What Can You Do With a Business Administration Degree: 9 Best Jobs w/ Salary [2019]

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A recent study published in 2018 showed that upwards of 40% of recent college graduates work in jobs that don’t require a degree. This might terrify you. One thing we know about college is it’s expensive. When we attend college, we expect that it will give us returns from those four years we didn’t spend working.

So how do you ensure that what you’re studying will be applicable to landing a great job and furthering a successful career?

Getting a degree in Business Administration is one way to guarantee that. The skills learned in this discipline are applicable to a wide array of sectors in the business world. Finance, human resources, management, analyst, these are all positions companies need in order to survive.

If you’re wondering what can you do with a business administration degree, the answer is: You can work at almost any company. Skills like effective communication, organizational and management techniques, and understanding business models will make you an invaluable asset.

Here are nine great jobs for the business administration graduate:

The 9 Best Jobs For Business Administration

*Note: All salary information comes from the mean annual wage reported by the BLS.

 

#1 Marketing manager

Job Description

Marketing managers work closely with the sales team and design team. They ensure that their products are keeping up with the current market as well as identify potential markets to tap into. Marketing managers also help develop strategies to pricing their products. By keeping tabs on trends and fads, marketing managers are able to effectively direct their own companies marketing programs.

Top Skills

• Monitoring Markets
• Data Analytics
• Effective Communication

Key Insight

States with the highest paid Marketing Managers are New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Colorado, and California.

Salary*

$147,240

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Fair. 8%

 

 

#2 Accountant

Job Description

Accountants keep track of a company’s finances. They examine financial records from all departments and organize them to demonstrate a company’s performance. Generally, accountants will be able to say whether the company is growing or losing revenue based solely on the numbers. Taxes is another responsibility that falls on accountants. They ensure taxes are prepared and filed in accordance with state and federal law.

Top Skills

• Organization
• Mathematics
• Time Management

Key Insight

The saying goes, “Get a job as an accountant and you’ll never need to find work again.” Accountants are needed at businesses of every size and they have one of the highest levels of job security. There will always be a demand for them.

Salary

$70,500

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Good. 10%

 

 

#3 Financial Advisor

Job Description

Financial Advisors assist companies and individuals on how to spend and manage their finances. For an individual this encompasses everything from mortgages to college savings accounts to investments. For companies, they work with the in-house accountants and other departments to coordinate proper investment opportunities. They are constantly monitoring many different key markets in order to have a good sense of the future financial world.

Top Skills

• Effective Communication
• Reading Comprehension
• Resource Management

Key Insight

Financial Advisors often have a high starting salary and an even higher peak salary. Working in the right city or with the right company often comes with great benefits.

Salary

$88,890

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Great. 15%

 

 

#4 Human Resources (HR) Specialist

Job Description

HR’s primary role in a business is to handle the hiring process. This involves first interviewing a candidate, screening their background, and then ensuring that they succeed as a member of the team. To make sure new hires aren’t overloaded, HR Specialists oversee their training and integration. Other tasks asked of Human Resources are to handle disputes and complaints made by employees involving interpersonal relationships and payroll concerns.

Top Skills

• Listening
• Effective Communication
• Organization

Key Insight

Human Resources Specialists are in charge of ensuring their company is in compliance with all worker regulations (federal, state, and local).

Salary

$66,790

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Fair. 7%

 

 

#5 Sales Manager

Job Description

Sales managers are in charge of overseeing the sales team. They provide whatever’s necessary for the sales team to succeed, whether that’s managing the team’s size or creating a training program to better equip their members. Sales managers are also the liaison between the marketing team, the design team, and the sales team. Any new data analytics on customer habits will be analyzed and distributed through the sales manager.

Top Skills

• Effective Communication
• Critical Thinking
• Organizational Skills

Key Insight

Sales managers are in charge of providing a company revenue. This means a lot of pressure will be on them to succeed. High stress. Some travel.

Salary

$137,650

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Fair. 7%.

 

 

#6 Market Research Analyst

Job Description

MRAs provide a company with information on their customers, the current market, and effective ways to sell and promote their products. This is considered one of the typical entry level business administration jobs as there is rarely experience needed prior to this position. By breaking down a business by sector and customer profile, they are able to effectively communicate how to improve. MR analysts often conduct research surveys and present findings to companies.

