If you’re good with numbers, and/or have an interest in understanding the inner workings and communication tactics of large, global companies, an international business degree is the right choice for you. A degree in international business opens up many different employment opportunities. However, because the subject is so broad, some of the jobs you could earn may require further, more specialized education. Sometimes, it is best to specialize your skill set by taking on an internship or part-time job before applying for full-time positions.
Here is a list of 12 possible jobs for international business majors:
Common Jobs For International Business Majors
1. Financial Analyst
Financial analysts are tasked with observing a company’s operations to develop strategies to maximize a company’s profit. Some large companies may operate in multiple countries, so successful financial analysts must have the ability to gauge various consumer habits and understand government regulations in faraway places. Typically, a bachelor’s degree is the only education needed to earn a job as a financial analyst, but in some cases, a license is also needed.
Median annual wage: $84,300
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 23%
2. Marketing and Sales Manager
Marketing and sales managers are generally asked to oversee a team of employees, develop goals and marketing plans, and gauge their company’s customers in order to target them effectively. For marketing and sales managers to be successful, they typically need to develop empathy skills and stay up to date on the trends that shape their company’s target audience. This profession doesn’t require as much number crunching as some of the other jobs on this list, but it requires broad, critical thinking skills. Likely, you will need further, more specialized education to land this job.
Median annual wage: $125,290
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s/Master’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 1%
3. Business Operations Specialist
Business operations specialists are often tasked with the broad assignment of optimizing the flow of a company by analyzing day-to-day business operations and improving company-customer relations. It is a job best fit for those who are comfortable in a managerial position — those who are able to think broadly and focus on the big picture. In addition to a bachelor’s degree in business or international business, some employers like to hire those with a master’s degree in a related subject, such as economics, accounting or even human resources.
Median annual wage: $66,390
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s/Master’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 23%
Specialized, Unique Jobs for International Business Majors
4. International Sales Representative
Broadly, international sales representatives are tasked with developing ways to globalize a brand and sell its product(s) overseas. This job not only takes savvy sales skills, but it also takes the ability to gauge and understand the culture, trends and laws in foreign countries. The entry level education for international sales positions, typically, is a bachelor’s degree. However, experience working in sales is generally needed to earn a job.
Median annual wage: $51,113
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: N/A
5. Foreign Exchange Consultant
Technically, foreign exchange consultants are a type of financial analyst who advise companies or individuals on matters of global investments. They are commonly tasked with researching exchange rates and market trends in foreign countries so they can properly advise their clients. In addition to possessing traditional business skills, foreign exchange consultants should be master communicators and sales people, as they often have to recruit clients. Aspiring foreign exchange consultants should have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Median annual wage: $47,464
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: N/A
6. Budget Analyst
Budget analysts develop spending plans for various institutions, including businesses, schools, universities and the government. They conduct research and analyze past spending, so they can effectively advise an institution on where its money is best spent. Sometimes, budget analysts are also tasked with keeping track of spending within a company to make sure it follows suit with the written budget plan. Good budget analysts have great research, analytical and communication skills, as they often have to pass their budget plan through their boss or a committee. An international business degree can give aspiring budget analysts an edge over the competition when applying for a job with a large company that may have branches overseas.
Median annual wage: $75,240
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 94%
Less-Traditional Jobs For International Business Majors
7. Business Professor
After working in the professional world, some international business majors go on to teach in higher education. Patience, communication, organization and enthusiasm are some of the most important characteristics of a good college professor. To earn a job teaching at the post-secondary level, a master’s degree (and sometimes a doctorate degree) is required. In addition to teaching, some college professors also conduct research and write scholarly articles.
Median annual wage: $64,480
Common entry-level degree: Master’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 3%
8. Economics Teacher (high school)
After earning a bachelor’s degree, those who aspire to teach in middle or high schools have to complete an internship in a school classroom, pass the state-required test for teachers and receive a teaching certificate/license.
If you are dead set on being a teacher, the best advice would be to major in education. But if you’re still uncertain about what you want to do, an international business degree could ultimately help you land a job teaching economics. As long as your degree is in a related field to the classes you aspire to teach, you will be okay.
Median annual wage: $57,350
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s degree & teaching certificate
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 0.8%
9. Business Reporter
Technically, there is no required degree to become a reporter, but you will have a hard time finding a job without one. Skilled reporters are master storytellers with strong writing and grammar skills. To learn the essential skills, most aspiring reporters study journalism in college. However, an international business degree can give a business reporter an edge over his or her colleagues who only studied journalism, as long as his or her writing skills are also solid.
Median annual wage: $40,910
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 11%
Other Potential Jobs For International Business Majors
10. Financial Manager
Some of the day-to-day tasks of financial managers might overlap with accountants, but there is one key difference between the two jobs. Financial managers are supposed to plan for future financial endeavors, while accountants are more regularly required to analyze and share past financial information with a company. In smaller organizations, one person may be required to do both jobs. Most financial managers have a master’s degree and a significant amount of work experience within the field of finance.
Median annual wage: $125,080
Common entry-level degree: Master’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 7%
11. Financial Advisor
Financial advisors most often develop plans and money management tactics to help individual people make smart decisions with the money they make. They evaluate a person’s income, savings and interests to try to help them get the most out of their money. Sometimes they work for big companies, and other times they can contract their services out privately. If a financial advisor is dealing with clients who possess large sums of money, he or she may be referred to as a wealth manager.
Median annual wage: $82,770-$90,640
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s/Master’s degree
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 58%
12. Accountant
Accountants keep track of, analyze and archive an organization’s financial information. Depending on the size of the organization, accountants are also sometimes asked to give advice on how an organization should budget, spend and invest its money. Nearly every organization needs accountants, including hospitals, nonprofits, insurance firms and more. After completing a bachelor’s degree, aspiring accountants should become state-certified by passing the Certified Public Accountant exam, which is administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Median annual wage: $69,350
Common entry-level degree: Bachelor’s degree & CPA license
Likelihood that robots will take your job: 94%
10 Famous People Who Studied International Business
- Martha F. Brooks, business executive
- Samir G. Gibara, business executive
- Christian Hirsch, business executive
- Renee J. James, business executive
- Jakub Kastl, economics professor
- Ronald Lauder, business executive
- Natale S. Ricciardi, business executive
- Robin Smith, news anchor
- Gerhard Hans Schulmeyer, business executive
- MaryAnn Wright, business executive
To explore options for other majors, click here.
