What Are the Highest-Paying Business Administration Careers?

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) is the most important step students take on their paths to rewarding business administration careers.¹ Achieving the highest-paying business administration careers, however, requires a firm commitment to long-term success and wholehearted dedication to excellence. You must have highly cultivated business, administration, and leadership skills, such as strong verbal and written communication skills, fully developed financial expertise, and personal devotion to ethical leadership and business principles.²

While BSBA career paths and opportunities are highly diverse, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports the majority of business administration or BSBA careers are grouped into two main categories:³

• Management occupations
• Business and financial operations occupations

Keep reading to explore in greater detail the wide and exciting variety of BSBA careers and opportunities, as well as the job titles and annual pay for the highest-paying business administration careers.

If you have a strong interest in planning long-term strategies to achieve a vision of future success, you may be well-suited for a career in business administration, which is also known as business management. Careers in business administration span a broad spectrum of industries and fields, but all are focused on overseeing business plans, operations, and projects to achieve a company's vision of success.⁴

Business administration careers often include supervising the organization of company resources and operations to accomplish specific objectives and goals. Management and other leadership positions for someone with a BSBA degree are often in accounting, finance, human resources, marketing, operations, and other departments directly involved with a company's daily activities.⁴

Because the BSBA curriculum focuses on cultivating your full range of business and leadership skill sets, your career path may lead to an exciting position in a public institution, major corporation, or nonprofit organization located anywhere in the world. As a graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, you’re likely to have an interesting choice of great positions in many different industries, such as:⁴

• Civil service
• Education
• Finance
• Healthcare
• Manufacturing
• Nonprofits
• Retail

Although business administration careers span a wide variety of industries, some of the common responsibilities and daily activities in BSBA careers include:⁴

• Hiring new personnel
• Managing company resources
• Managing key aspects of the business
• Motivating employees
• Organizing employees
• Reporting and other types of communication
• Supervising staff members
• Working individually and/or on a team

According to the most recent BLS data, two occupation groups employ the highest number of American workers with BSBA degrees. These groups include business and financial operations, and management. The highest-paying BSBA careers within these groups are listed in the following paragraphs, ranked according to 2021 median annual pay.³

The BLS reports that employment in management occupations is expected to grow 9% between 2020 and 2030, and this growth will add an estimated 906,800 new jobs. This growth rate is about the same as the average for all other occupation groups. In May 2021, the median annual wage for management occupations was $102,450, the highest median annual pay of all the major occupational groups.⁵

The job titles and average wages for the highest-paying business administration careers in management occupations follow here, ranked according to the 2021 median annual pay:⁵

• Computer and information systems managers: $159,010
• Architectural and engineering managers: $152,350
• Natural sciences managers: $137,900
• Advertising, promotions and marketing managers: $133,380
• Financial managers: $131,710
• Compensation and benefits managers: $127,530
• Sales managers: $127,490
• Human resources managers: $126,230
• Training and development managers: $120,130
• Public relations and fundraising managers: $119,860
• Industrial production managers: $103,150
• Medical and health services managers: $101,340
• Administrative services and facilities managers: $99,290
• Top executives: $98,980
• Construction managers: $98,890
• Emergency management directors: $76,730
• Social and community service managers: $74,000
• Farm, ranch and other agricultural managers: $73,060
• Food service managers: $59,440
• Lodging managers: $59,430
• Property, real estate and community association managers: $59,230

Between 2020 and 2030, job growth in business and financial operations occupations is expected to rise by 8%, according to the BLS. This growth rate is almost as fast as the average for all other occupation groups. The BLS anticipates that this growth rate will add about 750,800 new jobs in business and financial operations occupations.⁶

Within this key occupation group, the BLS notes the growing demand for accountants and auditors due to increasingly complex tax and regulatory environments and the globalization of business enterprises. Market research analysts are also in greater demand, due to the increasing use of data analytics to identify market trends and evaluate marketing strategies.⁶

According to the BLS, the median annual wage for business and financial occupations in May 2021 was $76,570. This is significantly higher than the median annual pay for other occupations, which was $45,760 in the same month.⁶

The job titles and annual wages for the highest-paying business administration careers in business and financial occupations follow here, ranked according to the 2021 median annual pay:⁶

• Personal financial advisors: $94,170
• Management analysts: $93,000
• Financial analysts: $81,410
• Financial examiners: $81,410
• Budget analysts: $79,940
• Accountants and auditors: $77,250
• Logisticians: $77,030
• Labor relations specialists: $77,010
• Insurance underwriters: $76,390
• Purchasing managers, buyers and purchasing agents: $75,410
• Cost estimators: $65,170
• Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners and investigators: $64,710
• Compensation, benefits and job analysis specialists: $64,120
• Market research analysts: $63,920
• Loan officers: $63,380
• Human resources specialists: $62,290
• Training and development specialists: $61,570
• Property assessors and appraisers: $61,340
• Fundraisers: $60,660
• Tax examiners, collectors and revenue agents: $56,780
• Meeting, convention and event planners: $49,470

To qualify for the highest-paying business administration careers, you'll need to cultivate your leadership skills and carefully hone your business expertise. Earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree is the best strategy to qualify for top-notch BSBA careers. Even if you’re currently employed, pursuing a BSBA degree may be easier than you imagine.

If you're interested in balancing your current employment with your new academic goals, consider Chico State's Online Bachelor of Science in Business Administration program. You'll develop the full range of advanced business and leadership skills needed to qualify for the highest opportunities and salaries available for graduates with BSBA degrees.

Offered by Chico State's AACSB-accredited School of Business, the Online BSBA program is flexible and interactive, allowing you to study on your own schedule, according to your personal needs. You'll also benefit from tuition affordability, career center support, and excellent post-graduation employment placement services. At Chico State, your career advancement is our highest priority. Contact an Admissions Advisor today for more information or to schedule an appointment.