What Can You Do With an MBA?

Earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) can open doors. The degree signifies much more than higher knowledge of business practices. Having that degree under your belt demonstrates commitment to higher-level thinking, collaboration and adaptability through changing business models and evolving company needs.

Employers across diverse industries look for job candidates with demonstrated leadership ability and strong critical thinking skills. An MBA signifies that a job candidate has those skills. Plus, it shows that you are digitally savvy and know how to communicate effectively. All of these skills together can position you for advancement in the career of your choice.

Why Earn an MBA?

While “business” is in the name, the MBA degree is designed to prepare students for leadership, management or analytical roles — or roles that combine all three.

“In particular, jobs dealing with implementing organizational change, analyzing the impacts of potential business decisions or creating marketing strategies are in demand,” said Claudio Ibarra '22MBA, design manager at a design and manufacturing company specializing in vacuum metallurgical equipment.* He is a 2022 graduate of the online MBA program at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

In a world that is constantly changing, business and financial occupations are predicted to have a faster-than-average growth rate through 2034, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), backing up Ibarra's observation.*

“The pace of change is accelerating,” Ibarra said, “and being able to understand the data driving that change is increasingly a marketable commodity.”

What Are the Benefits of Earning an MBA?

There are the obvious benefits that go along with upskilling in just about any field: new career opportunities, job security and increased earnings potential.* There is also the personal satisfaction of earning a degree in a field that truly interests you.

There are also benefits not just to earning a degree but to expanding one’s skills. For instance, increasing communication skills throughout the degree process and “expanding one’s skills in communicating in a business environment” in particular are both personally and professionally beneficial, Ibarra said. “Like any degree, the MBA comes with additional perspective on what you thought you already knew, as well as new knowledge that you wouldn’t have even considered before taking the coursework,” he said.

Read more: 9 Best Reasons to Get an MBA Degree

What Jobs Can You Get With an MBA?

Career fields where leadership, management and/or analytics are the best places to apply an MBA, according to Ibarra. In particular, jobs dealing with implementing organizational change, analyzing the impacts of business decisions or creating marketing strategies are in high demand.*

"The possibilities are broad, which is one of the degree’s greatest strengths," said Dr. Karen L. Koza, an instructor of MBA courses at SNHU and an author who has written about the future of education.

An MBA can prepare you for success in a wide variety of professional fields or help with advancement in already-established careers, such as preparing you to become a manager.

"An MBA can open both functional and leadership roles, which is why it remains such a powerful credential," Koza said.

Some key careers where earning an MBA will make you more competitive include:

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts earned a median salary of $101,190 with a faster-than-average 6% growth rate projected through 2034, BLS reports.* The role involves making financial recommendations to businesses, BLS said, noting that a bachelor's degree is the minimum education required for the role.

Opting for an MBA with a concentration in Finance might help you prepare for this type of position.

Learn more about the MBA with a concentration in Finance.

Human Resource Managers

People are complex, as are the employment laws that businesses must follow. Human resource managers plan and coordinate organizational processes such as recruiting, BLS said, and the median salary for the role was $140,030 in 2024.*

You might consider an MBA with a dedicated concentration if you'd like to pursue this role.

Learn about SNHU's MBA with a concentration in Human Resources.

Management Analysts

Management analysts suggest strategic ways to improve an organization's processes and efficiency, BLS said, noting that you'll likely need at least a bachelor's degree plus experience in the field. If you already have a bachelor's, an MBA might make sense as a next step while you build your experience.

Professionals in this role earned a median salary of $101,190 in 2024, with a 9% growth rate projected through 2034, BLS reports — three times faster than the average 3% growth rate for all occupations.*

Marketing Managers

The median salary for advertising, promotional and marketing managers in 2024 was $159,660, and the role is poised for faster-than-average growth through 2032, according to BLS.* As a marketing manager, you'd be responsible for leading programs to build interest in services or products, BLS said.

Learn about the MBA with a concentration in Marketing at SNHU.