Top Skills

• Critical Thinking
• Reading Comprehension
• Coordination

Key Insight

Entry-level position availability. Strong job growth outlook. Two positive keys aspects when looking for what to do with a business administration degree.

Salary

$63,120

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Great. 23%

 

 

#7 Management Analyst

Job Description

Management analysts are in charge of looking at the company from a distance and determining where there are inefficiencies. By analyzing financial and employment reports, management analysts determine ways to reduce costs and ways to better streamline a company’s workflow. They are the ones who can determine whether certain divisions of a company have too many or too few employees. For this reason, they are often hired on as consultants rather than in house.

Top Skills

• Comprehensive Analyzing
• Critical Thinking
• Effective Communication

Key Insight

This job is reported to be stressful for two reasons. Because of the frequency with which management analysts are consultants, travel is a constant necessity. Also MAs have to make tough decisions about ways to cut costs.

Salary

$83,610

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Good. 14%

 

 

#8 Administrative Services Manager

Job Description

An Administrative Services Manager is typically in charge of the upkeep of a particular company. This involves overseeing departments that distribute mail, maintain records of the company, and keep the facilities clean. This person is often called the Office Manager, and it’s the person you go to for any needed supplies. Supplies for printing, for recycling, for security, these are all managed under the umbrella of the administrative services manager.

Top Skills

• Effective Communication
• Resource Management
• Coordination

Key Insight

Managers in this field report to being on call outside of business hours as there are many departments they oversee who work odd hours.

Salary

$96,180

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Good. 10%

 

 

#9 Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager

Job Description

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers are in charge of the hustle and bustle side of business. Products being purchased, stored in warehouses, and eventually being distributed out to customers fall under their jurisdiction. TSD managers keep these activities up to code and follow all regulations and laws concerned. They oversee a team in charge of moving products around. They are accountable with vendors and clients who have issues with this side of a company’s service.

Top Skills

• Effective Communication
• Reading Comprehension
• Leadership/Oversight Skills

Key Insight

States with large distribution centers have the highest employment of TSD managers: CA, TX, IL, OH.

Salary

$100,740

Job Growth Outlook

Rated: Fair. 7%

 

 

Taking The Next Step

With all the great jobs out there, it’s time to take the necessary steps to obtain one. No more wondering ‘What can I do with a business administration degree?’ It’s time to get the degree.

#1. Choosing the Discipline

As you can see, employers are looking for applicants who are effective communicators, intelligent and critical thinkers, and have the ability to manage resources. A degree in business administration is a surefire way to become this applicant.

Here you’ll learn business models, management techniques, and analytical skills that will help you become successful in any field.

#2 Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts

The next step is to determine whether you want to get a B.S. or B.A. in Business Administration. Each comes with its own outlook on how to best learn the program.

The BS is a more specialized program focusing in on business essentials to succeed in the world. While the BA is a more generalized program which helps student understand how business plays a role in the world at large.

Certain careers are more in line with the applicable and hands-on approach to learning. Bachelor of science in business administration jobs are the ones that require more technical skills. A BSBA degree salary is often reflective of that. Careers like marketing manager and management analyst need a certain level of expertise in modeling and data analytics.

Whereas a BA in business administration takes on a more theoretical approach to understanding business. Careers like human resources and transportation, storage, and distribution managers need a high level of abstraction to perform optimally. This sense of abstraction is what is gained with the Bachelor of Arts program through the humanities emphasis.

In short, if you’re someone who’s interested in taking a wide breadth of courses, the BA program will feel like home. If you want to hone in on applicable skills, the BS program is for you.

#3 Which Should You Choose?

Any of the nine jobs listed above can be acquired with either a B.A. or B.S. One thing to notice, however, is a bachelor of science in business administration salary is generally going to be higher.

The reason for this is the technical aspect of a job will make it a more specialized position. This limits the supply, thus increasing the demand (in this case salary).

In order to ensure you get the career you want, be sure to look into programs that best fit your needs. For example, when looking into a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program, make sure that it is modernized with today’s world. Generally, programs should involve some form of data analytics and automation via artificial intelligence, as these are the current issues today.

This is why CityU’s program is often regarded so highly. Graduates of this program are equipped to face the challenges businesses are facing.

So if you’re worried about getting a return on your college investment, there’s no better way than gaining a business administration degree. With it, doors will open.

 

 

Published April 26, 2019