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6 Great Jobs with a Master’s in Organizational Leadership

Are you looking for a way to expand your knowledge while enjoying higher income potential within your field? A master's degree in organizational leadership could be exactly what you need. With a focus on relevant skills for today’s work environment, this multi-faceted degree opens the door to many career paths, including the six outlined in this article.
What Is Organizational Leadership, and Why Is It Important to Learn?
Organizational leadership is a human-centered approach that opens the door to a number of areas within the business world. While a degree in this field focuses strongly on leadership skills, it also touches on psychology, sociology, human resources, marketing, and other aspects of a business. Concentrations within the degree path can help students explore the areas that are most important to them. Students of a master’s in organizational leadership will learn results-focused practical skills they can immediately apply in a work environment. The degree also offers relationship-focused skills that help graduates become strong leaders, negotiators, and collaborators, all of which are important in the world of business.
What Jobs Could You Pursue with a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership?
A degree in organizational leadership can be a great foundation for a multitude of career paths, all in leadership roles. Because it is multi-faceted, it adds value for business professionals who are leading in an environment of ambiguity and uncertainty. This degree can help them adapt and respond to the ever-changing expectations of roles and responsibilities in the organizations where they work.
1. Sales Manager
Sales managers are the head of an organization’s sales team. They must understand marketing as well as leadership to help teams reach sales goals. This role requires strong analytic skills in order to analyze customer behavior and sales statistics. It also requires the ability to effectively engage with and lead people. They may need to plan and oversee marketing campaigns as well. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this career path has an expected pay range of $132,290 a year. The growth from 2020 to 2030 is projected to be 7%, which is about average. This is a field where a bachelor's is the minimum degree requirement, but those with a master’s may earn a higher salary. The top 10 percent of sales managers earn an average of over $208,000 per year.
2. Human Resources Manager
Human resources is the part of an organization that bridges the gap between leadership and the rest of the workforce. Human resources managers oversee HR departments, the hiring of new staff, and communication between higher-ups and the everyday worker. They need solid leadership skills and the ability to negotiate and work with people well. They also need to be able to understand organizational goals so they can choose new hires that align with those goals. Finally, human resources managers must be able to make hard decisions when the need arises. Based on data from the BLS, the expected job growth for human resources managers from 2020 to 203 is 9%. This degree has an average pay range of $121,220 per year. A bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement, so those with a master’s degree may end up in the highest pay range, which is over $200,000 a year.
3. Management Analyst
Management analysts work with companies to determine ways they can operate more efficiently. They may work as independent contractors to assess the needs of multiple businesses, or they may work directly within one business and oversee its operations. These professionals gather and analyze information about a business and use their problem-solving skills to find solutions to those problems. They present reports of their findings with recommendations that the business can implement to help them overcome their challenges. The BLS estimates the average salary for individuals in this field is $87,660 per year. Those in the top 10 percent, often those with a graduate degree in the field, earn over $156,840 a year. This career path is expected to see a job growth of 14%, indicating it is a solid career path that will have many openings in the future.
4. Learning and Development Manager
Learning and development managers train the workforce and develop the staff within an organization. Working closely with human resources managers, they provide job-related information and knowledge that is designed to develop the skills of employees, allowing them to excel and succeed. Because this is such a specialized area of management, these professionals earn a high average pay of $115,640 a year. This field has an expected job growth of 11%. Those in the top 10 percent of the field average over $200,200 a year. These jobs are in high demand and have high income potential.
5. School Principal
Strong leadership is necessary in all industries, and education is no exception. School principals oversee the operations of a school, ensuring teachers have the support they need to teach and students have access to the tools needed to reach their learning potential. Principals work in high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools. Though school years run for about nine months, principals work year-round as they take care of administrative tasks in the summer months. A master’s degree in organizational leadership combined with an undergraduate degree in education can help well prepare future principals for this career path. The BLS estimates an average pay of $98,490 a year for school principals. The expected job growth is about 8%. The pay for principals depends largely on income level of a particular district, however. The range is between $65,150 for the lowest 10% and $152,500 for the top 10%. This job requires a master’s degree as a minimum degree requirement.
6. Public Health Administrator
An advanced degree in organizational leadership combined with medical training can help someone step into the role of public health administrator. These professionals help motivate clinics and clinical staff to improve the health and wellness of their patients. They present new ideas that can impact overall public health. The BLS indicates the average pay for medical services managers, including public health administrators, comes in at $104,280 a year with an exceptionally high job growth estimate of 32%. The top 10% of earners in this field average $195,630 a year. This high pay range and exceptional job growth potential makes the role of a public health administrator appealing to many students.
Is a Degree in Organizational Leadership Worth It?
These are just six of the job opportunities someone with a degree in organizational leadership could pursue. If you’re wondering what jobs you can pursue with a master’s in organizational leadership, the answer is filled with seemingly endless possibilities. Explore each opportunity to see just how far your organizational leadership degree can take you. Wilmington College Cincinnati’s master’s degree in organizational leadership is a great way to launch one of these careers. Along with online learning flexibility, it offers a track in organizational transformation. The flexibility of our program combined with the high quality of the education you receive makes our master’s degree in organizational leadership a great choice for those who want to step into leadership roles in their chosen fields. If you are interested in learning more about the master’s degree in organizational leadership offered at Wilmington College Cincinnati, request information today!