Business Management and Administration careers use your organizational and leadership skills to prepare for careers where you plan, direct and evaluate operations to run a successful business. There are a variety of career opportunities available including hiring staff, analyzing data and launching your own start-up. This career cluster employs the largest number of workers in Virginia.
Employment of top executives is expected to grow and will largely depend on what industry the executive works in. Top executives are tasked with running companies, organizations, and departments, making their essential. Companies will continue to need receptionists to perform administrative tasks, such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing general information about their organizations. The employment of receptionists is expected to grow and will be particularly fueled by the healthcare industries, especially physicians’ and dentists’ offices. There also will be a higher need for customer service representatives in the coming years. Call centers are expected to add the most customer service representative jobs.
![]() ![]() Produced by: Granby High School, Norfolk City Public Schools |
Employment Projections: 2016-2026*
The Business Management & Administration cluster employed about 726,700 Virginia workers in 2016, the most of any cluster. By 2026, approximately 51,200 more Virginians are expected to be working in this cluster, for a total of over 777,900. This growth represents a 7 percent increase in Virginia over the decade, which far exceeds the projected 2 percent national average growth among all occupations in this cluster, a figure based on Trailblazers analysis of information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
*NOTE: The methodology for classifying occupations within the cluster/pathway system has been updated since the previous data cycle (2014-24), so 2016-26 Trailblazers employment projection data may not be comparable to data from previous cycles.
For more information on occupations in the Business Management & Administration Cluster, visit Trailblazers – Career and Technical Education in Virginia(PDF).
Selected Occupation(s) | Employed in Virginia 2016 |
2017 Median Wage | Predominant Level of Education |
---|---|---|---|
Office Clerks, General | 87,787 | $31,910 | Associate/Some college & Training/Certification |
Customer Service Representatives | 63,071 | $32,550 | Associate/Some college & Training/Certification |
Management Analysts | 57,824 | $96,770 | Bachelor's or more & Work experience |
Stock Clerks and Order Fillers | 56,489 | $24,070 | High School Diploma & Training/Certification |
General and Operations Managers | 53,217 | $122,730 | Bachelor's or more & Work experience |
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks |
42,539 | $40,350 | Associate/Some college & Training/Certification |
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive |
42,259 | $36,810 | Associate/Some college & Training/Certification |
Managers, All Other | 41,058 | $127,100 | Bachelor's or more & Work experience |
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support |
40,762 | $55,930 | Associate/Some college & Work experience |
Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 32,202 | $79,830 | Bachelor's or more |
- Wage data: United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Virginia Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2017.
- Employment projections data: Virginia Employment Commission, Virginia Long-Term Occupational Projections, 2016-2026.
- Predominant education level: Trailblazers through the Demographics and Workforce Section of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.
Career Cluster Planning
A resource for counselors, administrators, and educators
CTE VERSO – includes information to help local school divisions plan and schedule instructional programs. VERSO is organized by program area, with a complete listing of courses, concentration sequences, and credentials available to students as they plan for career entry and continuing education. Users may access course information by cluster or by searching for specific courses or certifications.
Academic and Career Plans of Study
Development Information
Information and tips for instructional leaders, administrators, counselors and teachers/faculty for creating a career pathway academic and career plan of study.
- Business Management & Administration Cluster Information
- Checklist for Developing Career Clusters Plans of Study (Word)
Sample Academic and Career Plans of Study
School divisions are asked to develop sample plans of study based on the courses offered within their schools, the employment needs of the region, and the post-high school educational opportunities needed for these careers. Once these sample plans are developed, they can be customized to the needs of individual students so that all students have the opportunity to have an individualized academic and career plan of study.
Sample Pathway Plans of Stud for Business Management & Administration:
- Administrative Support (Word)
- Business Information Management (Word)
- General Management (Word)
- Human Resources Management (Word)
- Operations Management (Word)
- Blank Plan of Study (with fields) (Word)
Also see Sample Plans of Study for all clusters and pathways.
Cluster Analysis Document for Virginia
Report
Resources
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- The Leadership Development Organization
- National Association of Legal Professionals
The Career Clusters logo and its extensions are the property of the National Career Technical Foundation, as managed by NASDCTEc. Some content on this page is from the publication, R U College & Career Ready? - 2017 Edition; and is used here with permission from the Virginia Business Publications LLC and Trailblazers in the Demographics and Workforce Section of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia.