MBA statistics show strong salary potential, varied career goals, and changing program preferences. The figures below bring together GMAC, AACSB, and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics measures while keeping each survey year, geography, and sample clear.
Table of contents
- MBA salary statistics
- Employment outcomes
- Prospective-student profile
- Program preferences
- Career goals
- Business degrees and occupations
MBA salary statistics
AACSB’s 2025 State of Business Education Report used data from 179 institutions for graduate compensation figures. Its weighted-average reported base salary for MBA graduates was $118,508. The comparable figure was $65,836 for undergraduate business graduates and $78,705 for master’s specialist graduates. These are reported base-salary averages, not guarantees for an individual graduate.
| Graduate category | Weighted-average reported base salary |
|---|---|
| MBA graduates | $118,508 |
| Master’s specialist graduates | $78,705 |
| Undergraduate business graduates | $65,836 |
The same AACSB report, using global MBA-program salary figures from the Financial Times, recorded a highest reported weighted salary of $256,731 and a lowest reported weighted salary of $93,479. These endpoints show why school, industry, geography, and experience matter when interpreting MBA salary statistics. They do not establish a typical salary for every MBA graduate.
GMAC’s 2023 MBA degree profile estimated the median starting salary for MBAs in the United States at $125,000. It also said the estimated median starting salary in East and Southeast Asia was the next highest after the United States. The GMAC estimate and AACSB weighted average are different measures and should not be treated as one ranking.
The source labels are important when comparing these salary statistics. AACSB’s figure is a weighted-average reported base salary based on institutional reporting, while GMAC’s figure is an estimated median starting salary. A median identifies the middle observation in a distribution, whereas an average can be influenced by higher or lower reported salaries. The Financial Times figures cited by the AACSB report are weighted global-program salary endpoints, so they add a program-level range rather than a direct estimate of the salary of all MBA graduates.
Geography is another explicit distinction. The GMAC $125,000 estimate applies to the United States, and the next-highest regional statement applies to East and Southeast Asia. The AACSB report’s Financial Times values concern global MBA programs. Readers should therefore keep country, region, program, and measurement type attached to every number instead of treating the figures as interchangeable evidence about one labor market.
Employment outcomes
AACSB reported MBA offer acceptance by graduation in a controlled sample for six academic years: 66% in 2023–24, 64% in 2022–23, 57% in 2021–22, 52% in 2020–21, 60% in 2019–20, and 58% in 2018–19.
| Academic year | Offer acceptance by graduation |
|---|---|
| 2023–24 | 66% |
| 2022–23 | 64% |
| 2021–22 | 57% |
| 2020–21 | 52% |
| 2019–20 | 60% |
| 2018–19 | 58% |
The highest reported value was 66% in 2023–24 and the lowest was 52% in 2020–21. AACSB identifies this as offer acceptance by graduation, so it is distinct from employment at a fixed number of months after graduation.
In the same controlled sample, the share securing employment three months after graduation was 15% in 2023–24, 18% in 2022–23, 21% in 2021–22, 18% in 2020–21, 20% in 2019–20, and 24% in 2018–19. At six months after graduation, the share still without an offer was 5% in 2023–24, 8% in 2022–23, 8% in 2021–22, 7% in 2020–21, 4% in 2019–20, and 14% in 2018–19.
GMAC’s 2023 MBA degree profile said total hiring for MBA graduates increased over the previous five years, with a small dip in 2020. It also said a plurality of employers hired stable numbers of MBAs year over year and that more than three-quarters of employers across industries hired MBAs in the previous two years. Those are employer-pattern statements, not a universal hiring rate.
Prospective-student profile
GMAC’s 2026 MBA prospective-student sample included 4,253 respondents. In that sample, 54% were men, 46% were women, and 1% identified as non-binary. The age distribution was 24% age 22 or younger, 16% age 23 to 24, 35% age 25 to 30, 18% age 31 to 39, and 8% age 40 or older. The largest listed age group was 25 to 30.
