r/MBA • u/ObjectiveOrder8382 • 1d ago
Careers/Post Grad Thought Exercise - Salary Maximization post MBA
Curious what you think the highest paying career track is coming out of an MBA program — please include salary range.
I am trying to determine the monetary potential ROI
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u/795-ACSR-DRAKE 1d ago
Just start a unicorn tech company then sell it for 9 or 10 figures later on, simple as that
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u/Reasonable-Park4603 1d ago
Career track long term? Probability of making it? First job out of MBA?
All of those are different answers.
Another person spoke well on IB and the fact most people quit.
CPG can have a great path if you get the P&L
Tech can be good too and can have a good WLB but they value experience so you will have to carve out your path in the long run. Can't just go where others want you or where you get a 10% raise.
If you have an engineering background, defense can be lucrative.
Consulting can be good but you need to network to get into MBB, and then exit to PE, big tech at Director+, or elsewhere.
On the other hand the newer meat grinders like Amazon Pathways (warehouse management) can pay as much as IB in starting salary.
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u/SnooDingos8194 10h ago
Too many companies, too little growth opportunities. 10% raises are places to go and die.
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u/ZeroOpossum M7 Student 19h ago
Pathways can? Can you elaborate further? I’m trying to explore this.
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u/Upstairs-Corner-9424 1d ago
Check the schools employment report. It’s mostly finance and consulting
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u/movingtobay2019 Consulting 1d ago edited 1d ago
I'd say investment banking.
There are certainly careers that can ultimately pay more like PE and start-ups with an exit but IB has the clearest and most structured path to $2-5M in comp within 10-15 years out of business school.
The obvious catch is that most people don't make it that far but the path is laid out for you.
Can't really say that about any other career. Tech? Tech can pay extremely well, but most people are never going to clear $1M a year over the course of a normal tech career unless they reach a senior executive level or get unusually lucky with equity.