Medical and Health Services Managers

An MBA can prepare you for a rewarding career in the health professions, especially if you already have a bachelor's degree in healthcare administration. The median salary for jobs in this profession was $117,960 in 2024, according to BLS.* Roles in this field can include medical practice business managers, nursing home administrators and health information managers, BLS reports.

Explore the MBA with a concentration in Healthcare Management program.

Project Managers

In 2024, project managers earned a median salary of $100,750, BLS said, with a projected growth rate twice as fast as the average for all occupations.* These professionals are charged with planning and coordinating projects and guiding them into fruition, according to BLS.

Depending on the MBA program that you choose, your courses might prepare you for certifications in project management. For example, SNHU's MBA with a concentration in Project Management can help prepare you for the Project Management Professional (PMP)^® exam.**

Keep reading about the MBA with a concentration in Project Management.

Sales Managers

Encompassing a wide range of businesses, including corporate and nonprofit organizations, a role as a sales manager can incorporate leadership skills with excellent interpersonal communication skills. With a median salary of $138,060 in 2024, according to BLS, and spanning many career areas, a role in sales management is a strong option for people interested in budget management, analyzing sales statistics or developing sales plans.*

Social and Community Service Managers

Working in agencies, large or small, roles in this field are great for people with strong communication skills. Program management, public speaking, administrative work and budget management are but some of the key skills, and the median salary for social and community service managers was $78,240 in 2024, according to BLS.*

For a role like this, you might consider an MBA with a concentration in Public Administration.

More Roles With an MBA

According to Koza, other roles you could pursue with an MBA might include:

• Brand Director
• Chief of Staff
• Director of Strategy
• Operations Manager
• Product Manager

"People pursue an MBA to advance their careers, increase earning potential and develop leadership and strategic thinking skills," Koza said.* "It also helps individuals transition into new industries or move into management roles by strengthening their business knowledge and decision-making abilities."

Can You Work While Earning an MBA?

Working while earning an MBA is not only possible, it’s also a great way to apply what you are learning in real time.

Many working students find that online learning is especially flexible, and you can complete an MBA in as little as one year while fitting coursework around your work, family and demands of life.

As someone who had never participated in online learning before, beginning the MBA program was daunting for Ibarra. “When I started the program, my daughter was three, and the pandemic lockdowns were in effect. My mother passed away at the start of my first semester," he said. "Life certainly didn’t make it easy to go back to school.”

Despite these challenges, Ibarra said he benefited from the online program and recommended it to others, too. "I think it’s important to point out to anyone who is on the fence about earning an MBA that it can be done and that life won’t wait for us to decide that it’s time," he said.

Personally, Iberra said he earned his MBA while working full-time and raising a young child with his spouse.

For Kellsie Goodhart-Jones ’25MBA, who earned an MBA with a concentration in Engineering Management at SNHU, the online option also seemed like the better fit.

"My husband and I are military, and we move quite often,” Goodhart-Jones said.

She noted that an asynchronous program like SNHU's was exactly what she needed to succeed despite her busy life, working as an employee for the U.S. Air Force.

"My academic advisor was always checking in on me and was very understanding when anything came up, such as Temporary Duty (TDY), deployments, Permanent Change of Station (PCS) season, all of that,” she said.

Read more: Picture an Online Degree at Your Own Pace

Are There Benefits to Specializing With a Concentration?

An MBA degree is highly customizable. At SNHU, in addition to earning a traditional MBA degree, it’s possible to sub-specialize in more than 15 different areas. These types of MBA concentrations can provide students with specific skills that can be applied in a number of different industries.

While specializing with a concentration is not necessary for a rewarding business career, augmenting an MBA with a concentration can be a great path for learners who know exactly what they want to do with their careers.

“For me, my career has been in manufacturing engineering, and I wanted to broaden my horizons to include potentially branching out into other areas, so I chose not to pursue a specialized MBA degree,” Ibarra said.

He does emphasize, though, that having a specialization can help graduates deep dive into a particular job market or stand out from the crowd.

