Business Administration — careers, salary, and MBA ROI

The most-taken business degree. What it actually opens, what it doesn't, and whether an MBA is worth it.

What you'll study

Accounting, finance, marketing, operations, organisational behaviour, strategy, and typically a functional concentration.

Career paths

Management consultant — $100–200K entry (Big-3), higher post-MBA
Investment banking analyst — $110K base + bonus (US)
Corporate finance analyst — $75K median
Product manager — $130K median (tech companies)
Marketing manager — $95K median
Founder / entrepreneur — high variance

Is an MBA worth it?

Depends heavily on where and when. Top-10 US MBA (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, etc.) typically pays back in 3-5 years. IIM A/B/C in India similar. Below top-50, the ROI often doesn't clear the opportunity cost. Do the math with actual pre-MBA and post-MBA salary numbers before committing.

Frequently asked questions

Which MBA program has the best ROI?

US: Stanford GSB, HBS, Wharton, Booth, MIT Sloan, Kellogg. India: IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, ISB Hyderabad. Below top-15, run the numbers carefully.

Do I need an MBA to succeed in business?

No. Many senior business leaders don't have MBAs. An MBA is a career accelerator, not a requirement.

Careers this major opens

The US Department of Education maps Business Administration and Management, General (CIP 52.0201) to 23 Standard Occupational Classification codes. Salary and employment figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics via O*NET; the AI-durability signal is our own composite score.

Median salary (US)

$102,010

across 23 careers

Salary range

$44,500 – $239,200

p10 → p90 across careers

Avg AI exposure

0.55

4% high-exposure (0-1 scale)

Career	Median	Employment	AI
General and Operations Managers SOC 11-1021	$102,950	3,712,900	0.54
Managers, all other SOC 11-9199	$136,550	1,333,700	0.52
Business Operations Specialists, All Other SOC 13-1199	$81,270	1,205,700	0.70
Management Analysts SOC 13-1111	$101,190	1,075,100	0.72
Project management specialists SOC 13-1082	$100,750	1,046,300	0.63
Human resources specialists SOC 13-1071	$72,910	944,300	0.63
Sales Managers SOC 11-2022	$138,060	619,500	0.49
Construction managers SOC 11-9021	$106,980	550,300	0.39
Chief executives SOC 11-1011	$206,420	309,400	0.42
Administrative services managers SOC 11-3012	$108,390	271,200	0.56
Industrial production managers SOC 11-3051	$121,440	241,900	0.48
Logisticians SOC 13-1081	$80,880	241,000	0.66

Sources: NCES CIP-2020 → SOC-2018 crosswalk · US Bureau of Labor Statistics (via O*NET) · WhatTNext Ai AI-durability score. Careers ranked by US employment volume.

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