Highest Paying Business Management Jobs and Salaries for 2024
We rank the highest paying business management jobs. Each of these leadership roles pays a median annual salary above $100K!
Key Takeaways
- A business management degree can be a great way to earn a high-paying leadership role.
- Many high paying business management careers are accessible with only a bachelor’s degree in business or a related field.
- Each of the business management jobs ranked here pays a median salary over $100,000 per year.
The business management degree is a popular and versatile bachelor’s degree. This is because a degree in business management can lead to excellent pay and plenty of business leadership opportunities in various fields. In fact, every job on our ranking list here pays a median salary above $100,000 per year.
Whether you plan to become a sales manager, information systems manager, marketing manager, or business development manager, you can typically get started on your journey with a degree in business management. In fact, it may even be possible to get started with an affordable and accessible associate degree in business management before going on to earn your bachelor’s degree.
Otherwise, read on to learn more about the top jobs and salaries in business management.
An Overview of Business Management
You can generally improve your earning potential by pursuing a high paying business management concentration. Indeed, the highest paying business management degrees are often associated with business professionals in specialized management occupations like health services manager, compensation and benefits manager, financial manager, and more.
This suggests that combining your business management degree with a concentration in a specialized area like computer and information systems management or architectural and engineering management can significantly improve your earning potential.
Indeed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a comprehensive look at the best paying business and management degrees. You can get started on the path to most of these management and leadership opportunities with a bachelor’s in business administration degree or a closely related area.
What can you do with a business management degree?
The business management degree is an extremely versatile degree. Regardless of your concentration, business management degree programs will typically incorporate core courses in areas like business strategy, financial analysis, human resource management, supply chain management, international business, and much more.
But one of the key determinants of your future earning power will be the specific field where you choose to apply your management skills. Pairing your study of business management with a concentration in information technology could help you earn a role as an information systems manager, network architecture manager, or even chief information officer.
Likewise, pairing your business management education with an education in finance can lead to opportunities for financial analysts, personal financial advisors, management analysts, and market research analysts.
Focusing your business management education on human resources could lead to a wide range of opportunities for prospective HR managers, business managers, administrative services managers, compensation and benefits managers, and much more.
Naturally, business management is also a great degree program if you have plans to run your own business. In fact, you may even be able to earn an online degree specifically geared toward small business management.
And if you prefer the freedom of independent third-party work, you may be able to parlay this education into work as a management consultant, management analyst, personal financial advisor, or a host of other business industry roles.
In each of these cases, a higher degree of specialization can lead to a higher median annual salary and excellent long-term leadership possibilities.
What’s the difference between a business management and business administration degree?
The primary difference between these two popular degrees is the practical emphasis that business management places on leadership skills and management training. This is likely one reason that the median annual wage is often higher for those with business management degrees. While graduates with either of these degrees may, for instance, land starting roles as sales representatives or employees in the human resources department, those with a degree in management may be on a more direct trajectory to roles as sales managers, HR managers, operations managers, supply chain managers, and more.
Even more importantly, those who begin on a leadership trajectory may be first in line for many of the roles for chief executives within their organization. This may include opportunities to leap from business manager to chief executive officer, chief technology officer, and a host of other job titles associated with a high median annual salary.
It’s worth noting that real-world business experience is often a critical part of career advancement. While a business management degree can place you on a trajectory toward organizational or departmental leadership, you will almost certainly need to put your time in as an associate or managerial assistant on your way to full-fledged leadership.
How We Identified the Highest Paying Business Management Jobs and Salaries
Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, we’ve identified and ranked the highest paying degrees for students with a bachelor’s in business management degree or a related finance, accounting, human resources, or business degree. The highest paying business management degrees are ranked using the median salary for 2021.
Career Outlook for Students with Business Management Degree
Go to Degree Finder toolBusiness Administration And Management
Degree Level: Bachelor's
- Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
- Avg. Cost of Degree*: $9,489
- Avg. Expenses*: $16,303
- Avg. Starting Salary*: $43,579
- Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $55,619
- Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 10 years
- Job Growth: 4.86%
- Number of Jobs: 11,888,900
- * denotes ‘annually’
- ** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’
Career Salaries
| Career | Job Growth | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | -8.21% | $161,191 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 15.41% | $134,192 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | 1.71% | $124,492 |
| Purchasing Managers | 4.39% | $118,521 |
| Sales Managers | 4.06% | $117,002 |
Average Career Salaries
| Bottom 10% | Median | Top 10% |
|---|---|---|
| $55,563 | $92,094 | $148,349 |
Promising Job Markets
| State | Cost of Living | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|
| #2 New York | 5% higher than average | $116,372 |
| #3 Virginia | 5% higher than average | $104,589 |
| #4 Michigan | 15% higher than average | $90,047 |
| #5 Georgia | 13% higher than average | $90,306 |
| #6 Illinois | 7% higher than average | $96,596 |
Top Industries
| Industry | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|
| Chief Executives | $161,191 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $134,192 |
| Compensation and Benefits Managers | $124,492 |
The 10 Highest Paying Business Management Jobs and Salaries
Keep in mind that the bachelor’s degree is the typical academic threshold for many of these management roles. However, in many cases, you may be required to earn certain technical certifications or professional licenses in addition to your undergraduate degree.
