A business degree could teach you several skills that are applicable across many different industries. Nearly all businesses require business experts to make sure that their operations run smoothly. You can craft a more targeted job search by being more knowledgeable about the potential business openings in each field.
In this post, we look at 39 business major careers that frequently call for a business major and list the employers who frequently hire for these roles.
Business major careers
You can earn one of two popular business degrees. The typical length of time to earn an undergraduate business administration degree is four years. A Master of Business Administration, or MBA, can be pursued after receiving your BBA. An MBA program typically takes two to three years to complete.
With either degree, you can work in a variety of fields, such as:
1. A human resources professional
National average yearly salary: $52,723
Primary obligations: Specialists in human resources manage fundamental employee tasks. They find candidates, screen them, and interview them. Other common responsibilities include assisting with pay negotiations, managing communication between teammates and management, and helping with benefits administration for employees. Employee concerns about their roles or employers are often resolved by human resources professionals in business major careers.
They must have a thorough awareness of the rules and regulations that govern their firm for it to run efficiently and safely. Human resources professionals must adhere to federal employee requirements on workplace safety, the number of hours an employee may work, and other matters regarding their organization’s standards. Most significant businesses in a range of industries use human resources professionals.
Human resources professionals normally hold a bachelor’s degree, while many employers prefer master’s holders.
2. Accountant
National average yearly salary: $58,508
Primary responsibilities: Accountants in business major careers oversee the financial operations of businesses. For accuracy, they check and analyze financial information and records. They also analyze financial data and develop budget reports for executives and directors to use in corporate planning. They also oversee the responsibilities of receivables and accounts payable. To broaden their pool of employment options, many people on this career path decide to become certified public accountants. Accountants can work in virtually every business.
Accountants must have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
3. Investment banker
National average yearly salary: $60,489
Primary responsibilities: Investment bankers in business major careers provide financial portfolio management assistance to people or businesses. An investment banker could assist a corporation in raising capital or pinpoint areas where it is overspending to save costs. To make wise investments for their clients, investment bankers must be able to recognize market dynamics. They often issue bonds and occasionally purchase stocks. Investment bankers are frequently employed by financial institutions, but they can also work independently as consultants.
Investment bankers must have a bachelor’s degree at the very least, while many employers prefer MBAs.
4. Loan agent
National average yearly salary: $63,380
Primary responsibilities: Loan officers in business major careers decide whether a financial organization should lend money to a person or a company. To check the information, they examine applications and assess financial data. A typical responsibility of a loan officer is to walk the applicant through the borrowing procedure and ensure they are aware of all the terms and conditions. Loan officers typically focus on particular types of borrowing, such as commercial or residential. Most lending institutions and banks have loan officers on staff.
The majority of financial firms have bachelor’s degree prerequisites. Mortgage loan originator licenses are required for mortgage loan officers.
5. Research analyst
National average yearly salary: $61,958
Primary responsibilities: To create reports for financial usage, research analysts apply data analytics. They do in-depth market research to identify trends and create plans of action to raise a product’s profitability. To keep an eye on sales tactics, most research analysts collaborate with a marketing team. Research analysts in business major careers are needed by a wide range of businesses and industries.
Entry-level jobs for research analysts typically necessitate a bachelor’s degree.
6. Business development supervisor
National average yearly salary: $72,048
Primary responsibilities: Managers of business development assist businesses in growing by generating leads, analyzing market dynamics, and devising investment plans. They collaborate with clients and team members to guarantee client satisfaction. They can help their organization’s financial development and success by regularly monitoring their industries and having a thorough understanding of their service or product. Business major careers for business development supervisors are available in almost every sector.
Business development managers often need a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, as well as necessary training.
7. A financial advisor
Nationwide average yearly salary: $78,987
Primary responsibilities: Financial planners or advisors in business major careers support people with their budgeting needs. To create a long-term plan that will meet the requirements of their clients, they assess salaries and investments. By analyzing market trends and selecting safe investments, most financial advisors assist their customers in increasing their assets. Additional responsibilities could include tax budgeting, financial planning, and estate preparation. Financial advisors are employed by consulting and investment firms.
The majority of financial advisors are required to have a bachelor’s degree.
8. Business analyst
Nationwide average yearly salary: 79,884
Primary responsibilities: Business analysts in business major careers offer a range of services across numerous sectors by utilizing their evaluation talents. They use data to examine business prospects and offer recommendations for bettering corporate procedures. Most business analysts collaborate as a team to provide IT solutions for businesses and clients. To guarantee a project or plan runs successfully, communication with all project participants is one of a business analyst’s most crucial duties. Businesses in the healthcare and IT sectors frequently employ business analysts.
