Career field
Business & Finance careers
Accounting, analysis, human-resources, and financial-operations occupations that keep organizations running. CampusPin lists 32 business & finance occupations, with median pay ranging from $48,690 to $106,000 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.
Occupations
32
indexed BLS occupations
Median pay range
$48,690–$106,000
BLS 2024, occupation-wide
Typical pay (midpoint)
$77,745
median of these medians
Most common entry education
Bachelor's degree
across 32 occupations
Projected to grow fastest
BLS projected employment change, 2024–2034.
Largest by employment
BLS employment estimate, 2024.
- Accountants and auditors1,579,800
- Business operations specialists, all other1,205,700
- Management analysts1,075,100
- Project management specialists1,046,300
- Human resources specialists944,300
Typical entry-level education
How many of these occupations BLS classifies at each typical entry-level education. Many roles also have experience or licensure requirements beyond a degree.
- Bachelor's degree: 28
- High school diploma or equivalent: 2
- Postsecondary nondegree award: 1
- No formal educational credential: 1
Occupations in this field
Every occupation BLS places in this field, with median pay, the openings each is projected to average per year, its projected employment change, and the education most entrants hold. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first, which is the measure of how much hiring a field actually does rather than how much it pays.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountants and auditors | $81,680 | 124,200 | +4.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Business operations specialists, all other | $81,270 | 108,200 | +3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Management analysts | $101,190 | 98,100 | +8.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Market research analysts and marketing specialists | $76,950 | 87,200 | +6.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Human resources specialists | $72,910 | 81,800 | +6.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Project management specialists | $100,750 | 78,200 | +5.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Buyers and purchasing agents | $75,650 | 52,200 | +5.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Training and development specialists | $65,850 | 43,900 | +10.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Compliance officers | $78,420 | 33,300 | +3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Logisticians | $80,880 | 26,400 | +16.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial and investment analysts | $101,350 | 25,100 | +5.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Personal financial advisors | $102,140 | 24,100 | +9.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators | $76,790 | 21,100 | -5.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Loan officers | $74,180 | 20,300 | +1.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Cost estimators | $77,070 | 16,900 | -4.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Meeting, convention, and event planners | $59,440 | 15,500 | +4.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Tax preparers | $50,560 | 10,400 | +4.5% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Financial specialists, all other | $80,190 | 10,300 | +3.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Fundraisers | $66,490 | 10,200 | +4.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Compensation, benefits, and job analysis specialists | $77,020 | 8,500 | +5.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Insurance underwriters | $79,880 | 8,200 | -2.6% | Bachelor's degree |
| Property appraisers and assessors | $65,420 | 6,300 | +3.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial examiners | $90,400 | 5,700 | +18.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Labor relations specialists | $93,500 | 5,100 | -0.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Financial risk specialists | $106,000 | 4,800 | +6.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents | $59,740 | 4,300 | -1.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Credit analysts | $80,970 | 3,700 | -4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Budget analysts | $87,930 | 3,100 | +1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Agents and business managers of artists, performers, and athletes | $96,310 | 2,200 | +8.7% | Bachelor's degree |
| Credit counselors | $50,480 | 2,200 | +3.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Insurance appraisers, auto damage | $76,650 | 500 | -8.2% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Farm labor contractors | $48,690 | 300 | +6% | No formal educational credential |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024 wages and Employment Projections. “Most entrants hold” describes the education people already working in the occupation typically have. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Majors that lead into this field
CampusPin majors whose program maps to occupations in this field via the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk.
- Business Administration
- Accounting
- Finance
- Marketing
- Communications
- Environmental Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Supply Chain Management
- Human Resource Management
- Actuarial Science
- Public Relations
- Materials Engineering
- Business Analytics
- Operations Management
- International Business
- Insurance
- Instructional Design
- Financial Planning
- Project Management
- Organizational Leadership
- Data Analytics
- Event Management
- Construction Engineering
- Nonprofit Management
- Automotive Collision Repair
Frequently asked questions
What careers are in the business & finance field?
CampusPin lists 32 business & finance occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Financial risk specialists, Personal financial advisors, Financial and investment analysts, Management analysts. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.
How much do business & finance careers pay?
Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $48,690 to $106,000 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $77,745. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.
What education do business & finance careers require?
Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is bachelor's degree. 28 occupations list bachelor's degree; 2 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 1 occupation list postsecondary nondegree award; 1 occupation list no formal educational credential.
Which business & finance careers are projected to grow fastest?
Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Financial examiners (+18.5%), Logisticians (+16.7%), Training and development specialists (+10.8%), Personal financial advisors (+9.6%), Management analysts (+8.8%). Projections are BLS model estimates, not guarantees.
Put this field in context
The pay and growth numbers above are field-wide BLS medians and national projections across business & finance occupations, not a starting salary or a guarantee for any single job. These CampusPin guides explain how to read them and how a field connects to majors and college choices.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
How one major connects to many careers
A major points toward several occupations in a field, not a single destination.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Compare cost, earnings, and debt together
Weigh price, earnings, and debt side by side without reducing a field to one number.
Occupation data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (Employment Projections); wages are 2024 and projections cover 2024–2034. Figures are national, not institution-specific, and projections are estimates, not guarantees.