Best Business Degrees: 10 Top Choices for Career-Seekers

Great! You’re a business major. A business degree is the most popular of all degrees, says a study from Wiley Education Services and Aslanian Market Research. The study found that 29% of undergraduates and 26% of graduates choose a business degree, making it the No. 1 among all fields of study.

So, despite what you may hear or read, getting a degree in business is a really smart choice. And, more importantly, it doesn’t make you–or your future career–boring.

Best Business Specializations You Should Consider

Today’s business degree programs are more specialized than ever. That’s a good thing because a specialized business degree program can help you build in-demand skills that can translate to numerous roles across a wide variety of fields and industries.

So, if you’re looking for an area of study that helps you become a more adaptable professional, then a career-focused business degree might be right for you. But, before you decide which type of business degree specialization is best for you, consider the following:

• Average Earnings and Project Salary
• Job Growth Rate
• Career Longevity and Stability
• Wage and Non-Wage Benefits Packages and Job Perks

Your business degree can play a big part in whether you have a career with a consistently high employment rate, above-average salary and a loaded benefits package. (And who doesn’t want that?)

Top 10 High-Paying Careers to Get with a Business Degree

Here’s a look at 10 of the top jobs for business grads, including how they line up to a specialized business degree.

1. Financial Manager

Median Pay:$139,790
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 16%
Recommended B.S.: Accounting or Financial Management

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

• Apply key concepts in financial accounting and reporting, auditing and attestation and regulation to the business environment
• Use critical thinking skills in financial analysis and decision making
• Leverage decision support tools to evaluate various accounting scenarios and issues
• Analyze and meet the needs of the many users of accounting-related data
• Present accounting data and recommendations effectively

2. Sales Manager

Median Pay:$130,600
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 4%
Recommended B.S.:Business Administration

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

• Integrate business theories and concepts to determine strategic direction
• Demonstrate proficiency with business tools
• Research and analyze information
• Analyze statistics, project sales and determine profitability
• Understand the legal and ethical obligations of working within the social environment of business

3. Human Resources Manager

Median Pay:$130,000
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 5%
Recommended B.S.: Human Resources Management

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

Integrate HR theories and concepts to determine an organization’s optimal strategic direction
Apply concepts and theories of compensation to real-world situations
Create training and professional development programs to meet organizational needs
Evaluate staffing requirements and make recommendations for improvement
Apply employee and labor relations concepts and theories to the benefit of an organization and its people

4. Public Relations or Fundraising Manager

Median Pay: $125,620
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 6%
Recommended B.S.:Marketing

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

• Use consumer/constituent behavior constructs and marketing research methods to determine needs
• Collect, analyze and interpret stakeholder behavior
• Apply promotional tactics to influence image, engagement and decision making
• Evaluate the design, development and implementation of strategic initiatives
• Create and present strategic marketing or fundraising plans 

5. Training and Development Manager

Median Pay: $120,000
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 6%
Recommended B.S.: Management and Leadership

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

Analyze organizational culture and evaluate its impact on performance
Recommend improvement initiatives
Apply change management processes to real-world situations
Create a leadership development plan rooted in transformational leadership theory
Determine the optimal strategic direction for an organization

6. Business Owner or Consultant

Median Pay:$100,090
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 3%
Recommended B.S.:Business Administration or Management and Leadership

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

• Plan, direct and manage all functions from operations to marketing to accounting
• Ensure business health and profitability
• Identify ways to improve performance, policies and programs
• Direct product- and service-related activities
• Establish and oversee organizational goals, policies and procedures

7. Personal Financial Advisor

Median Pay:$95,390
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 13%
Recommended B.S.:Financial Planning

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

Develop long-term strategies and recommendations for long-term financial plans
Apply strategies to efficiently preserve and distribute accumulated wealth
Leverage financial planning strategies to maximize present value of clients’ after-tax net worth
Analyze ethical issues in the financial planning profession
Manage financial exposure and mitigate risk

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8. Management Analyst

Median Pay:$95,290
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 10%
Recommended B.S.:Applied Management

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

• Analyze the essential functions required to manage a successful business
• Recommend process design solutions and operational strategies
• Use theories of project management to develop project plans
• Apply supervisory best practices to achieve organizational goals and objectives
• Design a performance or project plan based on management theories and principles

9. Operations Research Analyst

Median Pay: $85,720
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 23%
Recommended B.S.:Operations & Supply Chain Management

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

• Identify problems and improve efficiencies
• Collect, organize and analyze relevant information
• Provide cost-effective solutions
• Produce quality standards that meet customer requirements
• Design and implement program plans

10. Forensic Accountant or Internal Auditor

Median Pay:$78,000
Projected Growth (2022-2032): 4%
Recommended B.S.:Forensic Accounting

In this business degree program, you’ll learn how to:

• Research financial accounting issues
• Apply fraud examination methodologies to identify potential fraud schemes
• Analyze information systems through an evaluation of process controls and systems risks
• Document findings and recommend internal control improvements
• Apply proper rules of evidence and file preparation for fraud cases

Key Takeaways for Business Majors

As a business major, you’ll study across all the disciplines: accounting, finance, business management, marketing, operations and human resources.

It’s a lot to learn, but that’s the point.

A business degree is designed to prepare you to become a strategic, problem-solving professional who’s well-rounded knowledge and skills. And the biggest payoff of earning the right business degree, of course, comes from you being ready to move into your desired career regardless of what’s happening in the job market or how stiff the competition is.

Explore the many ways you can customize your business degree here.

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