25 Best Business Majors For the Future (2026)

1. Management Information Systems

• Average salary range: $171,200

Many of the best business majors for the future use technology. If you go to school to study this tech-related topic, you can expect solid career growth even with just a bachelor's degree. Many universities offer this through either their business schools or computer science programs, leading to well-compensated roles as computer systems analysts, data analysts, and other information technology positions in many diverse business environments.

2. Marketing

• Average salary range: $159,660

Marketing is a broad topic, which includes digital marketing, traditional print marketing, and several other important elements of branding and advertising. While you won't begin your career at such a high salary, this major has plenty of career paths, including marketing analyst, marketing manager, marketing director, and beyond.

3. Human Resource Management

• Average salary range: $140,030

Human resources management has become an essential component of the business world. Human resources professionals affect many areas of business management: employee hiring, onboarding, training, benefits administration, risk management, and more. Business majors can study this topic to learn about business law, problem-solving, and real-world personnel issues.

4. Retail & Sales Management

• Average salary range: $132,290

Sales is a difficult skill to master, but if you prepare yourself with a solid education, then you'll open doors to many lucrative career paths. Then, once you've obtained enough experience, it's not hard to exceed six-figure incomes after advancing into sales management positions.

5. Medical & Health Services Management

• Average salary range: $117,960

The healthcare industry has a great need for skilled managers. Many hospitals have business graduates managing them by applying business management principles you would learn in a reputable four-year degree program. This major will involve coursework in topics such as medical ethics, healthcare safety management, and other fundamentals of healthcare administration.

6. Economics

• Average salary range: $115,440

Although many economists earn either a master's degree or doctorate before earning such a high salary, you can earn a solid living with a bachelor's degree in this traditional academic field. Economists master many important business concepts before entering leadership roles in investment banking, business operations management, market research analysis, and product management. You can explore the many opportunities to earn an economics degree online before enjoying your choice of several career fields.

7. International Business

• Average salary range: $103,650

If your career goals include traveling overseas, then you may be a good fit for an international business degree. You can study this topic and learn all there is to know about international markets, granting you greater versatility with decision-making in the business world. This is also a logical academic track for anyone who aspires to a career managing trans-national organizations.

8. Small Business Administration

• Average salary range: $103,650

Many undergraduates choose to start their own businesses after graduating with a business degree. You can do this by studying entrepreneurship or small business administration to acquire valuable analytical skills, communication skills, and an intermediate understanding of accounting. These are essential skills for anyone desiring to build their own startup company.

9. Finance

• Average salary range: $101,910

A finance degree opens up several high-paying career fields, including financial advisor, stockbroker, and financial analyst roles. Most finance majors will enjoy plenty of exposure to business fields, such as accounting, data analytics, corporate finance, and mathematics. Many mid-level finance managers and analysts enjoy successful careers with high salaries well beyond $100,000 per year.

10. Management

• Average salary range: $101,190

A management degree is one of many types of business degrees offered by most business colleges. It teaches students the fundamentals of business administration and non-profit management while preparing them for an array of high-paying job opportunities, like management analyst, management consultant, or operations manager.

11. Project Management

• Average salary range: $97,180

Project managers are similar to construction managers, but their role is usually broader, spanning various business endeavors, including startup projects and business franchising. If you major in this field, you can expect to develop a strong grounding in business analytics, budgeting, problem-solving, fiscal administration, and many other important areas.

12. Forensic Accounting

• Average salary range: $90,400

This accounting subfield is among the most lucrative these days. Forensic accountants do the research, fact-checking, and quality-control tasks within most accounting departments, ensuring that record keeping is accurate, honest, and tax-compliant. Fraud investigation is a major task for professionals in this in-demand field.

13. Construction Management

• Average salary range: $82,000

Construction managers typically earn a bachelor's degree in a business program that combines both the business and skilled-trade aspects of this field. Most construction managers oversee large teams in charge of new construction for residential homes, commercial buildings, public works, and even military equipment manufacturing.

14. Accounting

• Average salary range: $81,680

Accounting degrees are among the most reliable out of any college major because every business needs some type of accountant. Whether you use this degree to conduct audits for a Fortune 500 company, ensure tax compliance for wealthy clients, or serve as a staff accountant for medium-sized business, there is no shortage of work. According to the BLS, accountants enjoy a faster than average job outlook with at least 6% expected growth.

