There is a wide range of positions available to aspiring business administrators, but mid-to upper-level management positions require more formal education and experience. Entry-level jobs in retail management, health care administration, and human resources require an associate degree in business management or a related field.
For a job as an operations manager, business analyst, and other middle management positions, you need to complete a bachelor’s degree in business administration or a similar major. To qualify for advanced leadership positions or consulting work, you need a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree or doctorate, along with several years of experience in management roles.
Since a business administrator can pursue career opportunities in a variety of industries, there is a broad range of potential salaries. Depending on the field you work in as a business administrator, the BLS reports that the average annual salary is $83,790. Operations specialties managers specifically make an average of $105,750 a year. Those who work in the finance and insurance industry earn an average of $95,720.
The size of a business administrator’s salary will also depend on the size of the company you work for, its location, and your experience both as a business administrator and within the field.
Who is a business administrator?
A business administrator, or business director, is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a business. Their duties include hiring staff members, leading department meetings, and communicating with upper management to implement new policies and procedures, among daily operations.
Business Administrators complete organizational and management tasks that support the productivity and growth of an entire organization and its individual departments or teams. They often have the following responsibilities:
- Plan strategies for streamlining and improving business operations
- Reorganize or hire staff to expand operations in collaboration with human resources teams
- Handle business finances and plan the budget with the help of finance and accounting leaders and team members
- Oversee marketing and promotions for a company’s products and services, collaborating with marketing, advertising and public relations teams
- Negotiate vendor contracts to identify cost-saving opportunities
What does a business administrator do?
Generally, business administrators work in an office. They may interact with different departments or oversee one main department. Most business administrators work full-time during regular business hours. One of the main components of a business administrator’s day is communicating with staff and executives.
Some business administrators focus primarily on records and information management, which is experiencing employment growth. The growing reliance on cloud-based computing and record keeping has influenced the need for more information managers who can work with new technology and help their organizations move from older ways of record keeping.
Business administrators act as liaisons between the top tier of an organization and the rest of the staff. They must be able to translate the executives’ goals into a productive strategy and achievable work goal for different departments or teams. Setting schedules and timelines for meeting goals and executing strategies are part of a business administrator’s general tasks.
A business administrator employs the following skills:
- communication
- flexibility
- patience
- leadership
- innovation and creativity
- ability to multitask
- problem-solving
- attention to detail
When considering whether you would be a good business administrator, ask yourself if you can use all of these skills regularly.
Business administrator skills and qualifications
Business administrators use a variety of soft skills and industry knowledge to provide the most comprehensive leadership and management they can. These skills and qualifications can include:
- Excellent communication skills, including writing, public speaking and interpersonal communication
- Great analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
- Strong time management and organizational skills
- Good goal-setting, strategic planning and motivation skills
- Ability to work in fast-paced environments
- Experience with a variety of personalities and backgrounds in the workplace
- Superior presentation and negotiation skills
- Knowledge of best finance and operations practices for their industry
Business Administrator salary
According to Data USA, which cites U.S. government data, the average salary for business careers today is $92,907 annually. However, this encompasses all pathways relating to business, such as accounting, finance, business administration, education, sales, and more. It also includes business degrees of all levels, such as associate and master’s degrees.
Of all business degrees offered, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that business administration and management is the most popular concentration among bachelor’s degree students. Undoubtedly, this is because a bachelor’s in business administration can prepare students for a variety of careers after graduation.
Because nearly all fields need individuals in administrative positions, your options as a business administrator are plentiful. Whether you are choosing based on salary or your preferred duties and responsibilities, here are some top business administrator opportunities, along with the most up-to-date salary information from Indeed linked to each job title below:
Product marketing manager
National average salary: $113,084 per year
Primary duties: If you opt to use your business administration skills to pursue a career in product marketing management you will need to learn your company’s product line in detail. The product marketing manager uses this information to collaborate with other departments to plan and execute marketing campaigns.
The product marketing manager may also be tasked with training the sales staff, including teaching them about the key features of new products being launched. They also use analytics and market research to identify target demographics to guide marketing spending to maximize return on investment.
Principal
National average salary: $112,685 per year
Primary duties: Although you may not immediately think of a school when considering businesses, a principal requires strong business administration skills. Responsibilities of a principal include hiring and managing staff, enforcing school policy for students and staff and facilitating communication between staff and parents. The principal must also manage the school’s budget and funding drives.
A business administration education translates well to these roles and makes it an appealing career opportunity.
Financial manager
National average salary: $110,320 per year
Primary duties: Business administration professionals who have a knack for numbers and finance may pursue a financial manager position. The financial planning and analysis manager oversees a company’s budget, tracking both sending and income. The manager performs an analysis of the spending and income data to suggest changes in the company to maximize profits.
A financial manager may work with databases and modeling software to perform predictive analysis to assist in the financial decision-making process.
Systems administrator
National average salary: $84,203 per year
Primary duties: A career as a systems administrator involves overseeing the computer system and network for a company. The position requires a blend of business and technical skills. In addition to handling checks on the systems to maintain function, the systems administrator works with staff members to ensure that coworkers are getting the support they need.
Business administration professionals can work in a variety of fields as systems administrators as computer networks are common in nearly all industries.
Construction manager
National average salary: $77,333 per year
Primary duties: If you opt to use your business administration degree to pursue a career in construction management, you’ll oversee construction projects in their entirety. Responsibilities cover everything from the planning phases of the project through construction to completion. The manager is responsible for maintaining a project’s budget and ensuring that it remains in accordance with any regulations as well as any design mandates.
The construction manager also serves as a coordinator between the different groups working on the construction process, such as the architectural, engineering and construction crews.
Sales manager
National average salary: $75,386 per year
Primary duties: Business administrators who pursue a career in sales management are given the responsibility of overseeing a company’s sales staff. This includes not only hiring new staff members but also helping with the formulation of sales tactics. The sales manager will also review product lines with sales staff and create reports on sales performance to be delivered to executives at the company.
Business administrator education and requirements
Many candidates have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, human resources or another business field. Others may have a bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to their industry, such as in engineering or health care sciences. Some candidates may have pursued a master’s degree, such as a Master of Business Administration or others in the business and finance disciplines.
Depending on the needs of an organization, candidates with education, training or professional certification in accounting and finance, human resources, management and marketing may also be beneficial.
Since this is a managerial role, candidates are likely to have years of experience in departments like general operations, administration, finance and accounting or human resources. Some may have experience in multiple or all of these departments or even other departments not listed.
Candidates should also have years of experience working within their chosen industry to ensure they are familiar with industry-specific policies, procedures, regulations and best practices. They should have at least 3 to 5 years of experience in the industry in which they’re applying, such as for government agencies, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations or healthcare organizations.
Qualities that make a good business administrator
A good business administrator is someone who isn’t afraid to make difficult decisions to benefit their company. For example, implementing department-wide budget cuts may affect daily operations, but it could also save the company from having to layoff employees later on. Business Administrators should have a personable nature that enables them to have positive interactions with managers and lower-level company employees.
They should also have excellent interpersonal communication so they can adjust their language depending on who they speak to.
A good business administrator also has an innovative mindset that enables them to come up with creative solutions to things like communication barriers or financial limitations. Business administrators should have the ability to analyze company data and use their findings to influence their decision-making.
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