MBA
MBA Salaries, Bonuses & Job Success Rates At 30 Top U.S. B-Schools
Last Updated on February 24, 2024 by Robert C. Hoopes
The 2020s have proven to be a challenging decade for MBA graduates navigating the job market. In 2022, the tech industry faced obstacles, followed by consulting and finance sectors in 2023, making it the worst year for MBA job offers and acceptances in recent memory.
Despite these challenges, salaries and bonuses for MBAs continued to rise at the top schools. Median starting base salaries at elite US B-schools saw an increase in 2023 compared to previous years, with several schools reporting notable growth in total compensation. Stanford GSB stood out with the highest total compensation for MBAs in 2023, while Harvard and Columbia experienced declines in overall compensation for their MBA graduates.
Although salary growth for MBAs slowed in 2023, bonus averages fluctuated at top schools, with some seeing increases while others faced decreases. Job offers and acceptances three months after graduation declined across most top US B-schools in 2023, with Columbia, Harvard, and MIT experiencing particularly low job acceptance rates. However, schools like Wharton, Vanderbilt Owen, and Georgia Tech Scheller displayed resilience in job placement rates.
A comparison with the job market during the pandemic years revealed mixed results for MBA job offers and acceptances. Despite the challenges, there were signs of improvement in job offers and acceptances at some schools from 2020 to 2023. Overall, the job market for MBAs has been tumultuous in the 2020s, with ups and downs in various industries, but some schools have shown resilience and positive growth in compensation and job placement rates.