Discover the MBA program that’s right for you.

Students considering an MBA can expect strong job and salary prospects in the United States. Nearly eight in 10 U.S. companies plan to hire MBA grads in 2019, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s 2018 employer poll.

Regional projections for South Carolina as well as nearby Florida and Georgia paint a promising picture for MBA graduates. There’s a strong demand for two roles in particular: business analyst and marketing specialist. There will be 19.7% and 17.4% more jobs between 2019 and 2028 for these roles in SC, FL and GA, says Burning Glass Technologies, a labor-market analytics firm. Both of those growth rates are more than twice the average for all occupations (7%). Market demand in these states for MBA grads is highest for these positions: project and program managers, business analysts, sales managers and financial managers. Course Work for In-Demand Skill Clusters Employers seek MBA graduates for the managerial and strategic skills they’ll bring to the table to solve business problems. Burning Glass notes the top four skill clusters that businesses in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are looking for in MBA grads:

1. Project management
2. Budget management
3. Business process and analysis
4. Business strategy

All of the USC Aiken online MBA programs develop these skill clusters through specific courses in the curricula. For instance, learnings from the operations management and business analytics courses apply to all four skill clusters. In addition, three courses in the MBA core that separately cover decision-making based on accounting, financial analysis and economics strengthen skills required for managing projects and budgets, as well as devising strategy. The Finance and Accounting specializations provide the niche expertise some students seek, with both specializations including a course on Information Systems and Analytics for Accounting and Finance. The Finance specialization includes a course on Advanced Corporate Finance, and the Accounting specialization covers Advanced Accounting Topics. The Project Management specialization equips students for the skill cluster with the highest demand in South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. The specialization includes a course on Program and Project Management and one on Supply Chain Management.

The pay boost of an MBA is a key benefit of earning the degree. The U.S. average for post-MBA salaries is $95,536 per year, according to Burning Glass Technologies. Here’s a look at average post-MBA salaries in South Carolina, Florida and Georgia: Post-MBA Salaries in Finance & Accounting An MBA in Finance or Accounting paves the way for a number of management and leadership roles. Examples include finance analyst, investment analyst, financial controller, chief financial officer (CFO), director of finance, accounting manager, audit director, and VP of accounting. The average yearly salary for financial managers in the U.S. is $92,993, and the figure is $91,388 for accounting managers. Here are average salaries by state:

Source: Burning Glass Technologies, June 2019

Median Post-MBA Salary by Job Level in Finance & Accounting, U.S. Post-MBA Salaries in Project Management An MBA in Project Management builds leadership capacity for a number of career paths. In addition to project manager, roles include project analyst, program manager, consultant, project cost estimator and director of operations. The Supply Chain Management course in USC Aiken’s MBA program offers preparation for supply chain careers, as well. The average yearly salary for project managers in the U.S. is $85,714. The average salaries by state are:

Average Post-MBA Project Manager Salary by State
South Carolina	$62,075
Florida	$78,500
Georgia	$86,222

Source: Burning Glass Technologies, June 2019

Given the portability of the MBA across the country, it’s worth looking at salary potential nationwide in the finance and accounting industry. This table shows the sizable salary jumps for the entry level to C-suite career arc.