Exploring MBA Careers and Salary Potential
Build your future with an MBA that pays off before you graduate.1
Wondering what MBA career path you may follow?
CSUMB’s Online MBA graduates prove that the right business program can accelerate career growth and expand your opportunities—as well as your earning potential—in a diverse selection of professional fields.
Our graduates are CEOs, Vice Presidents, business owners, operations and department directors, business analysts, senior consultants, marketing managers and more.1 We have helped them build momentum toward achieving their goals while also transforming the way they think about business.
So where will your MBA take you?
Follow CSUMB through a unique and experiential learning journey into integrative and responsible business, and find a competitive edge for the strategic development and specialist roles that can empower you to change the world.
MBA Salary Trends
An MBA is a significant commitment, but it's a commitment to a better and more secure future. So if you're ready to do the work and exceed your potential, consider the payoff of an MBA salary:
Coming into 2024, the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) Corporate Recruiters Survey projected that the median salary of $120,000 would be 1.75 times that of bachelor’s degree holders ($69,320) and 33% higher than those of people hired directly from industry ($90,000).2 Further, as noted in an October 2024 article in Fortune, an MBA can help graduates “land roles which earn tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses, including both signing bonuses and annual performance bonuses.”3 A month later, a Forbes article named the MBA at the top of its list of six highest-paying master’s degrees to pursue. “An MBA is one of the best master's degrees you can obtain,” it said, “not only because it is lucrative, but it also covers a wide range of disciplines and industries.”4
Hiring Trends for MBA Graduates
- 92% global average
- 91% of finance/accounting companies
- 88% of tech companies
- 85% of products/services companies
- 86% of consulting companies
Meet Your Network
Study alongside students from a wide variety of industries with educational backgrounds ranging from business administration to aviation management, and from marriage therapy to molecular biology. You’ll find common ground in your desire to change for the better, whether that means advancing in your current career or starting your own business.
About Our Students
Companies Where Our Students Work
Network with a tight-knit cohort of classmates who are employed by leading Fortune 500 companies and iconic corporations that have included:
- Apple
- Tesla
- PayPal
- Medtronic
- Amazon
- Johnson & Johnson
- Kaiser
Reported Employment Industry*
*Percentages drawn from California student body, not total student body.
One in two CSUMB Online MBA alumni who are employed report receiving a promotion, or higher level position at a new employer, within one to three years of graduation1
97% of prospective students pursue the Online MBA for career advancement1
CSUMB Online MBA alumni earn, on average, a 22% salary increase either during or upon completion of the program.1
I wanted to be able to command a higher salary, which is what an MBA would help with. I chose the Online MBA program at CSUMB because of the Responsible Business component and how it aligned with the work I wanted to go into.
Ready to Earn Your MBA? Take the Next Step
Read More in the CSUMB MBA Blog
Featured Blog: Why Get An MBA? Top 10 Reasons
Spend some time exploring our infographic that shares the top ten reasons to earn an MBA.
Featured Blog: How Much Does an MBA Cost? The Return on Your MBA Investment
Learn some tips and tricks on how to save while pursuing an online MBA and the potential ROI.
Interested in a CSUMB Online MBA?
- Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from alumni of the California State University, Monterey Bay Online MBA program in graduating cohorts between 2019 and 2023
- Retrieved on November 20, 2024, from gmac.com/-/media/files/gmac/research/employment-outlook/2024-corporate-recruiters-survey/2024_gmac_crs_report.pdf
- Retrieved on November 20, 2024, from fortune.com/education/articles/mba-grads-reliably-earn-a-six-figure-salary-in-these-6-industries/
- Retrieved on November 20, 2024, from forbes.com/sites/rachelwells/2024/11/17/6-highest-paying-masters-degrees-to-study-in-2025/