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Business Manager Training and Jobs


Schools and Degrees

To enter the profession, one needs to have at least an associates or a bachelors degree in business administration. However, a majority of the employers prefer candidates with a master degree in the field. A large number of community colleges and four-year universities in the US offer the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. In fact, the MBA degree offers chances of better employment as well as a faster advancement in the career. In addition, a business manager should have a clear understanding of economics, finance, and business models. Background knowledge in accounting and risk management can also prove to be quite useful.

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Training and Education

Employees often obtain work experience in a related occupation before starting. The percentage of business managers with college degrees is 55%. Workers with some college (less than a bachelor's degree) represent about 27% of the total. Some employees, about 17%, had a high-school education.


Job Overview

Business managers are primarily responsible for ensuring that the goals and business objectives of the organization are met. They may be in charge of a specific department within the company, or may supervise the entire operations of the organization. A business manager can be a specialist in one or more fields such as personnel management or human resource development, finance, production and operation, sales and marketing, or management information systems.


Job Requirements

Business managers specializing in finance can opt for professional certifications such as the Certified Treasury Professional, Certified Management Accountant, or Certified Public Accountant. The Certified Employee Benefits Specialist, Certified Compensation Professional, Global Remuneration Professional, and the Senior Professional in Human Resources certifications are available for those specializing in human resources management. One can also opt for a doctorate degree in business administration. This is particularly beneficial for those wishing to take up writing, teaching, or consulting work.

Essentially, business managers should be proficient with computers and the processes related to the analysis of financial data and maintenance of budgets. Effective technical and human relations skills, and knowledge of organizational planning and execution are also necessary. In addition, since the job requires establishing and maintaining a cooperative relationship with both colleagues and clients, a business manager should have excellent written and spoken communication skills. Familiarity with business software applications is an added advantage.


Nature of Work

Business managers are responsible for planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating the activities within an organization. They have to formulate the business objectives as well as interpret and evaluate the trends, policies, and procedures. In addition, they need to motivate and inspire loyalty and creativity among the employees. A business manager could advance to the position of a supervisor, division manager, department head, and president.

The world of business is fast paced and extremely competent. As a result, the work of business managers requires the ability to keep up with the pace of projects and meet the deadlines. The supervision of large teams and frequent overtimes can add to the stress.


Area Job Conditions

Popular locations for business managers include Bloomington (Illinois), Champaign (Illinois), and Decatur (Illinois). Fewer are found in York (Pennsylvania), Tyler (Texas), and Longview (Texas).

Workers looking for high salaries should look at San Jose (California), Detroit (Michigan), and San Francisco (California), and should avoid Johnson City (Tennessee), Muncie (Indiana), and Morristown (Tennessee).


Part-Time and Self Employment

Part-time business managers are 7% of all surveyed. Some workers, about 60%, work for themselves.


Business Managers by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anniston $82,000 40 -62%
Auburn $95,000 40 -60%
Birmingham $98,000 570 -56%
Dothan $84,000 50 -63%
Huntsville $105,000 360 -32%
Mobile $86,000 160 -64%
Montgomery $91,000 280 -32%
Tuscaloosa $85,000 100 -54%