The typical educational requirement for business analysts is a bachelor’s degree.
9. Controller
Nationwide average yearly salary: $101,757
Primary responsibilities: For their businesses, controllers in business major careers are in charge of all accounting operations. They supervise accounting divisions to guarantee that all financial activities are carried out efficiently. Controllers frequently manage the work of accounting staff members, provide guidance, and allocate tasks as necessary. To succeed, controllers need to be well-versed in both company finances and tax regulations. Almost all big businesses in any sector require controllers.
Most employers prefer controllers to have an MBA, although others may hire those with a bachelor’s degree and significant accounting experience.
10. Product supervisor
Nationwide average yearly salary: $102,100
Primary responsibilities: Product managers in business major careers collaborate with a development team to guarantee that a product or good is a success. They examine a product’s performance to see if there is room for improvement for the consumer. To develop a good service, product managers require a comprehensive knowledge of the marketplace for their products. A product manager’s work includes communicating with their team so they are aware of the project’s status and may make adjustments as necessary. Even though product managers are hired by most businesses, tech firms employ a lot of them.
Several employers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree and related experience.
11. Actuary
Nationwide average yearly salary: $116,980
Primary responsibilities: Actuaries’ main responsibilities are to assist businesses with risk assessment and analysis. To study data and analyze statistics and assess prospective opportunities, they require a range of mathematical abilities. Additional job responsibilities can involve making recommendations for laws to reduce prospective hazards, employing techniques to comprehend a company’s unclear financial areas, and making estimates based on mathematical data. Actuaries in business major careers can work in a broad range of industries, although many insurance providers hire them.
You must hold a bachelor’s degree to work as an actuary. In addition, certification examinations must be passed, which typically take between four and five years.
12. Account manager
Nationwide average yearly salary: $58,543
Primary responsibilities: An account manager is a financial expert who is in charge of managing the interactions between a company’s clients. They could assess the organization’s capacity to meet consumer requests by doing a needs analysis. Consumer surveys or other techniques for gathering data may be used in this. These experts can suggest policies or techniques to enhance the client experience if they identify a need for improvement. Account managers in business major careers may come up with tactics to establish enduring relationships with both new and existing clients because customer relationships may be a crucial component of an organization’s success.
13. Compliance officer
National average yearly salary: $59,599
Primary responsibilities: A compliance officer is in charge of making sure that a company’s practices and procedures adhere to the law. They can also make sure that every aspect of the company complies with internal performance, safety, and quality requirements. To fulfill this position, compliance officers in business major careers may get knowledgeable about laws and rules, examine all facets of an organization’s activities, and develop plans and tools to help the organization adhere to the most crucial laws.
14. Social media manager
National average yearly salary: $59,643
Primary responsibilities: A social media manager is in charge of speaking on behalf of a business on various social media sites and platforms. They might assist a company in creating a distinctive and genuine voice, which is then displayed consistently throughout the company’s online presence. This position could entail developing interesting material that is consistent with the brand identity, running social media marketing campaigns, and communicating with consumers in a manner that improves the brand identity and connections of the business. These experts in business major careers can also supervise the activity of numerous social media colleagues.
15. Marketing director
National average yearly salary: $64,043
Primary responsibilities: ITointeract with both present and potential customers and increase revenue, a marketing manager creates and implements a cross-platform marketing strategy. To identify potential areas for development and improvement, they might assess present strategies and target markets. They can also create pricing, planning, and market analysis plans that adhere to the objectives, target market, and brand of a company. Marketing managers in business major careers frequently supervise the work of numerous marketing specialists.
16. Investment advisor
National average yearly salary: $74,917
Primary responsibilities: An investment consultant offers suggestions, direction, and planning to assist investors in making wise, fact-based financial decisions. These experts, like investment bankers, may help businesses or people that want to increase their economic health. The distinction between these two positions is that an investment advisor may engage with clients more closely and individually, and may concentrate on specific investment options. Investment consultants in business major careers can assist clients to achieve their objectives by learning about all facets of a variety of financial markets.
17. Investment Analyst
National average yearly salary: $79,207
Primary responsibilities: The markets for certain assets, like equities, bonds, commodities, or currencies, are researched and examined by investment analysts. ITobecome experts in their chosen expertise, these individuals frequently concentrate on a particular sector, such as an industry, location, or asset class. To help examine the possible advantages of specific deals or strategies, these professionals in business major careers might produce studies and informational papers. While this position may involve working with investors to analyze market information, it focuses more on analysis and research than personal strategy.
