The Best Jobs You Can Get With an Organizational Leadership Degree

ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEGREE SALARY

Organizational leadership is a new and developing career field and area of study. Students with an organizational leadership degree often wonder what career options are available. You may be considering pursuing an organizational leadership program, or you may be finishing up your degree program. Either way, you want to know what jobs these professionals can get in the field. This article helps to answer those questions. Here, we’ve compiled a list of top organizational leadership careers.

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WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP?

Organizational leadership is a kind of management style. It takes into account the more humanistic parts of a company and how people can work together as a team. Organizational leadership degree holders can apply their skills to any company, nonprofit, or business model. In fact, teams at all levels can implement the concepts. Organizational leaders:

Lead teams of diverse groups of people
Create programs that help boost productivity
Facilitate ethical business practices
Promote teamwork among employees
Negotiate and resolve conflict
Lead training sessions
Utilize tools to improve communication

WHAT IS AN ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP DEGREE?

With an organizational leadership degree program, you learn how to communicate better. And you’ll use forward-thinking and critical-thinking skills to become an even better leader. Students can get a bachelor’s degree online, but they can also pursue organizational leadership degrees at the master’s and doctoral levels. Some classes you may take in an organizational degree program include:

Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology
Foundations of Leadership
Writing for Business
Organizational Behavior for Effective Leaders
Organizational Assessment and Evaluation
Introduction to Human Resources
Ethical Issues in Organizations
Organizational Development and Planning
Organizational Theory, Design, and Change
Mediation and Conflict Resolution
Fundamentals of Organizations
Organizational Leadership and the Law
Application of Fundamentals of Organizations
Social Influence and Persuasion for Leaders
Training and Development

TOP 10 ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP CAREERS METHODOLOGY

We’ve compiled a list for students interested in the top organizational leadership degree jobs. This list is not comprehensive in terms of the careers available to you. In fact, there are many organizational leadership roles you might encounter. But if you are pursuing an organizational leadership program, this list is a perfect place to start! These careers are ranked by their mid-career earnings. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the programs are scored from highest to lowest reported salary.

This list is for:

Those who are considering a degree in organizational leadership
Those who are currently pursuing a degree in organizational leadership
Those who want to change roles in organizational leadership
Those who want to change from their current career to organizational leadership

This list should give you a better idea of the kinds of jobs you can expect by pursuing organizational leadership degrees. For more information about jobs as an organizational leader, keep reading!

TOP 10 ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP JOBS

#1. SALES MANAGERS

MEDIAN SALARY: $132,290

One of the highest-paying organizational leadership degree jobs is sales management. The organizational leadership degree salary for a sales manager is about $132,290. As a sales manager, your role is to lead a sales team or sales department to meet a company’s sales goal.

Becoming a manager is not difficult. All that is required is a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership, although you can also land this role with other degrees. Sales managers use sales data to create sales goals for their teams. They also provide technical training to their sales teams to ensure their success. Sales managers are among our top jobs in organizational leadership.

The unemployment rate for sales managers is 4.5 percent. That’s about the same as the national average, which is 4.4 percent. Around 28,000 jobs in this field are currently available in the United States, so it’s relatively popular. As a sales manager, your daily tasks will include things like:

Establishing goals for your team
Setting quotas
Working closely with your company’s marketing department
Seeking out new customers
Recruiting and hiring

According to some, being a sales manager is the second-best job in the sales and marketing industry. And the organizational leadership jobs salary is one of the highest in the marketplace.

#2. HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGERS

MEDIAN SALARY: $121,220

A career as a human resources manager is another one of our top organizational leadership degree jobs. As a human resource manager, you can expect to make a median annual salary of about $121,220. Your role as a human resource manager is to ensure that the employees of an organization are taken care of. That means instituting policies that govern their behavior, compensation, and more. Human resource managers act as the moderator between the business and its employees. A human resource manager is among the top master’s in organizational leadership jobs.

Human resources managers and specialists work in an office or remotely through telecommuting. This is especially true in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these human resources positions have even moved entirely online. However, you may also need to collaborate with others outside of an office setting as an HR manager. That could mean employees or potential partners that will help you complete various projects. Currently, there is an unemployment rate of a bit over five percent for human resources managers. This is slightly higher than the national average. However, there are over 35,000 human resources manager positions open. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth of 10.8 percent over the next decade.

#3. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

MEDIAN SALARY: $115,640

Training and development managers have another high-paying role in organizational leadership. Especially development managers who complete a master’s in organizational leadership. These professionals are well-equipped for a career as a training and development manager. The annual median salary of such a position is $115,640.