There is also the added benefit of pursuing a specialized field that really interests you. Some notable concentrations are: 

Accounting Concentration

With a focus on financial reporting and tax preparation, as well as how accounting can best support business decisions, a concentration in accounting can add value to an MBA for someone with an aptitude for fiscal responsibility. Decision-making, data analysis and continuous improvement models are central skills developed through this concentration.

Learn more about the MBA with a concentration in Accounting program at SNHU.

Business Analytics Concentration

If driving actionable change in a business environment is your goal, this concentration could be for you. Key courses focus on data analytics as well as leadership skills. Using data analysis to create strategic plans, business documents and new business models is key for this area of focus.

Learn more about SNHU's MBA with a concentration in Business Analytics.

Entrepreneurship Concentration

Thinking of starting your own business or working for a startup? An MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship might make sense. Courses may include "Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management" and "Franchising."

Read about the MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at SNHU.

Music Business Concentration

This innovative concentration partners SNHU with the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Graduates with this concentration earn a co-branded diploma from both SNHU and Berklee, adding even more value to the MBA. Coursework focuses on skills needed for a career as a music executive, manager or music entrepreneur, to name a few.

Read more about the MBA with a concentration in Music Business.

Operations & Supply Chain Management Concentration

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the importance of supply chain management to the forefront of national consciousness like never before, and it remains crucial to this day. This concentration focuses on skills needed in the transportation, logistics, inventory control or warehouse management fields, among others.

Learn more about the MBA with a concentration in Operations & Supply Chain Management.

What Skills Do You Need for an MBA?

For Ibarra, the skills for success with an MBA are, first and foremost, communication, strategic thinking and problem-solving. Every course in the MBA program is designed to help learners develop skills in communicating effectively with different audiences.

Other key skills include:

• Problem-solving is especially important because "each course presents challenges that help to develop new skills and hone existing skills for success,” Ibarra said.
• Strategic thinking provides you with the skills that can set you apart as a leader in management positions.
• Time management is especially helpful when working on an advanced degree. “Time management was a critical element of the graduate courses because I had to prioritize what needed to be done and how,” Ibarra said. Adopting time management strategies was particularly important for Ibarra while concurrently going to school and working full-time.

Read more: What Does an MBA Teach You?

Is Getting an MBA Worth It?

People earn graduate degrees for a variety of reasons. For some, earning a degree is a personal accomplishment. For others, there may be a specific career path that requires a graduate degree at some point to fully advance in the field, such as with nursing, counseling or education.

"An MBA is 100% worth it," said Ty Roberts '26MBA. "If you're willing to put in the work, you will get rewarded."

Roberts said an MBA can elevate you as a professional, helping you enter new rooms at work and offering the knowledge needed to make a real impact in your field. He noted that his final course, "Strategic Opportunity Management," was both the most challenging and the most rewarding course of his MBA program, encouraging him to think critically in new ways.

"It's been almost a 10-year journey for me," Roberts said at his graduation ceremony. "But look, here I am."

With business, the reach of preparedness that you gain with an MBA goes beyond a specific career field or credential. “The value of an MBA,” Ibarra said, “is in the knowledge and skills I’ve gained during the course of the program, as well as the mentorship I had along the way.”

An MBA can help qualify you for leadership and management roles in many industries. With timeless skills such as communication and strategic planning, earning this degree can set you apart from the competition in an ever-evolving job market. As Ibarra said, ultimately, “the skills I’ve learned in preparing and navigating organizational change are going to be helpful to me in my current role and likely every future role throughout my career.”

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

**The Project Management Professional (PMP)^® is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. The PMI^® Authorized Training Partner seal is a mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.

Dr. Marie Morganelli is a career educator and writer, as well as a former higher education administrator. She has taught and tutored composition, literature, and writing at all levels from middle school through graduate school. With two graduate degrees in English language and literature, her focus — whether teaching or writing — is in helping to raise the voices of others through the power of storytelling. Connect with her on LinkedIn.