Best-paying jobs for business majors

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Want to succeed in business degree jobs? The key is focusing your education while you’re in school—and networking both before and after you graduate. Then determine which of the highest-paying business jobs is best suited to your skills.

Katie Bardaro, lead analyst for online salary database PayScale.com, says students who are more analytical should consider focusing their studies on statistics or financial analysis. Business degree jobs in technology and data-heavy industries are likely to continue growing and will have a high demand for business graduates in the immediate future.

Connections also count in the business world. “The best thing to do is to focus on alumni networks,” Bardaro says. “Business is definitely an area where connections help a lot.”

So what are some high-paying jobs for business majors? This list of the top 11 uses data from PayScale’s College Salary Report. Granted, salaries depend on your level of experience and where in the country you’re employed. For example, a financial reporting manager salary in Henderson, Nevada, is 2% higher than the national median and a personal financial advisor salary in Exton, Pennsylvania, is 10% higher than the national median.

In terms of your specialty, that matters too. Check out related jobs and salaries for business majors. Or drill down into specialties to get a better picture. For example, check out related jobs and salaries for finance majors. You can search salary by college major on Monster for even more details.

Highest-paying business jobs

VP, finance

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: The vice president of finance is at the top of the highest-paying business jobs. VPs are responsible for overseeing all financial-related matters, including directing financial strategies and analysis, as well as budgeting and forecasting.
What you’d make: $152,000 per year

Find vice president of finance jobs on Monster.

Chief financial officer (CFO)

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: The CFO is responsible for a mapping out a company’s financial planning, analyzing liabilities and investments to maintain risk management, and determine investment strategies.
What you’d make: $140,000 per year

Find CFO jobs on Monster.

Finance director

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: The finance director works to create budgets and strategies for an entire company and ensures the financial practices adhere to the most recent laws and regulations.
What you’d make: $115,000 per year

Find finance director jobs on Monster.

Corporate controller

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: Corporate controllers head up the accounting department in a company.
What you’d make: $102,000 per year

Find all corporate controller jobs on Monster.

Portfolio manager

Most common major: Finance
What you’d do: Portfolio managers are responsible for investment activities for an individual or corporation.
What you’d make: $101,000 per year

Find all portfolio manager jobs on Monster.

Tax manager

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: Tax managers primarily prepare and file state and federal tax documents for a business. They also keep businesses compliant with various local, state, and federal tax regulations.
What you’d make: $99,700 per year

Find all tax manager jobs on Monster.

Finance manager

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: As the title implies, finance managers are responsible for the financial well-being of a company. They provide reports, interpret data, and basically decide how and where a company’s money should be used in order to generate profit.
What you’d make: $98,700 per year

Find all finance manager jobs on Monster.

Financial controller

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: Like a finance manager, the financial controller’s job is to maintain the financial health of a company. Controllers tend to focus less on the management and more on the accounting and reporting.
What you’d make: $89,400 per year

Find all financial controller jobs on Monster.

Financial advisor

Most common major: Finance
What you’d do: Because they’re well-versed in money and investments, FAs help people figure out what to do with their money in order to best meet their needs and goals, whether that’s paying for their kids’ college, buying a home, or making retirement plans.
What you’d make: $88,000 per year

Find all financial advisor jobs on Monster.

Financial/securities/investment analyst

Most common major: Finance
What you’d do: These analysts assess the performance of stocks, bonds, and other types of investments to help businesses and individuals make smart investment decisions.
What you’d make: $80,800 per year

Find all financial analyst jobs on Monster.

CPA

Most common major: Accounting
What you’d do: Certified public accountants work to ensure people and companies comply with tax laws. They prepare tax returns, organize financial records, and give advice on how to increase revenues.
What you’d make: $77,300 per year

Find all CPA jobs on Monster.

Job search next steps

There’s no shame in wanting to be successful early on in your career in pursuit of the highest-paying business jobs, but it’s often difficult to get your foot in the door. Need some help getting started? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. Additionally, you can get job alerts sent directly to your inbox to cut down on time spent looking through ads. After all, our business is great careers.

Source: All salary data provided by online salary database PayScale.com. Median pay is the national median (50th percentile) annual total cash compensation. Half of the people doing the job earn more than the median, while half earn less. Range in pay within a job can vary widely depending on years of experience, scope of responsibility, location of work, etc. All pay values are calculated for workers with 10 years of experience and combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime, and other forms of cash earnings, but not stock compensation.