Career field

Management careers

Occupations that plan, direct, and coordinate organizations, operations, and people. CampusPin lists 38 management occupations, with median pay ranging from $44,810 to $206,420 per year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024). Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage or a guarantee.

Occupations

38

indexed BLS occupations

Median pay range

$44,810–$206,420

BLS 2024, occupation-wide

Typical pay (midpoint)

$105,835

median of these medians

Most common entry education

Bachelor's degree

across 38 occupations

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: 27
  • High school diploma or equivalent: 8
  • Master's degree: 2
  • Associate's degree: 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.

Occupations in Management, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
General and operations managers$102,950308,700+4.4%Bachelor's degree
Managers, all other$136,550106,700+4.5%Bachelor's degree
Farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural managers$87,98085,500-1.3%High school diploma or equivalent
Financial managers$161,70074,600+14.8%Bachelor's degree
Medical and health services managers$117,96062,100+23.2%Bachelor's degree
Computer and information systems managers$171,20055,600+15.2%Bachelor's degree
Sales managers$138,06049,000+4.7%Bachelor's degree
Construction managers$106,98046,800+8.7%Bachelor's degree
Food service managers$65,31042,000+6.4%High school diploma or equivalent
Property, real estate, and community association managers$66,70039,000+3.6%High school diploma or equivalent
Marketing managers$161,03034,300+6.6%Bachelor's degree
Administrative services managers$108,39023,200+4.6%Bachelor's degree
Chief executives$206,42022,200+4.3%Bachelor's degree
Education administrators, kindergarten through secondary$104,07020,800-1.5%Master's degree
Social and community service managers$78,24018,600+6.4%Bachelor's degree
Transportation, storage, and distribution managers$102,01018,500+6.1%High school diploma or equivalent
Human resources managers$140,03017,900+5%Bachelor's degree
Industrial production managers$121,44017,100+1.9%Bachelor's degree
Education administrators, postsecondary$103,96015,100+1.7%Master's degree
Architectural and engineering managers$167,74014,500+3.8%Bachelor's degree
Facilities managers$104,69013,200+3.8%Bachelor's degree
Natural sciences managers$161,1808,500+3.7%Bachelor's degree
Public relations managers$138,5206,600+5%Bachelor's degree
Purchasing managers$139,5106,400+3.1%Bachelor's degree
Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare$56,2705,500-2.5%Bachelor's degree
Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling$77,1805,500+7.7%Bachelor's degree
Lodging managers$68,1305,400+3.4%High school diploma or equivalent
Education administrators, all other$89,0404,100+2.5%Bachelor's degree
Training and development managers$127,0903,800+5.8%Bachelor's degree
Fundraising managers$123,4803,600+4.2%Bachelor's degree
Funeral home managers$76,8302,600+4.1%Associate's degree
Legislators$44,8102,200+3.4%Bachelor's degree
Advertising and promotions managers$126,9602,100-2.2%Bachelor's degree
Personal service managers, all other$61,3402,100+6.5%High school diploma or equivalent
Compensation and benefits managers$140,3601,500+0.2%Bachelor's degree
Emergency management directors$86,1301,000+3%Bachelor's degree
Postmasters and mail superintendents$92,730900-3.5%High school diploma or equivalent
Gambling managers$85,580600+1.2%High school diploma or equivalent

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.

Frequently asked questions

What careers are in the management field?

CampusPin lists 38 management occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, including Chief executives, Computer and information systems managers, Architectural and engineering managers, Financial managers. Each links to a career page with median pay, projected job growth, and typical entry-level education.

How much do management careers pay?

Across these occupations, BLS 2024 median pay ranges from $44,810 to $206,420 per year, with a midpoint (the median of the occupations' medians) near $105,835. Median pay is occupation-wide, not a starting wage, and varies by state, employer, and experience.

What education do management careers require?

Typical entry-level education varies by occupation; the most common in this field is bachelor's degree. 27 occupations list bachelor's degree; 8 occupations list high school diploma or equivalent; 2 occupations list master's degree; 1 occupation list associate's degree.

Which management careers are projected to grow fastest?

Over 2024–2034, BLS projects the fastest growth for Medical and health services managers (+23.2%), Computer and information systems managers (+15.2%), Financial managers (+14.8%), Construction managers (+8.7%), Entertainment and recreation managers, except gambling (+7.7%). 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 management 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.

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.