March 7th, 2016 by schoolbound
One of the most flexible degrees that you can earn is a business degree – what you learn can be applied to an actual business/finance career, becoming a manager in almost any field, or opening your own business. According to a report
published by the Department of Labor, by the time a student earns a bachelor’s in business they likely have an understanding of “business operations, have quantitative and reasoning skills, and are prepared for many entry-level business positions.” Also, most degree programs allow you to specialize in areas like marketing, accounting or even information systems.
This chart from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows the most common business specializations and their starting salaries.
Starting salary by academic major, business majors
| Major | Average 2014 Salary |
| Management information systems/business | $62,100 |
| Business administration/management | $55,600 |
| Finance | $55,400 |
| Business systems networking/telecommunications | $54,800 |
| Marketing/marketing management (including market research) | $54,100 |
| Economics | $53,000 |
| Accounting | $52,900 |
Source: April 2014 Salary Survey, National Association of Colleges and Employers
A few potential careers within these majors include:
- Information Systems Managers: Tasks that these professionals perform include determining the technology needs and goals of organizations, assessing the cost and benefits of technology, and managing the implementation of information systems.
- Purchasing Managers: This is the person who manages what an organization buys, including wholesale and retail companies. They assess budgets and the pricing of goods and materials to make sure a company is paying a reasonable price and maximizing their spending.
- Market Research Analysts: When a company considers selling a new product or offering a new product, often it does what is called “market research”. This includes looking at what people buy and how much they are willing to pay for certain items. Market research analysts analyze this data and make recommendations based of their findings.