Business disciplines span management, accounting, finance, marketing, human resources, operations, and related fields. The latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show a large academic pipeline, millions of employed degree holders, and substantial projected demand across management and business occupations. The measures below use different periods: degree awards run through the 2021–22 academic year, field-of-degree and worker characteristics describe 2023, and broad occupational projections cover 2024–34.
Contents
- Business degree awards over time
- The most common business disciplines
- Where business degree holders work
- Employment and wage outlook by career
- Management career statistics
- Business and financial occupation projections
Business degree awards over time
U.S. postsecondary institutions awarded 367,235 bachelor’s degrees in business during 2011–12, according to BLS business career options data. The total fell to 360,887 in 2012–13 and 358,132 in 2013–14. Awards then rose to 363,741 in 2014–15 and 371,690 in 2015–16.
The upward movement continued in the next two academic years. Institutions conferred 381,109 business bachelor’s degrees in 2016–17 and 386,240 in 2017–18. The series reached 390,490 degrees in 2018–19. That was followed by 387,881 in 2019–20 and 391,352 in 2020–21.
The latest supplied academic-year figure was lower: 375,418 business bachelor’s degrees in 2021–22. These counts describe awards in each academic year, not the number of students currently enrolled or the number of people entering business occupations in the same year.
| Academic year | Business bachelor’s degrees |
|---|---|
| 2011–12 | 367,235 |
| 2012–13 | 360,887 |
| 2013–14 | 358,132 |
| 2014–15 | 363,741 |
| 2015–16 | 371,690 |
| 2016–17 | 381,109 |
| 2017–18 | 386,240 |
| 2018–19 | 390,490 |
| 2019–20 | 387,881 |
| 2020–21 | 391,352 |
| 2021–22 | 375,418 |
The most common business disciplines
BLS field-of-degree: Business statistics for 2023 show that business management and administration was the largest reported discipline, representing 28% of business majors. General business accounted for 20%, while accounting represented 17%. Marketing and marketing research made up 12%, and finance represented 11%.
These five named areas account for most of the reported distribution, but they should not be treated as a complete list of every business specialization. The figures are shares of business majors in 2023, so they describe the composition of the field rather than the number of degrees awarded in that year.
The distribution also illustrates the breadth of business education. Management and administration is the leading broad category, while accounting, marketing and marketing research, and finance point toward more specialized analytical, customer-focused, and financial pathways. General business remains a sizeable option for learners seeking a wider curriculum.
Where business degree holders work
In 2023, 25% of business-degree holders worked in management occupations, according to BLS field-of-degree: Business data. Business and financial operations occupations accounted for 23%, followed by sales and related occupations at 12%. Office and administrative support occupations represented 9%, and computer and mathematical occupations represented 6%.
The occupational distribution is wider than the degree names alone may suggest. Business graduates appear in leadership, finance, sales, administration, and quantitative technology-related work. The figures describe the occupations of business-degree holders, not the share of each occupation made up by business graduates.
BLS reported 13,736,300 employed business-degree holders in 2023. Twelve percent were employed part time. Fifty-five percent worked in occupations requiring at least a bachelor’s degree, while 26% had an advanced degree. Those measures describe employment status, occupational education requirements, and educational attainment separately; they are not interchangeable indicators.
Among listed occupations, accountants and auditors represented 8% of business-degree holders in that occupation in 2023. Managers, all other, represented 6%; financial managers represented 4%; and chief executives represented 3%. Management analysts, human resources specialists, first-line supervisors of retail sales workers, wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives except technical and scientific products, customer service representatives, and general and operations managers each represented 2% in the listed BLS distribution.
The median wage for business-degree holders was $75,000 in 2023. This is a field-of-degree median and should not be read as the median wage for every business discipline or every occupation associated with business education.
