What Jobs Can You Get with a Business Degree?

A business degree can provide you with the analytical, financial and interpersonal skills you need to make valuable contributions to any organization. There are different types of business degrees, and some better prepare you for jobs in a particular focus area or sector. For example, you can specialize in accounting, marketing or operations to position you for careers in those areas.

Best of all, business graduates are sought-after job candidates. Of the top 10 majors in demand by employers, half included business majors such as accounting, business administration, finance, logistics/supply chain and management information systems, according to a survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Do Business Degrees Pay Well?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for business and financial occupations was $79,050 in 2023, which was considerably higher than $48,060, the median for all occupations.* For each of these jobs, a bachelor’s degree is preferred, BLS reports.

You could make much more than the median salary depending on your role, but what you ultimately earn will depend on your level of experience, specialization and the sector in which you choose to work.

No matter what type of business degree you choose, getting a bachelor's degree can boost your earning power. In 2023, those with a bachelor's degree earned a median weekly salary of $1,493, whereas individuals with a high school diploma only earned $899 per week, according to BLS.* So, having a bachelor's degree can make a major impact on your earnings over the span of your lifetime.*

Read more about the top business degrees in demand and their potential payoff.

Which Business Degrees Are the Most Useful?

Since business degrees can apply to a wide variety of different positions, they're all useful — however, certain options may be a better fit depending on your goals.

If you’re looking for a management job that requires a broad business background, a business administration degree could help position you for that role. Business administration is a popular bachelor’s degree because it can prepare you to become a leader of a department within a business or an organization.

According to Mona Stephens, an associate dean of business at SNHU with over 25 years of experience in accounting, business administration is a subject that encompasses the management of business operations and decision-making processes in pursuit of organizational goals.

"It involves overseeing various functions such as marketing, finance, human resources, and operations to ensure a business's smooth running and success," Stephens said.

You could also specialize in a certain area if you add a concentration to your business degree or choose a to pursue a dedicated degree in certain field.

Below is a diverse list of bachelor’s degree business jobs by area of specialization.

Accounting

Accounting encompasses more than recording numbers and managing balance sheets. It requires accurately reporting on an organization's financial activities and making sense of those numbers.

Here are some jobs you could pursue with a degree in accounting or a business administration degree with a concentration in accounting:

• Accountant - Accountants look at a company’s financial statements, review accounting systems, ensure regulatory compliance and analyze ways to reduce costs and increase revenue. To become a licensed CPA, you must pass a CPA examination, and you may also need extra college credits before you can take the test. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), accountants earned a median salary of $79,880 in 2023, and the field is expected to grow by 6% through 2033.*
  
  
• Budget analyst - Do you like helping businesses plan for the future? A budget analyst works with various organizations — including government agencies, private companies and universities — to create budget reports and plans for their finances. A budget analyst earned a median salary of $84,940 in 2023, according to BLS.*

Discover what else, besides accounting, you can do with an accounting degree.

Business Analytics

Business analytics is focused on using data to make recommendations for a company or organization. If you're a critical thinker who likes working with numbers and solving problems, this concentration might be a good choice.

Some options for careers in business analytics include:

• Management analyst - Management analysts or consultants work as problem solvers. They take a broad view of an organization and use data to look for ways to reduce costs and increase profitability. They make recommendations related to investments, organizational efficiency or staffing based on staff input and the data they collect. According to BLS, management analysts earned a median salary of $99,410 in 2023.* Jobs in this field are projected to grow 11% through 2033, BLS said, faster than average for all occupations.*
  
  
• Operations research analyst - Like management analysts, operations research analysts use data to solve problems, but this role takes a less broad approach and tends to use more on mathematics and modeling, BLS said. These professions earned a median salary of $83,640 in 2023 with a projected growth rate of 23%, according to BLS — much faster than average.*

"The business analytics field is rapidly growing and offers diverse opportunities in various industries, such as healthcare, finance, retail and technology,*" said Stephens.

Read more about business analytics.

