Different MBA concentrations

Schools commonly offer MBA concentrations so you can develop specialized skills in an area of interest, like accounting or healthcare management. Discover how popular MBA concentrations can boost your earning potential and lead you to different career paths.

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Why pursue an MBA concentration?

Build specialized expertise

Concentrated MBA programs center your learning on precise, strategically important topics. This may help you gain traction with employers looking to fill niche roles.

Network with like-minded students

Peers will share your interest in the concentration area, creating unique and potentially valuable networking opportunities.

Streamline your professional development

Concentrated programs can provide effective and efficient preparation for students with specific interests and career plans.

Find the right MBA degrees for you

MBA concentrations

cover both traditional and emerging business concepts, and their graduation timelines typically align with generalist programs. Here are a handful of common MBA program concentrations, with salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2024:

Accounting

apply accounting principles and financial analysis to business and managerial strategy. Associated roles include:

Budget analyst
Certified management accountant
Certified public accountant
Financial analyst

Accountants earned a median annual salary of $81,680 in 2024, while financial analysts earned a median annual salary of $101,910.

Business Analytics

often hold STEM designations. They can teach students how to extract and communicate strategic insights from data.

Students who choose this concentration can become management analysts. These professionals earned a median annual salary of $101,190 in 2024, per the BLS. Business analytics graduates may also become operations research analysts who earned a median annual salary of $91,290 the same year.

Cybersecurity

explore the strategic aspects of information security and its business applications. These programs can lead to graduates becoming computer and information systems managers, who earned a median annual salary of $171,200 in 2024, according to the BLS.

Finance

can help build deep, specialized knowledge of financial markets, financial reporting, and capital management. Per the BLS, financial managers earned a median annual salary of $161,700 in 2024.

Entrepreneurship

help students build knowledge of the business development lifecycle and the venture capital market. Graduates often go on to launch their own companies, following self-directed paths. Their earning potential is largely determined by the success of their ventures.

Healthcare Management

explore specialized techniques for balancing health service delivery, ethics, and compliance with organizational realities.

With this degree, you can work toward becoming a health services manager. Per the BLS, these workers earned $117,960 in 2024.

Human Resources

MBA programs with concentrations in focus on strategic personnel management, professional development, ethics, and legal compliance.

Graduates who go on to become human resource managers earned a median annual salary of $140,030 in 2024, per the BLS.

Information Technology

With an , you can prepare for leadership positions at the intersection of computer technology and business management.

Some graduates go on to become network and computer systems administrators, who earned median annual salary of $96,800 in 2024, according to the BLS. Others pursue careers as software developers, who earned a median annual salary of $131,450.

Marketing

emphasize concepts including advertising, branding, consumer research, and product development.

With this degree, you can work toward becoming an advertising and promotions manager, a role that paid a median annual salary of $126,960 in 2024, per the BLS. Alternatively, you can consider working as a marketing manager. These professionals earned a median $161,030 the same year.

Supply Chain Management

Modern supply chains often have complex international or global footprints. MBA programs with a concentration in cover best practices for optimizing the cost efficiency and performance of logistics systems.

Transportation, storage, and distribution managers earned a median annual salary of $102,010 in 2024, per the BLS.

How much does an MBA program concentration cost?

Business schools typically charge similar tuition rates to general and concentrated MBA programs.

In a 2020 study, the National Center for Education Statistics found that students in MBA programs paid an average of $16,120 for tuition and fees. At schools offering exclusively online instruction, the same study found that students in MBA programs cost an average of $10,994 in tuition and fees.

Frequently asked questions

Do employers care about MBA concentrations?

An employer may prefer one MBA concentration over another if it aligns better with a role. For example, a retail company scaling its e-commerce logistics might choose a candidate with an MBA in supply chain management over one who focused on entrepreneurship. For more general leadership roles, your MBA concentration may not be the deciding factor.

How important are MBA concentrations?

MBA concentrations hold the most weight when a job requires a specific skill set that a concentration focuses on, such as healthcare management or cybersecurity. Your experience and skills often matter more than your MBA concentration for broader management and leadership roles.

What is the most respected MBA?

An MBA with a finance or strategy concentration can expand your opportunities across numerous industries. Many employers prioritize candidates with deep expertise in areas such as marketing and analytics because these skills translate directly into business impact. Ultimately, your MBA's relevance to the role matters most.

Which MBA pays the highest salary?

Cybersecurity, finance, and marketing are among the highest-paying MBA concentrations, as they can lead to jobs with median salaries of $160,000 or more. However, most MBA concentrations can prepare you for roles that pay around $90,000 or more annually.

Browse MBA programs by concentration

Last updated August 7, 2025