Employment and wage outlook by career
BLS business career options data provide 2023 employment, 2033 projected employment, annual openings, and median annual wages for a range of business-related careers. The figures below are projections and estimates for the periods identified by BLS, not guarantees of individual hiring outcomes.
| Career | Jobs in 2023 | Projected jobs in 2033 | Annual openings | 2023 median wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and auditors | 1,562,000 | 1,653,400 | 130,800 | $79,880 |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | 903,400 | 978,300 | 88,500 | $74,680 |
| Human resources specialists | 933,700 | 1,007,900 | 86,200 | $67,650 |
| Management analysts | 1,018,300 | 1,126,200 | 95,700 | $99,410 |
| Medical and health services managers | 562,700 | 723,300 | 61,400 | $110,680 |
| Sales managers | 584,800 | 619,100 | 48,600 | $135,160 |
| Training and development specialists | 420,100 | 468,600 | 42,200 | $64,340 |
The largest 2023 employment figure in this group was 1,562,000 accountants and auditors. Management analysts had 1,018,300 jobs, while human resources specialists had 933,700 and market research analysts and marketing specialists had 903,400. The largest annual-opening figure was also for accountants and auditors, at 130,800, followed by management analysts at 95,700 and market research analysts and marketing specialists at 88,500.
Several careers combine smaller employment bases with high 2023 median wages. Sales managers had a median annual wage of $135,160, medical and health services managers $110,680, and management analysts $99,410. Training and development specialists had a median annual wage of $64,340. The wage figures are occupation-specific medians for 2023, not starting salaries.
Other listed careers include administrative services managers, with 256,800 jobs in 2023, 272,800 projected jobs in 2033, 22,700 annual openings, and a $106,470 median wage. Facilities managers had 140,500 jobs, 147,900 projected jobs, 12,500 annual openings, and a $102,340 median wage. Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists had 103,700 jobs, 111,000 projected jobs, 8,200 annual openings, and a $74,530 median wage.
Management career statistics
The management category includes some of the largest employment counts and highest median wages in the supplied BLS career data. General and operations managers had 3,630,100 jobs in 2023 and were projected to reach 3,840,500 jobs in 2033. The occupation was projected to have 320,800 annual openings and a 2023 median annual wage of $101,280.
Financial managers had 837,100 jobs in 2023, with 975,300 projected jobs in 2033, 75,100 annual openings, and a $156,100 median annual wage. Marketing managers had 389,100 jobs and were projected to reach 420,800, with 34,800 annual openings and a $157,620 median wage.
Chief executives had 313,900 jobs in 2023 and were projected to reach 331,100 in 2033. The occupation had 23,000 annual openings and a $206,680 median annual wage. Human resources managers had 208,900 jobs, 222,500 projected jobs, 17,400 annual openings, and a $136,350 median wage.
Industrial production managers had 230,100 jobs in 2023 and were projected to reach 236,700 in 2033. BLS listed 17,100 annual openings and a $116,970 median wage. Purchasing managers had 81,300 jobs, 85,400 projected jobs, 6,500 annual openings, and a $136,380 median wage.
Public relations managers had 78,400 jobs in 2023 and were projected to reach 83,800 in 2033, with 6,000 annual openings and a $134,760 median wage. Training and development managers had 43,200 jobs, 46,400 projected jobs, 3,600 annual openings, and a $125,040 median wage. Fundraising managers had 38,200 jobs, 40,500 projected jobs, 2,900 annual openings, and a $119,200 median wage.
Business and financial occupation projections
BLS Business and Financial Occupations projections indicate about 942,500 openings per year from 2024 to 2034. The group had a 2024 median annual wage of $80,920. This broad occupation-group measure covers more than one business discipline and should be distinguished from the 2023 field-of-degree median of $75,000.
Management occupations had 13,607.6 thousand jobs in 2024 and were projected to reach 14,441.0 thousand in 2034. The projected increase was 833.4 thousand jobs, equivalent to 6.1% growth over the period. Business and financial operations occupations had 11,262.0 thousand jobs in 2024 and were projected to reach 11,848.9 thousand in 2034, an increase of 586.9 thousand jobs and 5.2% growth.
| Occupational group | 2024 jobs | 2034 projected jobs | Projected change | Projected growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management occupations | 13,607.6 thousand | 14,441.0 thousand | 833.4 thousand | 6.1% |
| Business and financial operations occupations | 11,262.0 thousand | 11,848.9 thousand | 586.9 thousand | 5.2% |
Taken together, these figures show why business disciplines connect to multiple career directions rather than one occupation. The academic pipeline includes hundreds of thousands of bachelor’s awards per year, while the workforce measures cover management, financial operations, accounting, marketing, human resources, sales, administration, and specialized management roles. For planning purposes, the most important distinction is the measurement period: historical degree awards, 2023 worker and wage characteristics, and 2024–34 or 2023–33 occupational projections answer different questions.