Finance

Finance professionals interpret data with an eye toward planning for an organization’s financial future. They analyze budgets and investments to help organizations protect their assets and grow. If you want to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, you might consider getting your bachelor’s degree in finance. At Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), for example, the finance degree includes a financial planning concentration that prepares you for the CFP® exam.

Here are some jobs you can get with a degree in finance or a degree in business administration with a concentration in finance:

• Financial analyst - Financial analysts take a deep dive into an organization's numbers and use data to make key decisions that impact future spending and investments. As global opportunities increase, financial analysts will also look at international investment opportunities. Employment of financial analysts is projected to grow 9% through 2033, and, in 2023, they earned a median salary of $99,890, according to BLS.* Learn how to become a financial analyst.
  
  
• Financial manager - Beyond balancing the books, financial managers look at the present financial health of an organization and help guide its future. They create financial reports, recommend investments and adjust financial activities to meet long-term business goals. BLS reports that financial managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and five years or more of experience in another business or financial occupation, such as accountant, securities sales agent or financial analyst. The median annual salary for financial managers was $156,100 in 2023, according to BLS.* Employment of financial managers is projected to grow 17% from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.*

Discover what else you could do with a finance degree or concentration.

Healthcare Administration

The business professionals of the healthcare world work in healthcare administration.

Some healthcare administration roles include:

• Medical records specialist - According to BLS, medical records specialists earned $48,780 in 2023 with a projected growth rate of 9% by 2033.*
  
  
• Health service manager - Medical and health service managers earned a median salary of $110,680 in 2023 and the role is projected to grow 29% by 2033.*

Learn more about healthcare administration.

Human Resources

People are the lifeblood of any organization. By maximizing your organization’s human capital, you can help increase productivity and revenue for your business. At the same time, you can shape corporate culture and help employees grow their careers.

Here are some HR jobs you can get with a degree in business administration with a concentration in human resource management:

• Human resources specialist - As a human resources specialist, your job is to shape your organization's future by recruiting and retaining workers. Human resources specialists may also develop and communicate company policies, mediate interpersonal conflicts and manage employee benefits. According to BLS, human resources specialists earned a median salary of $67,650 in 2023.* Jobs for human resources specialists are projected to grow 8% through 2033, BLS reported.*
  
  
• Training and development manager - Do you like to help people learn the skills they need to better meet your organization's needs? Training and development managers create, manage or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization. According to BLS, they earned a median annual salary of $125,040 in 2023.* The role is expected to grow 7% through 2033, BLS reported.*

Marketing

A blend of business, art and science, marketing requires professionals who can build brands, plan marketing campaigns and analyze campaign results. Marketing also manages the positioning, pricing and promotion of products and services.

Here are some jobs you can get with a degree in marketing or a degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing:

• Marketing manager - Marketing managers help promote an organization’s products and services through print and digital campaigns and are often responsible for website development, social media and email marketing strategies and analyzing marketing analytics. They also work closely with sales and product managers to determine market segmentation and pricing. According to BLS, marketing managers earned a median salary of $157,620 in 2023, and the field is expected to grow by 8% through 2033.*
  
  
• Market research analyst - Market research analysts study and evaluate market conditions to forecast how products or services will perform. They collect demographic, competitor and market data to better position their organizations for success. According to BLS, market research analysts earned a median salary of $74,680 in 2023, and jobs are projected to grow 8% through 2033 — much faster than the national average for all occupations.*

Learn how to position yourself for entry-level marketing jobs.

Management

Business managers and administrators are responsible for a business's day-to-day operations, including its logistics, personnel and profitability. Some qualities of a good leader in management include excellent analytical, interpersonal and decision-making skills.

Here are some management roles you could pursue with a business degree:

• Sales manager - As a sales manager, you would oversee a sales team and coordinate sales of products and services, according to BLS. Sales managers made an average annual salary of $135,160 in 2023, BLS reports.*
  
  
• Administrative services and facilities manager - Professionals in this role earned a median annual salary of $104,900 in 2023, BLS said.*

Management Information Systems

Technology forms the backbone of most organizations. Management information systems professionals analyze the needs of a company, its employees and its customers in relation to information management, data processing and applications for end-users.

