Can I make $100k a year with a business degree?

You can find “six-figure” jobs with a business degree, but not likely in your first role out of school. Earning the salary of a CFO, CEO, or President may require years of service and promotions before you reach that $100k+ mark.

Fortunately, almost any career that starts with a business degree can turn into a six-figure role, but if it’s not interesting, challenging, or fulfilling, is it worth the compensation? 

Take a look at the top three job titles by major at the Tippie College of Business. With no salary information listed, try narrowing down your options and interests before you get hung up on, “How much will I make?”

But, you ask, “What is the highest paying job with a business degree?”

If you can’t let it go, and simply need to know the highest paying entry-level jobs for business majors, Tippie College of Business put together the following information based a survey of recent graduates.* Your results may vary based on school and location, but the listing gives your expectations a rough estimate.

If you’re scanning the numbers looking for easy business jobs that pay well, you may want to reconsider. Keep in mind that business isn’t an easy field. It’s business. Whether you choose finance or marketing or economics, your role will have demands and responsibilities. Even “entry-level” will have challenges. And rewards.

Can you do anything with a business major? Almost.

While “anything” might be a bit strong, graduating with a business major qualifies you for positions you would expect and others that might come as a surprise. Accounting.com recently noted five unexpected roles for accounting majors:³

• Fashion Purchasing Manager – From evaluating the costs of fashion purchases to negotiating contracts with suppliers, manufacturers, and vendors, it quickly becomes apparent that an accounting background would be a perfect fit.
• Forensic Auditor – Think combination of investigative skills and accounting abilities. These professionals search for financial fraud, embezzlement, and extortion.
• Non-profit Development Manager – Would you love to work with a non-profit? This could be your opportunity, creating and implementing a non-profit’s long-term plans and growth strategies.
• Entrepreneur – What’s your big idea? Whatever your answer, it probably involves finances from investors, business plans, and cost/revenue projections. Sounds like an accounting major.
• Film Production Manager – Maybe you’re not big screen material, but you could fill a critical role overseeing a film’s production budget. Estimating costs and negotiating salaries is the stuff of Hollywood…and business majors.

These positions may not be what you had in mind when you first thought best entry-level business jobs, but now your wheels are turning.

“I am choosing a financial accounting major because I loved my accounting classes in high school,” says Will Naour, accounting major at the Tippie College of Business. “It opened my eyes to how money flows—it is literally all around us—and how to effectively use it.”

What jobs are out there that you haven’t been considering? Whether you’re an accounting major or finance or economics, take a look. You might just surprise yourself (and your bank account).

What business major should I choose? Who ya askin’?

If you want to know what majors are in demand from an employer’s perspective, the National Association of Colleges and Employers put together a list of the top 10 most in-demand bachelor’s degrees.⁴ Not surprisingly, business majors were six of the top 10:

• Finance
• Accounting
• Business Administration/Management
• Logistics/Supply Chain
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing

Of course, everyone around you is going to have an opinion. Your parents. Your friends. Your advisor. And while their thoughts may be coming from the right place, only you can know what business major is best for your future.

Think about the end game. What is it you want your major to provide? A job that lasts a lifetime? An entry-level role that serves as a steppingstone to the next position and the one after that? A major that sets you up for grad school or your PhD?

You may have already realized that entry-level business jobs with no experience are hard to find. A business major can help provide that required experience whether from inside the classroom, at internships, or through research performed alongside your instructors.

When students at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business were asked why they chose their given major, the answers varied:

“I chose accounting because of the guaranteed job security and the things I’ve seen my dad accomplish.”

-Maddie Pithan, Accounting

“I chose marketing from the beginning because I knew that I enjoyed the more creative side of things and had always been fascinated with how brands were able to draw consumers in. I didn’t know that I wanted to double major in management, though, but through the introductory course and talking with my advisor, I figured out that I wanted to include those courses in my degree.”

-Melissa Marcheschi, Marketing and Management

“I chose finance since it made the most sense with what I wanted to do, which was something in the advisory, purchasing, or operating of businesses. Once I got into the beginning-level finance courses, I added accounting since I thought it made a great addition to an already awesome degree. Accounting helped me approach the financial side of understanding a business, and the classes overlapped, which made it more approachable.”

-Hannah Mozena, Finance

“In high school, I started my family’s 3D-printing business on Amazon and Etsy. I became fascinated with the different ways to influence a customer's path to purchase: from analyzing key search terms and click-through rates, to Amazon's algorithms, and taking photos and creating infographics about the products. I realized these were all elements of marketing and went into college as a marketing major. As I began my core business classes, I realized how interested I was in the quantitative and analytical piece that drives marketing efforts, and decided to add Business Analytics & Information Systems as a double major.”

-Molly Siebenaler, Marketing and Business Analytics & Information Systems

The major you choose matters. Deciding first what you want that major to provide will go a long way toward making this “major” choice easier. Think of your goals, weigh your options, do your research, and listen to your gut. Choosing a major is hard, but making the right choice will have a direct effect on your professional future.

Are business majors worth it? Drumroll, please.

If interesting classroom experiences, great job placements after graduation, and a well-paying career are how you define “worth it,” then it’s absolutely worthwhile to pursue a business major.

Outside the classroom, you can do a lot to prep yourself for a career in business by being intentional with professional associations, certificates and licensure, leadership roles, volunteer opportunities, and by talking with professionals and alumni already in the field to better understand industry, roles, and trends.

Joining a professional association is also beneficial as it provides access to networking opportunities, industry insights, and mentorship programs. Being part of such associations allows students to connect with professionals, stay updated on industry trends, and gain valuable advice to navigate their career paths.

By selecting one or two activities outside of the classroom, you can actively invest in your business job success while gaining practical skills, expanding your network, and demonstrating your commitment to professional growth.

Employers are looking for graduates with traits like communication, critical thinking, teamwork, career and self-development, professionalism, and leadership, so maybe, just maybe, grasping a major’s worth isn’t a matter of answering, “What is the hardest major?” or spending hours searching the web for non-desk jobs with a business degree or business major jobs.

Maybe it’s more about finding the major and then the job that’s going to provide the best overall experience, inside and outside the classroom, and the most happiness…for you.