Landing a job after an MBA is the crux of the degree. And along with a new job, new colleagues, and a new direction, you often find you’ve struck gold with an eye-watering new salary.
The median salary for MBA graduates from Yale School of Management’s class of 2018 was $127,100, up from $124,900 the year before. That’s in line with a salary increase trend seen across a host of US business schools.
Median starting salaries for MBA graduates hit a record high this year, at $115,000.
Which industries hire the most MBAs from Yale?
Over one-third (34.9%) of MBA grads from Yale’s 2018 class landed a job in consulting. Hiring companies included Accenture, Bain & Company, McKinsey, PwC, and EY.
Finance was the second most dominant industry, with 23.1% of grads entering the sector. Of those, 13.7% launched investment banking careers, 4.3% investment management, 3.1% diversified financial services, and 2% private equity/venture capital.
Finance companies hiring Yale MBA grads included Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citi, and JP Morgan.
Technology sat in third place, with companies like Adobe, IBM, Didi Chuxing, and Twitter hiring 14.9% of Yale’s MBA class of 2018.
Amazon and Walmart hired some of Yale’s 2018 MBA grads, contributing to the 6.3% of the class who entered retail. Healthcare/pharma companies like Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer hired 3.5% of grads, as did consumer packaged goods companies like PepsiCo and Starbucks.
Energy companies hired 2% of Yale’s 2018 MBA class. Graduates started working for Tesla, First Solar, and E.ON Climate & Renewables, among others.
Of 2018’s class, 2% entered the media/entertainment space, 2% manufacturing, 2% law, and 1.6% government.
In addition, 1.2% of graduates launched MBA careers with a nonprofit, 1.2% real estate, 0.8% transportation, 0.4% hospitality, 0.4% import/export/trade, and 0.4% architecture.
A number of graduates from Yale also launch their own companies, and the MBA is one way to become a better entrepreneur.
Which industries pay MBAs the most?
The highest median base salary for Yale’s 2018 class of MBA grads was $145,000, for those who entered consulting. They also had a median signing bonus of $25,000.
There was a median base salary of $125,000 for MBAs who entered finance, proving that the MBA doesn’t just accelerate your career in the sector, but brings a strong salary incentive as well. They picked up a median signing bonus of $48,750.
Grads who launched a career in tech saw a median base salary of $130,000 with a signing bonus of $30,000.
Jobs in retail brought the highest median signing bonus ($70,000), with a median starting salary of $130,000, and health/pharma employees were paid $120,000 with a signing bonus of $25,000.
Consumer packaged goods companies paid MBA grads a median base salary of $115,000, and a signing bonus of $30,000. Energy companies paid grads $100,000, manufacturing firms paid $120,000, and media/entertainment companies had MBA grads starting on a median salary of $84,000.
Job destination by geography
Nearly four-fifths (78.1%) of Yale’s graduating MBA class of 2018 landed post-MBA jobs in the US. 21.9% started international careers.
Of those who stayed in the US, the Northeast was the most popular destination (52.8%), followed by the West (27%), and then the Mid-Atlantic (7.5%).
The Midwest welcomed 5.6% of MBA grads, and 4.5% started careers in the Southwest. Only 2.6% of grads moved to start careers in the South.
International hires launched careers all around the globe. Asia saw 60% of international hires from Yale’s 2018 class. 52% moved to Central/Western Asia, while 8% landed jobs in the Middle East/North Africa.
Latin America welcomed 12%, Europe 10.7%, Africa 9.3%, Canada 5.3%, Australia 1.3% and Bermuda 1.3%.
