Many people start college with a business major but don’t know what to expect to make in a business management salary. Because the duties vary greatly in the general field of business management, it is tough to pinpoint exactly what you will earn, but national statistics can give you a starting point.

Straight out of college, the chances of landing a top business management position are so slight that you shouldn’t expect to jump in there, so realistically you have to realize that until you have at least a few years of experience you are not going to get a management position. An entry level position such as an assistant manager or an office administrator might start at around $35,000.

Once you have some experience, statistics from the National Labor Board for those positions put the salary range between $55,000 and $82,000, with the median income being around $73,000. The lower end of these positions (bottom ten percent) earn less than $41,910, while the upper ten percent earn over $133,850.

Much of this also depends on your location. Obviously someone in a large metropolitan area would be making more than someone in a rural location, generally speaking.

Another factor which enters greatly into the equation is the field in which you work. Government jobs in management are generally at the low end of the business management salary scale, while accounting and computer related fields are at the higher end.

It is important to ask yourself the question: what is business management? The answer varies greatly. Are you interested in managing all aspects of a business, such as being an operations manager, or are you more about being a hands-on people manager?

Once you enter into the upper management positions, you will quickly realize that the responsibilities are vastly different from lower levels, and your salary changes drastically. However, stability can be precarious, especially in shaky financial times. When the axe comes down, upper management can be an easy target.

But the rewards to a board level position (CEO, CFO, COO, etc.) can make that choice very appealing. Many of those positions require higher education. Master’s degrees are common and PhDs are being seen more and more.

Statistics have shown that choosing a career in business management is a sensible decision because there will always be a need for people who can fulfill those positions. With the business management salary beginning in the mid $30’s, there will always be appeal for young people looking for a stable and rewarding career. The realistic possibilities of advancement and pay increases make the decision a sound choice.