18. Risk manager
National average yearly salary: $83,631
Primary responsibilities: An organization’s prospective risks are analyzed by a risk manager, who then offers guidance and strategy to reduce risk and maximize opportunity. To comprehend the financial, organizational, and market risks related to different company actions, they could develop risk models. They can then assist a company in developing procedures and policies that will reduce risk while maintaining productivity. These experts in business major careers can also oversee the business’s insurance to make sure that it adequately protects against any potential threats.
19. Manager of information technology
National average yearly salary: $86,923
Primary responsibilities: A firm’s digital and computer information systems are subject to the organizing, directing, and supervision of an information technology (IT) manager. These specialists in business major careers may assign responsibilities and duties as the department’s leaders depending on the hardware, software, and networks a business utilizes. Also, they could examine IT processes and initiatives to see if they complement the objectives and requirements of the business. An IT manager can put new practices or technological choices into place and maintain them if there is an opportunity for progress in this area.
20. Financial planning analyst
National average yearly salary: $87,534
Primary responsibilities: An individual or company may hire a financial planning analyst, or a business specialist, to examine their present financial position and assist them plan for the future. These experts in business major careers can oversee a customer’s financial management, planning, and forecasting activities. By delivering their clients’ economic analysis reports, models, and ongoing performance tracking, they can also supply useful financial information.
21. Financial controller
Nationwide average yearly salary: $89,341
Primary responsibilities: A financial controller in business major careers is in charge of many duties that guarantee a firm’s compliance and financial wellness. They could also offer business planning, manage transactions, create financial documents, create financial statements, and supervise any compliance or tax-related problems that might arise inside the corporation. The thorough financial bookkeeping and process administration of these experts can assist a company in making wise financial decisions while preserving growth and abiding by legal and regulatory requirements.
22. Business intelligence analyst
Nationwide average yearly salary: $93,218
Primary responsibilities: Business intelligence analysts in business major careers compile and analyze corporate data to produce market and financial intelligence information that can affect an organization’s decision-making procedures. They could use the market’s tendencies and patterns to emphasize current behavior and project future behavior. By focusing on patterns and projections for the future, a business intelligence analyst can use this data to suggest future business activities that will be advantageous to the corporation.
23. Regulatory affairs manager
Nationwide average yearly salary: $94,796
Primary responsibilities: A regulatory affairs manager in business major careers can coordinate the efforts of several regulatory or compliance experts employed by a company. To ensure that they adhere to rules and regulations specific to the industry, they could examine corporate practices and policies. They might also gather the necessary proof and paperwork to present their conclusions to the proper legal authorities. In some circumstances, they can also help businesses design plans or choices that satisfy statutory obligations while optimizing the potential for profit and expansion.
24. Management consultant
Nationwide average yearly salary: $100,526
Primary responsibilities: A management consultant in business major careers assists businesses from many sectors in understanding their present management practices and policies and providing recommendations for change. These experts may collaborate with the top teams of a corporation to comprehend the business and any potential operational development areas. They may conduct employee and customer interviews, examine operational procedures, and disseminate surveys to gain an understanding of an organization’s management and operations. They can communicate results and improvement recommendations to leadership using this data.
25. Treasurer
Nationwide average yearly salary: $103,160
Primary responsibilities: A treasurer in business major careers oversees a company’s monetary affairs. They might carry out monetary activities like choosing a banking partner, putting together financial records, and controlling cash flow. Also, they are permitted to invest money in a manner that complies with rules and laws. These experts can also manage an organization’s everyday financial operations, including budgeting, fundraising, and bookkeeping.
26. Chief Executive Officer
Nationwide average yearly salary: $105,698
Primary responsibilities: A company’s overall operations are managed by the chief executive officer (CEO). They may develop organizational objectives, oversee organizational design, choose a course of action, and disseminate periodic agendas to various departments and personnel. A CEO in business major careers could also oversee the work of an executive board, whose objective is to choose the most effective plans for the expansion and development of the business. In some instances, a CEO may also decide how to assign responsibilities across the company and oversee the work of different managers and staff to make sure it adheres to the company’s goals.
27. Chief operating officer
Nationwide average yearly salary: $113,088
Primary responsibilities: A top executive in an organization is known as the chief operating officer (COO). They can supervise a business’s everyday administrative operations. Designing and putting into practice operational procedures, creating policies, and developing corporate vision and culture can all be part of this. Also, these professionals in business major careers might work with other leaders to reach crucial choices that could influence the company.
