Business Administration Careers: What Are My Job Options?
Does a career in advertising intrigue you? Do you want to analyze a company's finances? Do you dream about starting your own business? These jobs and many more are possible with a career in business administration. Schools offering Business degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
What Types of Business Administration Jobs Might I Find?
Business administration encompasses many types of tasks, ranging from promoting services to directing company operations. You may work in a capacity that doesn't involve much management responsibility but is directly related to running a business. For example, marketing, finance and accounting experts are all necessary to successful business operations. In these types of operational jobs, you can work in business-to-business sales, market analysis or financial risk analysis. Taking your career further in this direction could lead you to jobs in public accounting, governance or banking.
If you're interested in leadership, you can find opportunities throughout the management hierarchy, from support services to the executive level. Consulting is a way to experience different problem solving tasks or to work in various industries. Well-managed systems are important to any business, and when you take control as an entrepreneur, you can see how all of the components relate.
The advantage you may see in a career in business administration is that you can choose from various paths and serve in different aspects of an organization. You can work in government, non-profit groups or many other industries.
How Can I Advance My Career?
Business administration is a competitive field, and opportunities for those without a college degree are rare. Tailoring your education to focus on a specific business function or pairing topics to gives you specialized training that may give you an advantage when looking for work.
Earning a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) can open the doors to upper-level management roles, as you learn to apply training in analysis and decision-making to solve challenging, real-world business problems. Once you've gained skills and experience, you could make a career as a chief financial officer, human resource manager or company president.
What Salary Could I Earn?
Since business administration encompasses so many career options, the salary you might earn depends on many factors. You can expect higher wages if you have an advanced degree or experience in a particular specialty. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that managers in administrative services, for example, earned a median salary of $77,890 in 2010 (www.bls.gov). Chief executives often receive bonuses, stock options or other compensation in addition to their salaries. According to the BLS, the median annual base salary for all executive managers in 2010 was $165,080.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
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