By working in this career path, your role will be to find new hires and bring them into an organization. From there, you will help train them, and you will develop their talents to help them to reach their full potential. Training and development managers are vital to the healthy function of all businesses. So this position is among our top jobs in organizational leadership.

The role is similar to an HR manager or HR specialist. Training and development managers help incorporate new hires into a company and help find people who are the best fit to work there. As a training and development manager, you will likely be working upwards of 40 hours a week. Often, you will be working directly with people.

This field is expected to grow by around 11 percent through 2030. This means that it is a fast-growing career compared to the average. Approximately 4,300 openings are expected each year. So those in this field will enjoy decent job security, as well.

#4. INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT

MEDIAN SALARY: $108,790

Industrial project management is one of the highest-paying organizational leadership jobs available. As an industrial production manager, you will oversee massive production jobs. You will work at the highest level of factories and manufacturing plants. And you ensure that they are operating at maximum capacity.

Industrial production managers are also responsible for the safety of their workers. An industrial production manager can earn a salary of around $108,790 a year. Also, industrial production management jobs are among the top organizational leadership careers. You will use all of your organizational leadership skills in this role.

If you enjoy the STEM fields, you may be a natural in the role of an industrial production manager. You will likely be overseeing the operating of heavy machinery and industrial equipment. Your role as a manager will also require you to be a good leader and be able to motivate your employees.

In 2020, there were nearly 190,000 industrial production management jobs. However, the field is expected to grow slower than the average, at around five percent over the next decade. It is predicted there will be 14,000 new job openings each year in this field.

#5. TOP EXECUTIVES/CORPORATE OFFICERS

MEDIAN SALARY: $107,680

Top executives and corporate officer positions are desirable ones. And they are among our jobs in organizational leadership with the highest salary. Top executives and corporate officers tend to make a median salary of $107,680. These jobs require a master’s in organizational leadership degree or higher.

As a top executive and corporate officer, your role will be guiding entire companies. You may also head entire divisions of companies. You will need to call upon your management and business skills often. You must ensure you guide your company in the right direction towards success. You will be tasked with making informed decisions. And these decisions can massively influence the trajectory of a business. Corporate officers rank among the top masters in organizational leadership jobs.

A corporate officer is at the top of the food chain in many companies. However, there is a lot of variation in salary when you are one of the top executives. For example, a chief executive at a company could make an average of $186,000 or more a year. Yet general managers or operations managers might make around $103,000 a year. Both of these positions yield a hefty salary, but they can be different. It all depends on the company, location, and your exact role. But this field is expected to grow. Over the next decade, growth should be around eight percent, which is about as fast as the average.

#6. MEDICAL AND HEALTH SERVICES MANAGERS

MEDIAN SALARY: $104,280

Medical and health services managers are also among the top organizational leadership jobs. Medical and health services managers work for healthcare organizations. They may work for a hospital, clinic, nursing home, or another business. Medical and health services managers are in charge of properly administering care to patients. They typically make a median annual salary of $104,280. This is a growing job sector with a great job outlook. Health services managers have some of the best masters in organizational leadership jobs.

Medical and health services managers keep hospitals and other medical centers running smoothly. Also, they manage patients and employees to ensure everyone gets adequate care. As a medical and health services manager, you need to pay close attention to detail. Plus, you should have excellent interpersonal skills. In the medical field, you will often interact with people who don’t want to be there. Because of this, your bedside manner needs to be comforting and approachable. The current unemployment rate for this position is a little over two percent. This is significantly lower than the national average. And job security for this role is quite good.

#7. ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

MEDIAN SALARY: $98,490

An organizational leadership degree can result in a career in education, too. For example, you could be an elementary, middle, or high school principal. As a school principal, your organizational leadership degree will come in handy. That’s because you will lead and manage the entire staff and student body. You will need to ensure the education of your students, but you also must pay attention to the job satisfaction of the teachers. And of course, you are responsible for the safety of everyone attending the school.

School principals earn a median annual salary of $98,490. This career path requires at least a master’s level of education. School principal jobs are among our top organizational leadership careers.

School principals are some of the most influential leaders within the educational system. As a principal, you are committing to educating the future leaders of tomorrow. As of 2020, there were around 270,000 jobs within the field. But approximately 22,000 new positions should become available each year. A growth of eight percent is expected over the next decade, so job growth is about as fast as the average.

