Business, Management & Marketing

Types of Degrees Business, Management & Marketing Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many business, management and marketing graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	207,209
Graduate Certificate	15,936
Doctor’s Degree	3,737

What Business, Management & Marketing Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, business, management and marketing majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Business, Management & Marketing Majors

Business, Management and Marketing majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Business, Management & Marketing Majors

A major in business, management and marketing prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Business, Management & Marketing Majors

As a business, management and marketing major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Business, Management & Marketing Major?

People with a business, management and marketing degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Accountants	10.0%	$70,500
Actuaries	22.5%	$102,880
Administrative Services Managers	10.1%	$96,180
Advertising and Promotions Managers	5.4%	$117,130
Agents and Business Managers of Artists, Performers, and Athletes	4.7%	$66,040
Appraisers, Real Estate	14.4%	$54,980
Assessors	14.4%	$54,980
Auditors	10.0%	$70,500
Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Budget Analysts	6.5%	$76,220
Business Professors	18.0%	$83,960
Clinical Research Coordinators	9.9%	$123,860
Compensation and Benefits Managers	5.1%	$121,010
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists	8.4%	$63,000
Compliance Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Computer and Information Systems Managers	12.0%	$142,530
Construction Managers	11.1%	$93,370
Copy Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Cost Estimators	10.5%	$64,040
Credit Analysts	8.3%	$71,520
Credit Counselors	13.8%	$45,180
Demonstrators and Product Promoters	6.5%	$28,960
Economics Professors	10.9%	$101,480
Economists	6.1%	$104,340
Energy Brokers	9.7%	$54,550
Environmental Economists	6.1%	$104,340
Financial Analysts	10.8%	$85,660
Financial Examiners	9.7%	$80,180
Financial Managers, Branch or Department	18.7%	$127,990
Financial Quantitative Analysts	9.6%	$70,280
First-Line Supervisors of Non-Retail Sales Workers	4.9%	$73,390
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers	3.8%	$39,630
Food Service Managers	9.0%	$54,240
Fraud Examiners, Investigators and Analysts	9.6%	$70,280
Gaming Managers	2.2%	$74,700
General and Operations Managers	9.1%	$100,930
Green Marketers	5.4%	$117,130
Human Resources Managers	9.0%	$113,300
Human Resources Specialists	7.1%	$60,880
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage	5.1%	$62,520
Insurance Sales Agents	9.9%	$50,600
Investment Fund Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Investment Underwriters	9.6%	$70,280
Loan Counselors	13.8%	$45,180
Loan Officers	11.4%	$63,040
Lodging Managers	4.0%	$53,390
Logisticians	6.9%	$74,600
Logistics Analysts	6.9%	$74,600
Logistics Engineers	6.9%	$74,600
Logistics Managers	6.8%	$94,730
Loss Prevention Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Management Analysts	14.3%	$83,610
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	23.2%	$63,120
Marketing Managers	10.1%	$134,290
Mathematical Science Professors	9.4%	$73,230
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners	10.9%	$49,370
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Operations Research Analysts	27.5%	$83,390
Parts Salespersons	5.0%	$30,430
Personal Financial Advisors	14.9%	$88,890
Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Managers	10.3%	$58,340
Purchasing Managers	5.4%	$118,940
Real Estate Brokers	4.9%	$58,210
Real Estate Sales Agents	5.8%	$48,690
Regulatory Affairs Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Risk Management Specialists	9.6%	$70,280
Sales Agents, Financial Services	6.2%	$64,120
Sales Agents, Securities and Commodities	6.2%	$64,120
Sales and Related Workers	10.6%	$33,220
Sales Managers	7.5%	$124,220
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products	5.2%	$58,510
Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products	5.2%	$79,680
Securities and Commodities Traders	6.2%	$64,120
Security Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Social and Community Service Managers	18.0%	$65,320
Solar Sales Representatives and Assessors	5.2%	$79,680
Statisticians	33.9%	$87,780
Storage and Distribution Managers	6.8%	$94,730
Supply Chain Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Survey Researchers	2.1%	$57,700
Tax Preparers	10.7%	$39,390
Technical Writers	10.9%	$71,850
Training and Development Managers	10.4%	$111,340
Training and Development Specialists	11.5%	$60,870
Transportation Managers	6.8%	$94,730
Treasurers and Controllers	18.7%	$127,990
Water Resource Specialists	9.9%	$123,860
Wind Energy Operations Managers	8.0%	$107,480
Wind Energy Project Managers	8.0%	$107,480

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Business, Management & Marketing?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 49% of the graduates are women, and 51% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of business, management and marketing majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	14,809
Black or African American	23,840
Hispanic or Latino	20,602
White	96,410
International Students	31,742
Other Races/Ethnicities	19,806

Geographic Diversity

Business, Management & Marketing appeals to people across the globe. About 15.3% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Business, Management & Marketing Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The median starting salary of students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in business, management and marketing was $62,264 per year. These stats come from the U.S. Department of Education. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $54,477 (25th percentile) and $74,295 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in business, management and marketing, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $49,820 to $94,390 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to business, management and marketing. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Business, Management & Marketing

Some degrees associated with business, management and marketing may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for business, management and marketing careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	1.8%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	20.3%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	4.5%
Some College Courses	9.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	9.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	37.3%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	3.1%
Master’s Degree	8.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.6%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.6%
Doctoral Degree	2.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.3%

Online Business, Management & Marketing Programs

In 2020-2021, 3,080 schools offered a business, management and marketing program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	3,127	682
Certificate (2-4 Years)	71	14
Associate’s Degree	5,832	1,408
Bachelor’s Degree	1,794	626
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	4,576	1,354
Post-Master’s	288	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	474	79
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	19	6
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	4	0

Is a Degree in Business, Management & Marketing Worth It?

The median salary for a business, management and marketing grad is $69,480 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 74% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $591,600 after 20 years!

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Amit Savargaonkar under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.