What can you do with a business degree?

At once versatile and valuable, a degree in business can prepare students for a variety of careers in even more industries while providing a solid foundation in concepts like management, operations and leadership. Offering a versatile set of transferable skills, this degree can seem like a wise choice when navigating an educational path. But exactly which jobs are aligned with a degree in business? And what’s involved in the degree program?

Business degrees are academic programs that equip students with foundational knowledge and skills in various aspects of business. Typical coursework for business majors includes:

• Management
• Finance
• Marketing
• Operations

But what can a graduate do with a business degree, really?

Business career paths often depend on the type of degree someone has. Individuals with graduate degrees such as a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) may have different job opportunities than those with an associate or bachelor’s degree.

Each degree can be valuable. That includes online business degrees, which can help busy professionals further their skills and knowledge.

An associate degree in business helps prepare students with many of the basic building blocks of a career in the field. An Associate of Arts with a concentration in Business Fundamentals (AABFN) offers exposure to several principles of a business career.

This AABFN can prepare students for different positions in business, chiefly as an office manager or administrative manager. Salaries for these roles can vary based on location, industry and level of experience. BLS notes that in May 2024, workers in these roles earned between $67,100 and $207,720 with a media wage of $114,130. BLS states that a bachelor’s degree is typically required for such roles but also notes that some people enter the occupation with a high school diploma.

Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website.

Bachelor’s degrees in business can offer more flexibility than associate programs, owing largely to the number of unique disciplines to specialize in. In addition to the foundational Bachelor of Science in Business program, some programs allow students to customize their degrees in the following areas:

• Accounting
• Project management
• Business analytics
• Marketing
• Small business management and entrepreneurship
• Communication
• Industrial-organizational psychology

Here’s a sampling of what a graduate can do with a business degree at the bachelor's level:

Overview: Business managers plan and oversee measures that help their organizations achieve optimal efficiencies. They may be responsible for budgets, marketing, business strategy and personnel.

National salary: As of May 2023, it’s reported that general managers made between $46,340 and $232,110 with a median wage of $101,280, according to BLS.

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree and related work experience are customary.

Job outlook: Employment in management occupations overall is projected to grow faster than average, with about 1.1 million openings forecast each year between 2025 to 2035, according to BLS.

BLS Occupational Employment Projections, 2025-2035 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Overview: General and operations managers are often responsible for multiple departments and may be required to form policies and manage daily operations.

National salary range: As of May 2025, it’s reported that general managers made between $50,090 and $253,390 with a mean annual wage of $134,940.

Education requirements: Most management roles require a bachelor’s degree at minimum.

Job outlook: Employment in management occupations overall is projected to grow faster than average, with about 1.1 million openings forecast each year, according to BLS.

A master’s degrees in business offers advanced management concepts or a transition to a career in healthcare administration. In many cases, an MBA program can help prepare students for the roles listed above that prefer management candidates to have advanced degrees.

Students looking for a more advanced degree can opt for the doctoral route. These degrees can help leaders hone their skills even more with options like a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and a Doctor of Management (DM).

A DBA helps cultivate an understanding of business administration and become a better leader in managing both people and organizations. Doctoral students will also develop research that identifies opportunities for innovation and ways to address them. From a practical perspective, a DBA can prepare a graduate for a career as a general manager, executive director or operations director.

A Doctor of Management equips candidates with critical thinking skills to become better leaders and improve their decision-making skills. Complex problems require creative solutions, and allows students to gain knowledge and skills to form those solutions. Popular careers among DM graduates include roles as:

• Management analysts
• Management consultants
• Organizational development consultants

Management analysts and consultants largely have the same role — to gather information about a business’s problems and develop solutions. Management consultants need, at minimum, a bachelor’s degree. Most employers, however, prefer to hire candidates with MBAs and beyond.

Salaries for management analysts and consultants can vary based on factors like experience, industry and location, but in May 2025 they earned between $60,640 and $171,640 with a median wage of $101,860, according to BLS. As far as employment prospects go, BLS projects 10% growth between 2025 and 2035, which is much faster than the expected average of all occupations. 

Organizations across a broad spectrum of industries — including finance, consulting, technology, marketing and retail — are often on the lookout for prospective employees with degrees in business. These industries value the versatile skill set such graduates bring.

It’s not strictly necessary to have a degree in business to own and run a business, but it could help. Business programs provide the foundational knowledge and critical skills needed to thrive, such as marketing and operations. Many offer coursework that teaches the fundamentals of business planning and strategy.

A degree in business may open up enhancement opportunities in existing careers by equipping students with a deeper understanding of business operations and strategy. That’s especially important for roles that require leadership or financial or strategic planning. In addition, technical workers can benefit from business degrees (including MBAs) as they transition to managerial or executive positions.

If you’re a busy professional who wants to enhance your education or career, University of Phoenix offers online business degrees that include:

• Associate of Arts with a concentration in Business Fundamentals
• Bachelor of Science in Business
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Master of Management 
• Doctor of Management

Request more information or apply today.