#8. POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS

MEDIAN SALARY: $97,500

One of our top organizational leadership careers is a postsecondary education administrator. Postsecondary education administrators can earn a median annual salary of $97,500. In this career, you work in administrative positions in higher education. Postsecondary education administrators run entire departments at the college level. They use their organizational leadership skills to manage professors and students. They also make sure that professors receive the funding needed to properly educate students. As a result, postsecondary education administrators rank among our top masters in organizational leadership jobs.

Like principals, postsecondary education administrators commit to educating our future leaders. This job is great for someone who has a particular interest in education. For example, they may be a writer running an English department. Or they might have a specialization in a STEM field. As of 2020, there are around 179,000 jobs within this field. And it is expected that approximately 14,500 jobs will become available each year. This career field is projected to grow at around eight percent over the next decade. So job growth is about as fast as the average.

#9. MANAGEMENT ANALYSTS/MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

MEDIAN SALARY: $87,660

Management analysts use their organizational leadership education to help other organizations. Specifically, they help businesses to implement better management policies. As a management analyst or consultant, you can earn a median annual salary of $87,660. Management analysts and management consultants usually work on a per-client basis. They will work with businesses to assess their current management and organizational structure. They will use their expertise to offer ideas for change. Or they might come up with ways to smooth out the function of the business. Management analysts are among our top jobs in organizational leadership.

If you want to become a management analyst or management consultant, you’re in luck. There is an absolutely booming job market for this position at the moment. There are around 908,000 jobs currently in the United States. And this field is expected to grow about 14 percent over the next decade. Which is much faster growth than the average job. Nearly 100,000 new jobs are expected to become available each year.

#10. NONPROFIT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

MEDIAN SALARY: $69,481

Another top job in organizational leadership is nonprofit executive director. These professionals can expect to earn a median salary of $69,481. You will use your organizational leadership education to lead a nonprofit organization in this role. You will be working in the world of charity and nonprofits. And you will need to ensure the organization’s resources are properly allocated. You will also need to ensure that employees get the support they need. After all, workers will have some very specific needs to make an impact. Nonprofit executive directors are among our top organizational leadership careers.

If you want to truly make a difference in the world around you, this is an ideal career choice. Becoming a nonprofit executive director can be a gratifying job. Of course, you might make significantly less than other people working at for-profit companies. But you will also know that the work you’re doing is for a good cause. If you are motivated by charity and helping others, this role may be your true calling.

Organizational Leadership Degree Jobs by Degree Level

The amount you can earn in organizational leadership careers will also depend on your degree level. Naturally, a Master of Science in organizational leadership salary will be different than a bachelor’s degree. In this last section, we’ll look at organizational leadership salary information once again. But we will break it down by your level of education. An organizational management salary can vary widely depending on location, experience, and other factors. Data across reporting sites can vary too. We’ve taken this information from Payscale.

Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership

With a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership, you can expect even entry-level salaries to be generous. And of course, the more experience you gain, the more you can earn. How much you can earn with an undergraduate organizational degree depends on many factors. But these four career paths can give you some idea of what to expect.

Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Leadership Salary

Role	Salary Range	Average
Chief Executive Officer	$55k – $154k	$92,202
Human Resources Manager	$65k – $112k	$86,277
Sales Manager	$67k – $127k	$94,712
Project Manager	$60k – $98k	$77,091

Organizational Leadership Master’s Salary

Pursuing a master’s degree in organizational leadership can help you move into higher-paying roles in the field. The training is the next step up from a bachelor’s degree. The positions are similar, but you will have more responsibility in your role. As you can see, you have the opportunity to earn a higher-paying salary with a graduate degree. There are many online programs to earn a master’s in organizational leadership.

Master’s in Organizational Leadership Salary

Role	Salary Range	Average
Chief Executive Officer	$124k – $260k	$129,572
Human Resources Manager	$103k – $182k	$140,162
Sales Manager	$82k – $206k	$146,589
Project Manager	$61k – $137k	$92,523

Doctorate (Ph.D.), Organizational Leadership Salary

As you might expect, a Ph.D. in organizational leadership can be even more lucrative, although not always. Those who pursue a doctorate degree in the field are usually considering the highest-paying careers in organizational leadership. This chart illustrates a few of those options.

PH.D. in Organizational Leadership Salary

Role	Salary Range	Average
Chief Human Resources Officer	$111k – $226k	$163,781
President and CEO	$94k – $237k	$153,736
Talent Acquisition Director	$72k – $150k	$111,836
Data Center Manager	$104k – $194k	$146,167

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Top 10 Organizational Leadership Jobs by Salary