Top BSBA Degree Jobs and Salary Information

When you don't quite know what type of career you want, it can make picking an undergrad somewhat difficult. Of course when it comes to roles that require specific skills, like finance or accounting, it’s clear that you should learn mathematical skills relevant to business. But what about disciplines that rely on a variety of soft and hard skills like marketing, human resources, international business and more?

A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree is an excellent choice for an undergrad degree when you’re interested in working in any aspect of the business world. Learn more about the dynamic skills you can develop with a BSBA degree and find out about the best BSBA degree jobs to plan for once you graduate.

A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) degree, whether pursued on-campus or online, gives students a sturdy foundation of business knowledge plus electives to hone in on specific interests and get started in their careers. You can prepare yourself to take on all sorts of BSBA degree jobs with the right curriculum.

Most BSBA programs will have a set of required courses, sometimes known as a core curriculum, that all BSBA students must complete. The variety in these courses gives students a chance to get an introduction to nearly every aspect of business so that they can explore many different topics before committing to a major. It might include introductory-level courses on information systems, financial management, marketing, business analytics and more. Core curriculums also will likely include courses that teach skills that are helpful to all types of professionals like career planning, strategic management and organizational behavior. Even though the required courses might not reflect your interests, it’s important that when you’re exploring your options for completing your bachelor’s in business that the whole curriculum is strong. Additional business courses in international relations, ethics or leadership could end up being more important to your career than the electives you choose and really make you stand out against competition as a student ready for the modern business world.

With that being said, elective options are where you’ll be able to better direct your BSBA degree curriculum to reflect your personal career goals. Depending on the university and what you’re interested in you could take courses like:

• Accounting Analytics
• Applied Business Economics
• Investment Analysis
• Human Resources Management
• Negotiation
• Consumer Behavior
• Market Research
• Logistics Management
• Project Management

If you’re considering a different degree or, if you haven’t completed your undergraduate degree but have already spent a number of years in a professional role, you might be wondering if a BSBA is worth it over other options.

A BSBA is ideal for anyone who is determined to begin their career upon graduation and who wants to start making an impact in their field as soon as possible. The BSBA won’t just teach you theory, it equips you with practical business skills that you’ll be able to try out in internships and jobs as you complete your education. For those who’ve earned some college credits but need to finish your degree- know that bachelor’s degree holders earn on average more than $22,000 more per year than someone with “some college” but no degree.

Business administration degree jobs span the whole professional spectrum from entrepreneurs to investment bankers. While of course your major doesn’t dictate the rest of your career, it definitely will help shape it. Peruse this list to explore best BSBA degree jobs based on major.

Accountant: $73,560 median annual salary

Accountants are responsible for managing tax records, organizing and maintaining financial records and finding ways for a business to reduce costs and improve profits. As an accountant you could specialize in governmental accounting, forensic accounting or public accounting. Auditors are also a type of accountant that specifically looks at records to ensure an organization is compliant with laws and regulations.

Financial Analyst: $83,660 median annual salary

Financial analysts evaluate opportunities to spend money in order to generate profit. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, financial analysts fall into two categories: buy-side analysts who develop investment strategies for companies with money to invest, and sell-side analysts, who advise financial services sales agents who sell stocks, bonds and other investments.

Budget Analyst: $78,970 median annual salary

Budget analysts have similar responsibilities to accountants, however they may dabble less with tax management and more with analysis of available funds. Budget analysts, as their title implies, consolidate budgets from separate departments for one organizational budget. They then manage funding proposals and help construct requests, monitor spending and estimate future financial needs.

Personal Financial Advisors: $89,220 median annual salary

The role of a personal financial advisor is a great career for a business administration degree holder who wants to work personally with people to reach their goals. Advisors can help clients learn about investment opportunities, how to budget and help them plan for financial events like marriage, having children, or paying for big investments like college or buying a home.

Market Research Analyst: $65,810 median annual salary

Market research analysts are data experts. They forecast trends in sales based on studies of consumer behavior, economic conditions and other market information. They are often involved in the first and last stages of implementing a marketing plan as they gather information to analyze and make marketing decisions and then evaluate the effectiveness of those decisions later.

Advertising or Marketing Manager: $141,490 median annual salary

Advertising and marketing managers take the work of the other marketing professionals on their team to another level. These managers are responsible for doing research to set goals and initiate projects in their departments, setting budgets and timelines, analyzing results of their work and overseeing staff in creating final products. As with most managerial positions, you would most likely work on a marketing team in an entry level position (frequently called “marketing specialist” or “marketing coordinator”) before becoming a manager to gain experience, but, at many organizations, likely wouldn’t need a secondary degree to qualify for the role.

Sales Manager: $132,290 median annual salary

Sales managers organize the staff on a business’s sales team. Their responsibilities vary depending on the organization but they handle setting and strategizing on how to reach sales goals, how to pitch their products and services to buyers and educating and training their staff on what motivates their customer base.

Editor: $63,400 median annual salary

Editors are employed at all sorts of organizations and take on the creative side of marketing more so than some other marketing roles. Editor jobs might also be called “copy editors,” “executive editors” or “managing editors,” and work on magazines, websites, newspapers and internal organizational publications. They strategize on what type of content to include in publications and fact-check, mentor writers and edit for grammar, spelling and punctuation.

Human Resources Managers: $121,220 median annual salary

Human Resources Specialists: $63,490 median annual salary

Human resource (HR) managers and specialists work on the same team to attract and retain staff at an organization and coordinate compensation, benefits and employee relations. HR teams are responsible for most aspects of interviewing and hiring employees, maintaining compliance with labor laws and arranging benefits options. HR managers take on additional responsibilities including mentoring of staff, arranging for continuing education opportunities for their teams, coordinating company employment needs and more.

Labor Relations Specialists: $73, 240 median annual salary

Professionals working in labor relations mange labor contracts between companies and employees. Their responsibilities include advising management on contract creation and negotiations, worker grievances, and disciplinary procedures. Often these folks meet with union representatives to understand their concerns and ensure HR policies are consistent with agreements. They draft proposals and rules or regulations, investigate validity of labor grievances and train management on labor relations.

The variety of skills you can learn with a bachelor’s in business administration means that career options are wide open as well. Here are some other business roles to consider:

• Training and development specialists: $62,700 median annual salary
• Logisticians: $76,270 median annual salary
• Purchasing managers: $72,270
• Management analysts: $87,660