Alaska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anchorage $89,000 810 +91%
Fairbanks $78,000 140 +97%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Flagstaff $80,000 100 -24%
Kingman $69,000 50 -54%
Phoenix $88,000 3,160 -32%
Prescott $92,000 60 -52%
Tucson $88,000 810 -9%
Yuma $100,000 120 -7%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fayetteville $123,000 780 +50%
Fort Smith $76,000 90 -71%
Little Rock $76,000 540 -40%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bakersfield $99,000 310 -54%
Chico 160 -3%
El Centro $104,000 130 +13%
Fresno $92,000 560 -33%
Hanford $105,000 40 -47%
Los Angeles $132,000 12,550 +17%
Madera $104,000 50 -29%
Merced $94,000 30 -77%
Modesto $84,000 150 -62%
Napa $105,000 70 -53%
Oakland $117,000 2,790 +6%
Oxnard $111,000 940 +22%
Redding 130 -8%
Riverside $93,000 1,800 -43%
Sacramento $104,000 2,250 -2%
Salinas $109,000 240 -41%
San Diego $113,000 2,820 -19%
San Francisco $134,000 4,200 +60%
San Jose $142,000 3,680 +55%
San Luis Obispo $111,000 100 -56%
Santa Ana $112,000 2,950 -23%
Santa Barbara $113,000 340 -20%
Santa Cruz $102,000 170 -19%
Santa Rosa $119,000 300 -32%
Stockton $87,000 180 -66%
Vallejo $105,000 190 -36%
Visalia $94,000 120 -64%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boulder $111,000 340 -12%
Colorado Springs $101,000 560 -14%
Denver $110,000 3,610 +9%
Fort Collins $97,000 310 -1%
Grand Junction $87,000 100 -25%
Greeley $87,000 150 -13%
Pueblo $96,000 110 -17%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $116,000 1,120 +0%
Danbury $106,000 170 +5%
Hartford $109,000 2,050 +36%
New Haven $103,000 400 -43%
Norwich $91,000 250 -18%
Waterbury $95,000 70 -57%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Dover $98,000 60 -50%
Wilmington $123,000 620 -27%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $124,000 26,790 +315%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Coral $87,000 170 -66%
Deltona $99,000 160 -59%
Fort Lauderdale $91,000 1,090 -41%
Fort Walton Beach $73,000 160 -13%
Gainesville $86,000 120 -60%
Jacksonville $96,000 1,050 -34%
Lakeland $88,000 130 -73%
Miami $91,000 2,520 -3%
Naples $84,000 80 -71%
Ocala $69,000 50 -77%
Orlando $91,000 1,900 -29%
Palm Bay $105,000 320 -36%
Panama City $76,000 90 -45%
Pensacola $71,000 170 -55%
Port St Lucie $73,000 110 -63%
Sarasota $80,000 420 -34%
Tallahassee $89,000 520 +28%
West Palm Beach $97,000 700 -49%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Athens $108,000 70 -59%
Atlanta $107,000 5,100 -17%
Brunswick $107,000 250 +169%
Macon $78,000 100 -55%
Savannah $90,000 110 -71%
Warner Robins $97,000 40 -68%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $84,000 1,270 +10%

Idaho

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boise $83,000 610 -10%
Coeur Dalene $83,000 110 -6%
Idaho Falls $87,000 80 -25%
Lewiston $60,000 50 +1%
Pocatello $74,000 70 +6%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chicago $99,000 30,290 +203%
Decatur $80,000 90 -13%
Kankakee $61,000 230 +147%
Peoria $77,000 1,180 +173%
Rockford $82,000 610 +73%
Springfield $77,000 440 +66%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $56,000 80 -6%
Bloomington $79,000 110 -34%
Columbus $83,000 90 +5%
Elkhart $62,000 100 -62%
Evansville $74,000 420 -3%
Fort Wayne $68,000 320 -39%
Gary $66,000 400 -43%
Indianapolis $64,000 4,400 +86%
Kokomo $47,000 70 -20%
Lafayette $92,000 250 +38%
Michigan City $53,000 110 +19%
Muncie $62,000 70 -33%
South Bend $62,000 180 -44%
Terre Haute $49,000 110 -32%

