High-Paying Jobs With a Business Degree in 2026
The best-paying careers in management, business & financial operations, and sales — ranked by BLS 2024 median salary. These are the occupations your business degree opens the door to.
How we define it: We define "business degree careers" as occupations in three BLS occupational groups that align with typical business curriculum: Management (SOC 11-xx), Business & Financial Operations (SOC 13-xx), and Sales & Related (SOC 41-xx). These represent the primary employment destinations for business graduates.
Filtered to BLS/O*NET occupational groups: Management (SOC 11-xx), Business & Financial Operations (SOC 13-xx), and Sales & Related (SOC 41-xx) with median salary ≥ $60,000. Salary: BLS OEWS 2024 national estimates.
Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organization…
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as electronic data processing, information systems, systems ana…
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as architecture and engineering or research and development in …
Plan, direct, or coordinate accounting, investing, banking, insurance, securities, and other financial activities of …
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, a…
Plan, direct, or coordinate marketing policies and programs, such as determining the demand for products and services…
Plan, direct, or coordinate compensation and benefits activities of an organization.
Plan, direct, or coordinate human resources activities and staff of an organization.
Plan, direct, or coordinate the activities of buyers, purchasing officers, and related workers involved in purchasing…
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities designed to create or maintain a favorable public image or raise issue awarene…
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Plan, direct, or coordinate the actual distribution or movement of a product or service to the customer.
Plan, direct, or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization.
Plan, direct, or coordinate advertising policies and programs or produce collateral materials, such as posters, conte…
Plan, direct, or coordinate activities to solicit and maintain funds for special projects or nonprofit organizations.
Sell business goods or services, the selling of which requires a technical background equivalent to a baccalaureate d…
Plan, direct, or coordinate the work activities and resources necessary for manufacturing products in accordance with…
Plan, direct, or coordinate medical and health services in hospitals, clinics, managed care organizations, public hea…
Plan, direct, or coordinate one or more administrative services of an organization, such as records and information m…
Plan, direct, or coordinate, usually through subordinate supervisory personnel, activities concerned with the constru…
Analyze and measure exposure to credit and market risk threatening the assets, earning capacity, or economic state of…
Plan, direct, or coordinate operations and functionalities of facilities and buildings.
Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or sec…
Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educatio…
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments…
Advise clients on financial plans using knowledge of tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension pl…
Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational pol…
Conduct quantitative analyses of information involving investment programs or financial data of public or private ins…
Conduct organizational studies and evaluations, design systems and procedures, conduct work simplification and measur…
Analyze and coordinate the schedule, timeline, procurement, staffing, and budget of a product or service on a per pro…
Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biol…
Frequently Asked Questions
Business and management occupations have median salaries ranging from $60K (entry-level financial analyst) to well over $200K (top executives). The degree is a gateway, not a guarantee — specialization, certifications (CPA, CFA, MBA), and work experience are what drive earnings toward the top of the range. For most business careers, the degree is necessary but not sufficient.
The three main occupational groups: Management (SOC 11-xx) covers general and functional managers across all industries; Business & Financial Operations (SOC 13-xx) covers analysts, accountants, HR specialists, and financial advisors; Sales & Related (SOC 41-xx) covers sales managers and business development roles. Each group is represented on this list.
The top of this list, ranked by BLS median salary, shows the highest-paying business-degree-relevant occupations. Senior management roles consistently lead. Financial managers, marketing managers, and specialized financial roles typically follow. The career pages show the full salary range including top-earner percentiles.
Finance, accounting, and data-analysis roles have moderate-to-high AI exposure scores as routine analytical tasks become increasingly automated. Management and leadership roles score lower — interpersonal judgment, strategic decision-making, and stakeholder relationships are harder to automate. See the AI Exposure column and individual career pages for occupation-specific analysis.
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