an entry point to pursue higher level HR management positions, like HR manager or chief human resources officer (CHRO).
8. Logistics coordinator
Average entry-level salary: $50,000 to $70,000 a year
Logistics coordinators help manage the supply chain and distribution process for a product or set of products. This job offers valuable ground-floor experience for those looking to advance into more senior logistics and supply chain positions.
9. Financial planner
Average entry-level salary: $55,000 to $75,000 a year
Financial planners help their clients manage their financial portfolios, including insurance, investment and retirement savings. In an entry-level role you’ll be working alongside a senior planner or as part of a team. Some financial planners earn commissions on the products they sell, so there may be a sales component to the role, as well.
10. Real estate analyst
Average entry-level salary: $55,000 to $75,000 a year
If you’re interested in both real estate and finance, you may enjoy a job as a real estate analyst. In this role, you’ll analyze market opportunities and make risk assessments to help your clients or employer capitalize on the best deals.
Open additional opportunities with an MBA
If you’re considering majoring in business, you might also be interested in the potential of getting your Master of Business Administration, or MBA, degree. This is a postgraduate degree that will give you a deeper knowledge of various aspects of business administration and operations.
It can also increase your job opportunities and earning potential. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council, MBA recipients had a median starting salary of $125,000 in 2023, which is a sharp increase from the $75,000 median starting salary for those with only a bachelor’s degree.
Be it a bachelor’s or a master’s, a business degree is a powerful asset that opens the door to a wide range of job opportunities. Whether you’re interested in managing people, maximizing earnings, or making a meaningful impact, the skills and knowledge you’ll gain from a business education can help you achieve your specific goals in a fulfilling and financially secure career.