28. Chief financial officer
Nationwide average yearly salary: $122,195
Primary responsibilities: The top financial role in a company is held by the chief financial officer (CFO). These experts in business major careers are in charge of assessing and comprehending the financial health of the company using data and reporting from many divisions. The CEO as well as other leaders can receive advice from the CFO regarding decisions that will help the company expand and increase profit using this information. This could entail a thorough examination of the business’s costs, spending patterns, and profitability.
29. Budget manager
Nationwide average yearly salary: $113,000
Primary responsibilities: Budget directors in business major careers are in charge of monitoring how budgets are carried out inside a company and work to balance the books or perhaps generate a surplus.
30. Bank examiner
Nationwide average yearly salary: $117,000
Primary responsibilities: Financial auditors in business major careers who work as a component of the financial market’s control system including bank examiners. Their primary duty is to make sure that banks and other financial organizations are acting morally and legally.
31. Regional controller
Nationwide average yearly salary: $118,000
Primary responsibilities: The responsibility of a financial controller, often known as a comptroller, is to oversee a company’s financial divisions. The finance department, the budget department, the audit unit, and any other departments with a financial focus can be among these departments.
32. Manager of stock plan administration
Nationwide average yearly salary: $120,000
Primary responsibilities: Managers of stock plan administration in business major careers are essential to businesses in helping to design and sustain a motivational compensation system that relies on the success of the firm as well as pay incentives, bonus payments, and compensation to motivate employees.
33. Financial reporting and accounting director
Nationwide average yearly salary: $122,000
Primary responsibilities: The management of a group of financial experts is the responsibility of the directors of finance and accounting for their respective businesses.
34. Chief credit officer
Nationwide average yearly salary: $131,000
Primary responsibilities: The primary responsibility of a chief credit officer in business major careers is to create and oversee a company’s entire credit strategy.
35. Director of financial analysis and planning
Nationwide average yearly salary: $141,000
Primary responsibilities: To assure the overall correctness of the data, directors of analysis and planning oversee the conception, implementation, and following continuing upkeep of financial information reporting.
36. Finance vice president (VP)
Nationwide average yearly salary: $147,000
Primary responsibilities: Often near the top of a company’s hierarchy are vice presidents of finance. They monitor their spending and maintain a lucrative business.
37. Tax advisor
Nationwide average yearly salary: $159,000
Primary responsibilities: A corporate tax director in business major careers is in charge of coming up with, organizing, and carrying out a comprehensive corporate tax strategy. They are mostly in charge of creating and submitting tax reports.
38. Accounting firm partner
Nationwide average yearly salary: $168,000
Primary responsibilities: Partners in accounting firms often fall into one of two categories: salary partners or equity partners. The highest-ranking members of the company are equity partners because they typically contributed some of their funds. Salaried partners are individuals who have not made a direct investment in the company but are nevertheless qualified for profit-sharing.
39. Chief investment officer (CIO)
Nationwide average yearly salary: $187,000
Primary responsibilities: Chief investment officers (CIOs) in business major careers are responsible for securing funding for their organizations and negotiating investment contracts.
Conclusion
Business careers with the greatest salaries can often be highly satisfying. Most of the top-earning positions demand years of schooling, extensive work experience, and a history of accomplishment in a particular sector or specialty.
Even though many top positions demand an MBA or other postgraduate diploma. There are a large number of successful people who didn’t finish their formal schooling.
Frequently Asked Questions about business major careers
- What does a business degree entail?
A business degree focuses on the concepts that underpin administration, statistics, marketing, and finance in the workplace. The associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels all provide business degrees.
A school might provide a general education in business, or it might provide further specialties in disciplines like accounting, entrepreneurship, global business, healthcare administration, or others, depending on the curriculum.
- What is the typical pay for business majors?
The amount of education and the specialization area affect the average pay of a business major. Generally speaking, your compensation increases with your level of schooling. But, several other elements, like your industry and prior job history, may affect your compensation.
The following list provides the typical annual wages for business degree levels:
- $54,979 for an associate’s
- $66,224 for a bachelor’s degree.
- $88,648 for a master’s.
- $104,309 for a doctorate
- Is it worthwhile to pursue a business degree?
Your clearly defined goals will determine if earning any degree is worthwhile given the time and money involved. Possessing a background in a particular subject of study can help you lay the groundwork for your knowledge and get you ready to network with potential colleagues if you want to enter the corporate world.
Although earning a business degree isn’t the only route to a career in business, business majors are some of the least regretted in college, second only to mathematics/ computer science majors, implying that they are more satisfied with their choices than those who embraced other majors in general.
Elizabeth is a seasoned content writer with multiple years of experience writing on different topics under the general terms of scholarship, academics, business management, and human resource management and development.
She has a degree in Mass Communication and other relevant certifications.