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    6 Top-Paying Jobs For Columbus MBA Degree Seekers

    The job market is thriving in Columbus as companies continue to grow, diversify, and launch. As a result, the competition for top positions has escalated. From leading companies to startups, there’s a clear demand for exceptional leaders and strategic hires. Over the last three years, MBA requirements have steadily increased and are considered a must-have for many companies.     

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    Dr. Andy Igonor, Dean of Franklin University’s Ross College of Business, believes an MBA is one of the most versatile master’s degrees that can be earned because it prepares graduates for leadership roles in a variety of fields.

    “MBA graduates understand effective practices and value chains of any organization or industry,” Igonor says. “That’s what offers an advantage over other degrees. Successful businesses rely on ethics, communication, leadership and strategy. No other degree program teaches the combination of these attributes like an MBA.”

    The Top Jobs in Central Ohio for MBA Grads

    In the past two years alone, 3,515 jobs were posted in Central Ohio that required or preferred an MBA. With all of these opportunities, we set out to find which jobs Columbus MBA program grads should pursue if they’re looking to make top dollar. We examined job posting and salary data to narrow this list down to the six highest-paying jobs for MBA grads in Columbus right now. 

    Marketing Managers: Columbus Median Salary: $137,703.08

    On average, there are 938 job postings per month in Central Ohio for marketing managers. About 57 new roles are filled each month. Top earnings for these positions rank favorably with national trends. 

    In today’s world, a company’s marketing strategy is just as important as the product or service they offer. In the face of ever-growing competition, evolving consumer desires and changing technology, marketing managers are pivotal in reaching customers and generating revenue. 

    Marketing managers are typically responsible for things like: 

    • Setting the long-term marketing strategy for a company 
    • Overseeing day-to-day campaigns and activities
    • Managing the marketing department budget
    • Measuring results of marketing campaigns and optimizing future initiatives
    • Working closely with creative teams to ensure executions align with marketing objectives

    How an MBA Helps You Stand Out: “Marketing is about the bottom line, which means marketing managers need to understand the value that each product and customer brings to an organization,” Igonor says. “With an MBA, you grasp that concept. You understand the connection between people and products and how they translate to business success.”

    Computer & Information Systems Managers: Columbus Median Salary: $133,250.66

    In Columbus, on average, 351 jobs are posted and 145 hires are made each month for computer and information systems managers. Top earnings for these positions are above the state average and rank well against nationwide trends. 

    As technology evolves at exponential rates, computer and information systems managers keep their organization ahead of technology trends and data security issues, while ensuring their company uses the best, most cost-effective technologies.

    Computer and information systems managers are typically responsible for:

    • Working with leadership to determine the technology needs for their company
    • Overseeing any computer-related activity
    • Developing policies and procedures for cybersecurity issues
    • Determining short- and long-term personnel needs
    • Assessing costs and benefits of new initiatives and justify funding needs to top executives

    How an MBA Helps You Stand Out: “Technology has moved from being a business enabler, to being the strategic service and product of a business,” Igonor says. “An MBA grad is better prepared to communicate the value of technology in a way that executives understand. They can articulate and sell the strategic role technology plays in moving business forward.”

    Sales Managers: Columbus Median Salary: $124,014.44

    On average, 861 jobs are posted for sales managers in the Columbus area each month, resulting in about 101 hires. When it comes to earnings, Columbus is near parity with nationwide figures.

    Not only are sales managers the team captain of a company’s revenue engine, they can also help improve product development, adjust distribution and increase profitability. 

    Sales managers are typically responsible for:

    • Developing sales strategies to reach revenue goals
    • Leading the sales team to maximize customer acquisition
    • Setting individual sales targets within the sales team
    • Understanding ideal customers and how they relate to the organization’s product or service
    • Working directly with marketing on lead generation tactics

    How an MBA Helps You Stand Out: “Sales and marketing are crucial elements of any business,” Igonor says. “MBA coursework is special because it prepares you to promote and sell products and services in an industry-agnostic manner. You develop a solid understanding of the role of sales and the value chain of every business.”