15. Logistics & Supply Chain Management

• Average salary range: $80,800

Logistics and supply chain management involves managing the flow of production throughout all of its complex stages. This covers everything from factory manufacturing and development to product shipment. This business major can prepare you for roles as a supply chain manager, distribution manager, or transportation director.

16. Mathematics

• Average salary range: $80,000

Mathematics plays an indispensable role in business management. Accounting, finance, operations management, and marketing all require some level of math competency. So, if you excelled at algebra, geometry, statistics, and calculus during high school, you can apply such skills in the business world — as either an entrepreneur or while working for a major company.

17. Sports Management

• Average salary range: $75,420

Sports management has become a massive business component in recent decades, and not just at the professional level. Sports managers, coaches, athletic directors, and similar experts can find high-paying positions in college athletics, children's athletics, and even at fitness centers all across America.

18. Business Administration

• Average salary range: $71,000

Business administration remains the traditional path for anyone who wishes to earn a four-year degree and either work for major companies or start their own business. The most motivated students can easily meet or exceed the median salary expectations by earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA), gaining advanced insights into marketing, accounting, finance, and other topics.

1.9 Hospitality Management

• Average salary range: $68,130

Hospitality management covers several sectors, such as lodging, hotel management, resort management, restaurant ownership, casinos, and more. Many graduates elect to run their own businesses or pursue roles like food service managers or hotel general managers. Anyone who enters this field must focus on customer service skills, since most hospitality management involves direct interfacing with paying customers.

20. Digital Marketing

• Average salary range: $62,810

Digital marketing majors learn all about the online aspects of modern marketing. This includes developing websites for businesses, implementing search engine optimization (SEO) efforts, managing online reputation, running online advertising campaigns on social media, and many other details. This field is growing faster than average because of many small businesses that seek to build or enhance their online media presence.

21. Communications

• Average salary range: $60,000

Communications is another way to begin a career in marketing, public relations, and other elements of business management. There is also plenty of overlap between this field and the skills needed for strong human resources management, including problem-solving, conflict resolution, and risk management.

22. Non-Profit Management

• Average salary range: $54,010

Although non-profit companies are a distinct entity from for-profit businesses, the two still overlap in many important ways. Non-profit managers learn most of the same skills for handling personnel, managing finances, complying with regulations, and branding or marketing efforts. One of the top careers for this major is the role of fundraising manager, which may pay over six figures, and plays a key role for any organization across every sector.

23. Recreation & Fitness

• Average salary range: $54,000

The recreation and fitness industry has grown substantially in recent decades and forecasters expect at least modest gains to continue. In fact, many business administration programs include elective courses in this field to prepare students for roles as park directors, gym owners, sports complex managers, and beyond.

24. Public Policy Analysis & Administration

• Average salary range: $52,000

Public policy and public administration are majors, often part of political science departments, that offer much of the same coursework and training as business administration degrees. While some of the curriculum applies exclusively to the public sector, much of it applies equally to the business environment.

This includes budgeting, regulatory compliance, accounting, human resources, and so forth. So, if you select this academic degree track, you might enjoy an array of career opportunities upon graduation.

25. Family & Consumer Sciences

• Average salary range: $48,000

This academic discipline concerns itself with the well-being and consumer tendencies of individuals and families. It's also an important concern for companies who must serve them to have any chance at business success. This could also be a good major for anyone with the inclination to start a business delivering health products or services, which is a core competency of this academic field.

Job Market Outlook for Business Majors

There is a generally positive outlook for almost all business majors, according to the BLS. Be sure to check specific majors before making a decision, however.

It always matters where you choose to attend college. Some elite business programs practically guarantee six-figure jobs upon graduation, but this is rare for most new graduates. Then again, most accredited business degrees will improve your resume, especially if you can combine academic credentials with internship experience and strong professional or academic recommendations.

Explore Online Business Degrees

Learn.org offers a library of information for online business degree programs and distance education opportunities for almost every academic field. We can help you identify the most in-demand degrees, select online/hybrid programs, and provide tips on how to get financial aid to pay for them.