After weighting, 25% were citizens of Central and South Asia, 20% were citizens of the United States, and 19% were citizens of Western Europe. These figures describe citizenship in the prospective-student sample, not every respondent’s study or employment location.
Motivation was also prominent. Fifty percent said they wanted a job but lacked the skills or degree to compete, while 47% said they had always planned to pursue graduate business education at that point. These are different motivations and are not mutually exclusive categories.
Program preferences
GMAC’s 2026 survey distinguished between formats respondents considered and formats they preferred. A full-time MBA was considered by 59% and preferred by 35%. A part-time MBA was considered by 18% and preferred by 3%. A hybrid MBA was considered by 16% and preferred by 2%.
An executive MBA was considered by 18% and preferred by 5%, while an online MBA was considered by 12% and preferred by 2%.
| MBA format | Considered | Preferred |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time MBA | 59% | 35% |
| Part-time MBA | 18% | 3% |
| Hybrid MBA | 16% | 2% |
| Executive MBA | 18% | 5% |
| Online MBA | 12% | 2% |
The full-time MBA had the highest reported consideration and preference shares. The executive and part-time formats had the same consideration share, at 18%, but preference was 5% for executive MBA and 3% for part-time MBA. Consideration means a format was under review; preference identifies the favored option.
Career goals
In GMAC’s 2026 part-time MBA subgroup, 73% wanted a raise or salary increase, 47% wanted to manage projects, and 41% wanted an executive-level position.
The Executive MBA subgroup reported senior-leadership goals: 54% wanted an executive-level position, 50% wanted a raise or salary increase, 48% wanted to become CEO of a company, and 42% wanted a C-suite position.
Mobility and change goals also appeared in this subgroup. Thirty percent wanted to work outside their country of citizenship. Twenty-nine percent wanted to change job functions or occupation, and 29% wanted a job with a different company. Twelve percent wanted to continue working for their current employer.
These subgroup figures are stated goals among prospective students, not post-graduation outcomes. A respondent could select more than one goal.
Business degrees and occupations
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 13,736,300 employed workers in the business field in 2023. The median annual wage for business degree holders was $75,000. Twelve percent were employed part time, 55% worked in occupations requiring at least a bachelor’s degree, and 26% had an advanced degree.
BLS reported that business majors were 28% business management and administration, 20% general business, 17% accounting, 12% marketing, and 11% finance in 2023. These figures describe the listed business-major categories and provide broader labor-market context for MBA readers.
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook reported 2024 median pay of $99,410 for management analysts and listed a bachelor’s degree as the entry-level education requirement. Its similar-occupations table included $81,680 for accountants and auditors, $106,880 for administrative services and facilities managers, and $87,930 for budget analysts. It also listed $77,070 for cost estimators, $115,440 for economists, and $101,910 for financial analysts.
Additional BLS figures were $161,700 for financial managers, $76,950 for market research analysts, $91,290 for operations research analysts, and $100,750 for project management specialists. These are occupation-level 2024 median-pay measures, not MBA-specific guarantees.
GMAC’s MBA degree profile provides an employer-side complement: more than three-quarters of employers across industries hired MBAs in the past two years, while the plurality hired stable numbers year over year. Together with AACSB’s controlled-sample measures and BLS business-degree statistics, the figures describe a broad but varied market rather than one uniform MBA outcome.
The employment measures also answer different questions. Offer acceptance by graduation describes whether an offer was accepted by the time of graduation. Employment secured three months after graduation uses a later checkpoint, and the six-month figure tracks graduates still without an offer. Because the timing and denominators are not stated as identical in the supplied sources, the percentages should be kept as separate reported measures. They are useful for seeing how outcomes vary by period, but they do not by themselves predict an individual student’s result.
The prospective-student figures answer a different question again: who is considering an MBA and what do those respondents want? Age, citizenship, format consideration, format preference, and career goals describe the composition and intentions of the 2026 sample. They do not measure enrollment, graduation, employment, or salary after completing a program. That distinction is especially relevant when comparing the applicant-profile data with the older salary and employment measures from AACSB, BLS, and GMAC.