With a degree in information systems or a business administration degree with a concentration in management information systems, you could be well-equipped to serve as an:

• Information systems manager - Computer and information systems managers make decisions on technology training, purchasing and coordinating information systems. Employment of computer and information systems managers is projected to grow 17% through 2033, faster than the average for all occupations.* Information systems managers earned a median of $169,510 in 2023, according to BLS.*
  
  
• Database administrator - Database administrators work to maintain and organize data and data systems, said BLS. These professionals earned a median wage of $101,510 in 2023 and jobs for database administrators are projected to grow 8% by 2033, BLS reports.*

Nonprofit Management

If you want to use your business degree outside of the for-profit sector, you could opt for a concentration in nonprofit management.

Some examples of management careers in the nonprofit sphere include:

• Community service manager - You might find work managing a nonprofit community service center. According to BLS, social and community service managers earned a median salary of $77,030 in 2023.*
  
  
• Fundraising manager - Fundraising managers primarily work in the nonprofit field, planning or coordinating funding for their organization, according to BLS. It's an important role that helps to allow nonprofit organizations to function. Fundraising managers earned a median salary of $119,200 in 2023, BLS said.*

Public Administration

If you're interested in working for the government in an administrative role, you might consider specializing in public administration.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) notes that public administration programs ready their graduates to serve in management positions within local, state or federal government.

Some roles you might pursue with a public administration background include:

• Emergency management director - Emergency directors work to develop plans and procedures for responding to various emergency situations, according to BLS. The median annual salary for emergency management directors was $83,960 in 2023, BLS reports.*
  
  
• Education administrator - According to BLS, education administrators work to coordinate activities within schools. These professionals earned a median salary of $103,460 in 2023, BLS reports.*

Learn more about public administration.

Project Management

Another option is project management — a concentration that can teach you how to oversee and coordinate projects and activities, from the planning stages through completion.

A project management concentration could lead to careers like:

• Project management specialist - If you have a knack for detail and strong organizational skills, you may have what it takes to become a project manager. Professionals in this role analyze and create production schedules, timelines, purchasing, staffing and the budget of a product or service on a per-project basis. Project management specialists earned a median annual salary of $98,580 in 2023, according to BLS, with a faster than average projected growth rate of 7% through 2033.*
  
  
• Event planner - Do you like to plan parties and activities? You might consider becoming an event planner, organizing and arranging conferences, meetings and other events. Event planners earned a median salary of $56,920 in 2023, according to BLS, and the role is also projected to grow 7% through 2033.*

More Business Concentrations

You options don't end there. Five other business concentrations offered at SNHU include:

• Customer experience
• Entrepreneurship
• Industrial-organizational psychology
• International business
• Sport management

Each of these concentrations can allow you to specialize within the field of business while still receiving a well-rounded education that might transfer to other areas of business, too.

What Other Bachelor's Degrees Are Good for Business?

You also might decide a major outside of business administration if you'd like to pursue a certain role. For instance, you could also choose a degree in:

• Accounting
• Finance
• Healthcare administration
• Human resource management
• Marketing

These options offer a more narrow focus compared to a business degree with a concentration in one of these areas. If you'd prefer to focus on your subject without studying business as a whole, a dedicated degree could be a better fit for you.

Is a Business Degree Worth It?

For Camellia Varnado '20, she wanted to earn a bachelor's in business administration to build skills and experience that could help her develop within her career.

She now works as a defense contractor's human resources (HR) coordinator and she benefits from knowledge gained from her degree program within her career. Varnado said she's incorporating these new skills to train employees and organize projects at work.

No matter what business job you decide to pursue, a bachelor's degree can pay off personally and financially. By reflecting on your interests, background and career goals, you can determine which business degree — and job — is right for you.

*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.

Krysten Godfrey Maddocks ’11G is a writer who covers K-12 and higher education topics, including policy and the role of digital technology in education. She spent almost a decade working in various marketing roles at an educational assessment company before launching a strategic marketing company. Maddocks earned a master's degree in marketing from Southern New Hampshire University and a bachelor's degree in English/ journalism from the University of New Hampshire. Connect with her on LinkedIn.