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If you have a degree in business, you made an excellent choice. It’s a general major and field and that means you’ll have many more opportunities than will be the case in more specific fields. But you’ll naturally want to choose one of the highest paying business jobs available. This guide will help you to find what those positions are.
If you want a business job, start your search on ZipRecruiter! ZipRecruiter makes applying for and finding jobs easy. ZipRecruiter is free to use – get started today!
The Highest Paying Business Jobs
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Chief Information Officer – $151,150
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Marketing Manager – $141,490
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Chief Executive Officer – $107,680
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Finance Manager – $134,180
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Sales Manager – $132,290
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Human Resource Manager – $121,220
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Information Security Analyst – $103,590
7 Of the Highest Paying Business Jobs
1. Chief Information Officer
Median National Salary: $151,150
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 482,000
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 11% (above average growth)
Job Duties: The chief information officer is charged with planning, coordinating, and directing computer-related activities in an organization. That includes recommending system upgrades and replacements as necessary. They also plan and direct the installation and maintenance of both computer hardware and software. A CIO must be familiar with the many types of technology available, and have the ability to adequately assess the costs and benefits of new investments.
A bachelor’s degree is a common requirement, typically in either computer science for information technology. But you may qualify for the position with a related degree, such as engineering technologies. Some companies do require candidates to have a graduate degree, especially an MBA. Becoming the CIO requires “working your way up the ladder”. That means acquiring several years of experience in a related position. In larger organizations, 10 to 15 years of experience may be required.
2. Marketing Manager
Median National Salary: $141,490
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 316,800
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 10% (slightly above the national average)
Job Duties: A marketing manager handles advertising, promotions, and marketing plan programs for organizations. Unlike direct sales, the marketing manager’s job is to develop a marketing plan that will draw customers and clients to the company’s products and services. Though it’s a common position in large corporations, marketing managers also work in advertising agencies.
In addition to a bachelor’s degree, candidates are expected to have experience in developing marketing plans, including advertising.
3. Chief Executive Officer
Median National Salary: $107,680
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 2,704,400
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 8% (about average)
Job Duties: Chief executive officers are the top managers in business organizations. But as you can see from the fact that there are more than 2.7 million jobs, that takes on many different businesses, large, medium and small. This also explains the relatively low median national salary. While CEOs in small businesses may earn less than six figures, it’s not unusual for those in top organizations to earn seven or eight figures.
Chief executives plan company strategies and policies and oversee meeting company objectives. They work in virtually every type of industry and are sometimes the founder of the company.
The minimum education requirement is a bachelor’s degree, but may also be a Masters of Business Administration (MBA). Often more important is experience. As CEO, the candidate will be expected to bring many years of experience to the job, including some gathered at competing organizations.
4. Finance Manager
Median National Salary: $134,180
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 681,700
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 17% (much higher than average)
Job Duties: This position is a hybrid of finance and business. But many large businesses need a finance manager, especially those engaged in some area of finance. Finance managers are responsible for investment activities of the company. They also work to develop long-term financial plans, and even create financial reports. They may also supervise finance department employees.
Finance managers have different titles in various organizations. This can include controllers, treasurers, credit or cash managers, or risk managers.
A bachelor’s degree is typically the minimum requirement, but a Masters in finance may also be necessary. A finance manager should also have several years of relevant experience, including that accumulated at competing companies.
5. Sales Manager
Median National Salary: $132,290
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 397,900
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 7% (about average)
Job Duties: The sales manager is the leader of an organization’s sales team. They hire and train sales staff, create sales programs, and frequently travel to multiple company locations or to make direct presentations at major clients.
A bachelor’s degree is typically the minimum education requirement. But the position of sales manager largely depends on relevant sales experience. Many jobs require several years of front-line sales experience, in addition to being one of the top salespeople in the organization.
6. Human Resource Manager
Median National Salary: $121,220
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 161,700
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 9% (about average)
Job Duties: A human resources manager plans, coordinates, and directs the administrative functions of an organization, relating primarily to staffing. That includes recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and consulting with top executives on staffing needs.
The position requires several years’ experience in the human resources field, in addition to a bachelor’s degree. However, some positions do require a Master’s degree as well.
7. Information Security Analyst
Median National Salary: $103,590
Education Required: Bachelor’s degree
Number of Jobs: 141,200
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: 33% (well above average)
Job Duties: Information security analysts are responsible for implementing security measures designed to monitor and protect the computer networks and systems of large organizations. Positions are found in computer companies, consulting firms, and large corporations, especially those that are finance related.
Information security analysts are required to have a bachelor’s degree in either computer science or information technology. Relevant experience in systems security is highly desirable.
Where to Find High Paying Business Jobs
ZipRecruiter
ZipRecruiter is the single best job board, and the one to use if you only plan to use a single job board. That’s because once you upload your resume on the ZipRecruiter resume database, it will be searchable by thousands of employers and recruiters. ZipRecruiter also enables you to build a custom profile that will attract more potential employers than your resume alone.
For more information, read our ZipRecruiter review.
Indeed
Indeed is probably the single most popular job board in the industry, largely because it’s available in at least 60 different countries. It’s free to use, but in addition to uploading your resume, you can also take advantage of employer reviews that will give you an idea who the better employers in your field are. They also offer email notifications of new jobs related to your search.
For more information, check out our Indeed review.
Monster
Monster is another leading job board, and it’s free to use for job seekers. You can download your resume and begin searching for jobs. They also offer a collection of career related articles to help you prepare for your interview and your new job. Monster is well known for their salary tools to help you know exactly what pay level to expect.
For more information, check out our Monster review.
And if you’re an employer looking to fill a business position, or any other job, check out our list of the Best Free Job Posting Sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
What career in business pays the most?
According to our research for this guide, the single career in business that pays the most is chief information officer, at $151,150 per year.
What job pays the most money?
For this year, the list of the highest paying occupations looks like this:
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Psychiatrists, $252,385
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Dentists, $157,307
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Physicians, $155,400
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Enterprise architects, $144,997
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Strategy managers, $140,000, and Database architects, $140,000, (tie)
What job is best for business?
Based on our research, the top positions in business are concentrated in information technology, and its many related capacities, as well as marketing and sales. Both are integral to the ability of an organization to function in the 21st century economy, and commonly pay in excess of $100,000 per year.
What job gives you $1 million per year?
Outside of professional athletes, entertainers and entrepreneurs, there aren’t any job classifications likely to give you a $1 million per year income. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to reach that pay level with a more ordinary job. People who rise to the top of their field, and even end up running companies, will frequently reach the seven-figure salary level.
The Bottom Line
Business is another broad category of career opportunities. You can use a business degree to enter quite literally dozens of different occupations. It’s also one of those careers where it’s possible to start in one position, then work your way up to a higher paying one later in your career. As career choices go, business is one of the most versatile.
Find your business job on ZipRecruiter today!