Iowa

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ames $84,000 50 -40%
Cedar Rapids $89,000 360 +3%
Davenport $97,000 790 +66%
Des Moines $90,000 1,170 +36%
Dubuque $61,000 110 -11%
Iowa City $66,000 290 +72%
Sioux City $83,000 70 -60%
Waterloo $88,000 210 +1%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Topeka $81,000 230 -16%
Wichita $83,000 400 -46%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bowling Green $80,000 90 -31%
Elizabethtown $69,000 100 -1%
Lexington $86,000 490 -21%
Louisville $88,000 1,360 -15%
Owensboro $59,000 60 -45%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Alexandria $66,000 110 -28%
Baton Rouge $80,000 1,680 +73%
Houma $66,000 240 +3%
Lafayette $80,000 400 +11%
Lake Charles $80,000 230 +7%
Monroe $62,000 200 +9%
New Orleans $83,000 1,900 +37%
Shreveport $65,000 380 -17%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bangor $70,000 130 -10%
Portland $83,000 380 -26%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $106,000 3,690 +6%
Bethesda $116,000 2,950 +94%
Hagerstown $83,000 260 +9%
Salisbury $89,000 50 -60%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boston $116,000 2,040 -56%
Brockton $101,000 60 -73%
Framingham $104,000 200 -52%
Haverhill $117,000 180 -9%
Lawrence $134,000 260 +85%
Lowell $94,000 170 -43%
Peabody $106,000 60 -76%
Springfield $91,000 400 -48%
Worcester $80,000 110 -83%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ann Arbor $104,000 450 +6%
Battle Creek $105,000 140 +17%
Bay City $84,000 70 -3%
Detroit $118,000 2,620 +48%
Flint $77,000 240 -26%
Grand Rapids $90,000 820 -17%
Holland $89,000 140 -41%
Jackson $98,000 130 +16%
Kalamazoo $77,000 290 -15%
Lansing $95,000 920 +81%
Monroe $81,000 50 -39%
Muskegon $72,000 100 -23%
Niles $86,000 130 -4%
Saginaw 210 +6%
Warren $89,000 2,730 -4%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Duluth $88,000 360 +11%
Mankato $87,000 160 +22%
Minneapolis $110,000 11,610 +146%
Rochester $97,000 310 +23%
St Cloud $77,000 260 +11%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gulfport $102,000 40 -85%
Jackson $105,000 100 -85%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Girardeau $47,000 40 -61%
Columbia $81,000 60 -69%
Jefferson City $65,000 320 +80%
Joplin $79,000 100 -48%
Kansas City $91,000 2,230 -17%
Springfield $68,000 140 -71%
St Joseph $68,000 30 -75%
St Louis $99,000 2,800 -21%

Montana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Billings $83,000 120 -41%
Great Falls $76,000 50 -39%
Missoula $76,000 50 -59%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lincoln $78,000 240 -41%
Omaha $91,000 480 -61%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Carson City $90,000 240 +328%
Las Vegas $101,000 3,340 +49%
Reno $95,000 730 +50%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $109,000 830 +225%
Nashua $140,000 910 +164%
Portsmouth $117,000 380 +182%
Rochester $107,000 450 +260%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlantic City $98,000 510 +40%
Camden $94,000 1,820 +32%
Edison $115,000 4,210 +55%
Ocean City $92,000 110 +18%
Trenton $112,000 1,710 +192%
Vineland $96,000 190 +34%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $85,000 750 -26%
Farmington $60,000 60 -48%
Las Cruces $61,000 270 +78%
Santa Fe $55,000 300 +104%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $84,000 1,080 -9%
Binghamton $65,000 160 -43%
Buffalo $83,000 760 -48%
Elmira $61,000 50 -42%
Glens Falls $67,000 70 -42%
Ithaca $68,000 80 -14%
Kingston $62,000 120 -16%
Nassau $99,000 1,670 -50%
New York $122,000 14,920 +8%
Poughkeepsie $84,000 370 -42%
Rochester $84,000 800 -40%
Syracuse $83,000 470 -42%
Utica $65,000 200 -36%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Asheville $89,000 180 -60%
Burlington $79,000 70 -47%
Charlotte $113,000 2,810 +24%
Durham $121,000 1,110 +55%
Fayetteville $95,000 150 -52%
Goldsboro $76,000 50 -45%
Greensboro $110,000 620 -33%
Greenville $71,000 90 -44%
Hickory $82,000 140 -62%
Jacksonville $88,000 30 -69%
Raleigh $104,000 1,680 +24%
Rocky Mount $78,000 80 -41%
Wilmington $107,000 240 -30%
Winston Salem $108,000 580 +7%

North Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bismarck $72,000 220 +42%
Fargo $88,000 160 -47%
Grand Forks $78,000 110 -1%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Akron $107,000 690 -18%
Canton $73,000 150 -65%
Cincinnati $109,000 2,740 +2%
Cleveland $103,000 2,080 -23%
Columbus $95,000 2,120 -13%
Dayton $90,000 650 -35%
Lima $81,000 50 -59%
Mansfield $99,000 50 -58%
Steubenville $48,000 60 -36%
Toledo $85,000 340 -56%
Youngstown $87,000 190 -67%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Oklahoma City $92,000 680 -55%
Tulsa $82,000 220 -80%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bend $70,000 110 -26%
Corvallis $72,000 90 +54%
Eugene $85,000 440 +24%
Medford $100,000 200 +7%
Portland $88,000 3,870 +43%
Salem $76,000 820 +118%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $111,000 590 -35%
Erie $82,000 70 -78%
Harrisburg $105,000 440 -47%
Johnstown $99,000 60 -54%
Lancaster $67,000 60 -90%
Lebanon $81,000 30 -71%
Philadelphia $107,000 3,410 -33%
Pittsburgh $103,000 1,730 -43%
Reading $78,000 100 -76%
Scranton $80,000 150 -78%
Williamsport $70,000 30 -75%
York $108,000 90 -80%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $102,000 900 -39%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $67,000 50 -62%
Charleston $78,000 590 -21%
Columbia $67,000 790 -14%
Florence $62,000 130 -32%
Greenville $72,000 220 -72%
Myrtle Beach $59,000 90 -67%
Spartanburg $65,000 60 -79%

South Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Rapid City $80,000 30 -80%
Sioux Falls $97,000 70 -80%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chattanooga $73,000 610 +4%
Clarksville $64,000 100 -47%
Jackson $52,000 40 -71%
Johnson City $61,000 90 -48%
Kingsport $99,000 180 -41%
Knoxville $74,000 720 -17%
Memphis $99,000 1,600 -2%
Nashville $82,000 1,640 -16%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Austin $121,000 830 -60%
Brownsville $95,000 110 -66%
Corpus Christi $87,000 140 -69%
Dallas $112,000 3,170 -43%
El Paso $86,000 550 -22%
Fort Worth $84,000 1,140 -50%
Houston $123,000 3,550 -49%
Killeen $83,000 60 -81%
Laredo $101,000 170 -10%
Longview $83,000 30 -87%
Lubbock $94,000 70 -78%
Mcallen $107,000 150 -75%
Midland $102,000 80 -46%
San Antonio $107,000 800 -65%
Tyler $86,000 30 -86%
Victoria $73,000 60 -46%
Waco $60,000 70 -71%
Wichita Falls $63,000 40 -69%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Logan $68,000 150 +38%
Ogden $87,000 320 -37%
Provo $80,000 370 -14%
Salt Lake City $85,000 1,020 -36%
St George $67,000 50 -52%

Vermont

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Burlington $97,000 160 -42%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Blacksburg $73,000 100 -30%
Charlottesville $90,000 260 +24%
Danville $63,000 60 -22%
Harrisonburg $73,000 90 -31%
Lynchburg $76,000 90 -63%
Richmond $102,000 1,450 -11%
Roanoke $81,000 300 -24%
Virginia Beach $95,000 1,450 -28%
Winchester $100,000 80 -30%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bellingham $92,000 160 -10%
Bremerton $94,000 100 -50%
Kennewick $121,000 460 +87%
Longview $81,000 40 -45%
Mount Vernon $87,000 40 -60%
Olympia $82,000 620 +155%
Seattle $107,000 4,410 +18%
Spokane $84,000 330 -37%
Tacoma $100,000 380 -45%
Wenatchee $92,000 40 -54%
Yakima $95,000 60 -70%

West Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $64,000 350 -5%
Huntington $73,000 120 -57%
Morgantown $79,000 150 +21%
Parkersburg $81,000 100 -38%
Wheeling $66,000 80 -48%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Appleton $85,000 150 -47%
Eau Claire $74,000 110 -38%
Fond $66,000 70 -28%
Green Bay $77,000 390 -9%
Janesville $69,000 60 -60%
La Crosse $73,000 120 -30%
Madison $87,000 1,140 +29%
Milwaukee $95,000 1,940 -12%
Oshkosh $85,000 170 -20%
Racine $71,000 50 -72%
Sheboygan $60,000 50 -62%
Wausau $76,000 50 -68%

Wyoming

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Casper $73,000 100 +23%
Cheyenne $89,000 240 +149%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Managers schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.