    Financial Managers: Columbus Median Salary: $119,002.94

    Each month, a whopping 799 jobs are typically posted seeking financial managers in Columbus. The postings result in an average 177 hires. Financial managers in Columbus can expect to earn slightly less than nationwide averages, but higher earnings than statewide figures.

    More and more, financial managers are focusing the majority of their time on collecting, analyzing and using financial data to advise senior leadership on ways to maximize profits. This data-driven approach is changing how companies approach their finances.

    Financial managers are typically responsible for:

    • Monitoring the financial health of an organization
    • Developing strategies to meet long-term financial goals
    • Creating reports and forecasts of financial earnings
    • Ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
    • Planning and managing workload of finance team

    How an MBA Helps You Stand Out: “If there’s one thing that business understands, it’s numbers,” Igonor says. “Almost every business decision comes down to making money or saving money. MBA grads are prepared to understand ‘the what’ and ‘the how’ that will make money for the enterprise.”

    Human Resources Managers: Columbus Median Salary: $116,167.88

    Approximately 259 human resource manager jobs are posted each month in Columbus and 51 hires are made. Columbus earnings exceed typical nationwide pay for these positions. 

    Employees are the heart of an organization. HR Managers hire, train and work to improve employee satisfaction, making their role critical to the success of any company.

    Human resources managers are typically responsible for:

    • Planning, directing and overseeing employee-related administrative activities
    • Assessing industry trends and developing competitive compensation plans 
    • Recruiting and interviewing job candidates and coordinating new hire efforts
    • Working with providers to create employee benefits packages 
    • Developing and enforcing employee policies and procedures

    How an MBA Helps You Stand Out: “Building, managing and sustaining human capital is essential to organizational effectiveness and success,” Igonor says. “Similar to a traditional Human Resources master’s degree program, Franklin’s MBA provides a unique strength—it encompasses all of these areas so graduates are job-ready on day one to strengthen the human capital of any organization.”

    General & Operations Managers: Columbus Median Salary: $101,337.63

    Job postings for general and operations managers are high—with 788 job postings and 617 hires occurring on average each month in Columbus.

    Making sure employees have what they need to do their jobs and ensuring the business can meet product demands are two of the core functions of general and operations managers. If those two things don’t happen, a company can’t function. 

    General and operations managers are typically responsible for:

    • Planning, coordinating and managing high-level operations
    • Overseeing daily operations
    • Establishing and implementing department policies, goals and objectives
    • Determining staffing requirements and overseeing hiring process
    • Analyzing process workflow and recommending changes to improve efficiency

    How an MBA Helps You Stand Out: “The value chain of any business relies on the effective translation of inputs into outputs,” Igonor says.  “Franklin’s MBA graduates develop a strong understanding of operations management and are prepared to oil an organization’s value chain to deliver profitable outputs.”

    MBA Grads Feel Right at Home in Columbus

    Columbus is a hotbed for corporate headquarters and startups alike, making it a prime market for MBA grads. Whether you want to lead a specific business function or become a top executive, there’s no shortage of opportunities in industries like financial services, healthcare, insurance, distribution or manufacturing. When it comes to where an MBA takes you in Columbus—the choice is yours. 

    This article is one installment of the Jobs & Education Outlook series, presented with paid support by Franklin University.

    Franklin University is an accredited and nonprofit college in Columbus that has been dedicated to educating adults since 1902. The University’s globally-recognized online MBA program is IACBE-accredited & designed to be completed in as few as 14 months. For more information, visit franklin.edu.

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    Franklin University
    Franklin University
    Franklin University is an accredited and nonprofit college in Columbus that has been dedicated to educating adults since 1902. The University provides onsite course options at over 25 Midwest locations and is an innovator in providing personalized online education.
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