Moreover, as noted above, few of these are entry-level roles. Your median salary will likely be directly connected to your background and real-world workplace experience.
In addition, many of these fields may be particularly competitive. In some cases, while a bachelor’s degree may offer entry-level employment in your concentration, a master’s degree may be a threshold to the highest paying jobs and leadership opportunities. Many aspiring to management leadership can enhance their career prospects with an MBA online.
- 1
Computer and Information Systems Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$159,010
Computer and information systems managers oversee the computing, networking, database management, and other information technology functions for a given organization. Information systems managers may work in a wide range of contexts including government agencies, private sector industries, the insurance industry, and more.
Most candidates will have a bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in computer science, or vice versa. Those who become computer and information systems managers typically have relevant workplace experience and, in some cases, a master’s degree in a related field.
- 2
Architectural and Engineering Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$152,350
Architectural and engineering managers generally occupy top leadership roles for architectural firms and engineering companies. Professionals in this area may provide oversight of residential and commercial properties, work as industrial production managers, or provide executive leadership in a host of project management contexts.
In order to become an architectural or engineering manager, you would generally be required to earn a bachelor’s degree in engineering management and accumulate several years of meaningful workplace experience. You can significantly improve your earning potential and leadership trajectory with an advanced degree in engineering management.
- 3
Natural Sciences Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$137,900
Natural sciences managers provide oversight of organizations employing scientific professionals. This includes supervising, coordinating, and delegating the work of chemists, biologists, conservationists, physicists, and more.
In most cases, the bachelor’s degree in an area like Earth Sciences could combine with a minor concentration in business to place you on a trajectory toward natural sciences management. That said, most natural sciences managers accumulate experiences as natural scientists first. In most cases, earning the title of scientist would require you to first earn an advanced degree.
- 4
Advertising Promotions and Marketing Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$133,380
Advertising, promotions, and marketing managers play a key leadership role in planning ad campaigns, positioning new products, engaging target customers, and more. Marketing and promotions managers evaluate market trends, develop brand strategies, and much more.
In most cases, you would be able to initiate your career in advertising, marketing, and promotions with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business management, or a related discipline. Advancing to the role of marketing manager usually requires real-world work experience as well.
- 5
Financial Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$131,710
Financial managers preside over key financial and monetary dimensions for their organization including the creation of financial reports, decision-making around organizational investment priorities, and financial planning for the organization’s current and ongoing goals.
In most cases, the bachelor’s degree in business or finance is seen as the minimum threshold for aspiring financial managers. However, financial managers are also generally expected to accumulate at least five years of workplace experience in a relevant role such as accountant, financial analyst, or management analyst in order to ascend to this leadership role.
- 6
Compensation and Benefits Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$127,530
Compensation and benefits managers plan the organization and implementation of employee payrolls, non-employee compensation, and employee benefits while navigating the implications of state and federal taxes. This leadership role includes development and oversight of employee programs relating to wage-earners and salaried employees as well as freelance contractors.
In most cases, the bachelor’s degree in business management or human resources is seen as the minimum threshold for a career in compensation and benefits management. However, work experience is also generally expected. Many human resources managers and compensation and benefits managers will perform overlapping facility management tasks.
- 7
Sales Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-127,490
Sales managers oversee the work of organizational sales teams, often identifying priorities, setting sales quotas, delegating sales territories, and more. The average salary for sales managers only tells part of the story. Because sales teams often work for a portion of commission, the earning potential for both reps and managers may be much higher than this average salary.
In most cases, the bachelor’s degree in business is seen as the minimum threshold for a career as a sales manager. However, most sales managers will compile several years of experience as sales representatives first.
- 8
Human Resources Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$126,230
HR managers are responsible for overseeing the personnel needs and administrative functions underlying the operation of an organization. This may include planning and coordination of employee initiatives, delegation of clerical functions, and mediating issues with between management and labor.
In most cases, the bachelor’s degree in business or human resources is seen as the minimum threshold for a career in HR. However, the HR manager role requires several years of experience in human resources or a related field. Many aspiring managers will also earn their master’s degree in human resources.
- 9
Training and Development Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$120,130
Training and development managers oversee the planning and coordination of staff training and education for new and continuing personnel. The typical development manager role will include oversight of training curricula, delegation of training responsibilities, and custodial responsibility over an organization’s broader knowledge economy.
In most cases, the bachelor’s degree in business is seen as the minimum threshold for a career in training and development. However, as with most management positions, this one requires several years of relevant workplace experience.
- 10
Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
- 2021 Median Pay-$119,860
Public relations managers are responsible for fostering and projecting the desired public image and messaging on behalf of organizations and individuals. Fundraising managers are typically responsible for overseeing activities designed to raise capital and charity funds for various types of organization.
Earning a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in communications or PR can start you on a trajectory toward this role. However, as with most management positions, this one would require several years of work experience. Many public relations and fundraising managers also have their master’s degree.
