<p>Ok, I have done a fair amount of research on these forums and online to find salaries of top mba programs just after graduation. However, I was wondering if anyone had any links or info on salaries of mba grads from top business schools 5,10, and 15 years out. In determining the value of an mba, I think it would really help if I knew what type of money could be made further out on the spectrum.</p>
<p>The answer to your question is...."it depends" ENTIRELY on the individual.</p>
<p>For someone who studied "business" in undergrad, their income would be predictable because there's only a limited number of alternatives for them post-MBA.</p>
<p>For someone who has for example a MD and JD, their income could at worst be the same as the person above and at best be a multiple of what the person above makes.</p>
<p>If you're talking about how much a person with an MBA makes 5 or more years out, then it's dependently entirely on what cards they have and how they play their cards.</p>
<p>Interesting time to ask this question. An employee showed me the results of a survey of his Harvard B School class ten years out. About 80% reported being millionaires. Many of course had made the money on Wall Street. It will be very interesting to see that survey ten years from now. Who knows? My guess is that after a few years of humble earnings top B school grads will figure out how to make the big dollars fast again.</p>
<p>I know it will entirely depend on the individual, but it would be good to see some aggregate numbers with outliers thrown out.</p>
<p>also depends on the economy and (very much so) on which school you went to</p>
<p>Right on cue:</p>
<p>This list confirms what I have always thought the top 8 schools are, except had thought UChicago was stronger than Cal/Berkeley. However, having attended one of these schools, as far as I know, BW has no idea what my salary has been during any point of my career.</p>
<p>i would also be very interested in the variance of the results. i suspect that the vast majority of business school grads end up in middle management, and the median salaries correspond to these positions. i would hope that the top 20% from HBS, Stanford GSOB, and Wharton would be in the $500k+ game 15 years out...</p>
<p>While this survey seems to come up with even the rough order I would rank the schools in, although wouldn't put Columbia so high, some of the numbers don't seem to make sense. The median salary five years out for Wharton, Tuck, UVA, Cornell actually declines from the initial starting salary numbers and there is barely any increase for Kellogg, MIT. Now, maybe that is signing bonus lumped in, but even still. All the numbers seem low compared to what I would expect, even if this is data from the Class of '88, which is unclear to me.</p>
<p>There are certain considerations in looking at the numbers. The starting salaries seem current reflecting what a newly minted MBA would get. However, the 5, 10 and 20 years numbers look a lot lower reflecting the much lower starting salaries those grads received 5, 10 and 20 years ago. As the survey stated, these salaries don't show linear progressions of the same group of people.</p>
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starting salaries seem current reflecting what a newly minted MBA would get. However, the 5, 10 and 20 years numbers look a lot lower reflecting the much lower starting salaries those grads received 5, 10 and 20 years ago.
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<p>You would still think someone who got an MBA five years ago would be making more than someone right out of school now.</p>
<p>Listen...</p>
<p>If you want to win, you cannot be the common man because the common man goes nowhere. You have to be uncommon.</p>
<p>Likewise, if you're just the regular MBA student with a typical background, expect to make the same as your equivalent peers. This applies to all MBA students including those that go to top 10 b-schools. Look at all those Ibankers on Wall Street that came from the top schools. I bet you some of those were laid off along with the masses.</p>
<p>If you want to make more than them, then you need to bring more to the table.</p>
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You would still think someone who got an MBA five years ago would be making more than someone right out of school now.
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<p>I am quite sure those starting salaries include signing bonus.</p>
<p>The figures for the other years are cash compensation which don't include stocks. And those who are highly compensated usually don't have time or won't fill out surveys.</p>
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And those who are highly compensated usually don't have time or won't fill out surveys.
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<p>You would think the study needs some level of legitimacy and sophistication to be published by BW that it seems that statement is too sweepingly simple.</p>
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You would think the study needs some level of legitimacy and sophistication to be published by BW that it seems that statement is too sweepingly simple.
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<p>Yeah ? This is what BW says about the survey.</p>
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The research comes from PayScale, which collects salary data from individuals through online pay comparison tools. BusinessWeek asked PayScale to dig into its database of 80,000 graduates of 45 top MBA programs and calculate their median cash compensation—salaries and bonuses—during the first five years of their careers and after they have an average of 5, 10, 15, and 20 years under their belts. BusinessWeek then used that data to calculate an estimate of median cash earnings over the entire 20-year span.</p>
<p>The data suffer from some inherent limitations—it doesn't include stock or options, and the pay data for some smaller schools at the 20-year mark may be based on fewer than 100 pay reports. It also does not track the same graduates over time; it reflects the experience of individuals who graduated at various points throughout the last 20 years.
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<p>You still think the survey is sophisticated and legitimate?</p>
<p>It's still the best we got.</p>
<p>I would wonder how many pay dips or drops are due to the MBA not wanting to work the long investment banker type hours and taking a lower paying, less time consuming job. Or, just one that pays more in stock options than salary. Or, if they went into charity work.</p>
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You still think the survey is sophisticated and legitimate?
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<p>I guess not as much. The survey does still seem to come up with a generally accurate rank order of the top schools, but I guess the actual salary figures aren't as meaningful. That is impressive that they have data for, on average, ~ 180 people per school.</p>
<p>I'm surprised they can't get more. If they work as an executive in a publicly traded company then their salaries and compensation are public. And, 1st year salaries are bragged about by the college. Sounds like the article relied merely on serveys and less on actuall research.</p>
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If they work as an executive in a publicly traded company then their salaries and compensation are public.
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<p>What does that mean? How does working at a publicly traded company give them access to invidual employee's salaries?</p>
<p>Changes to the disclosure requirements by the SEC require that top executives and board of directors disclose their salaries. So, you should be able to find them through EDGAR in their quarterly or annual reports.</p>
<p>Name me a CEO, VP, director, or board member and I'll find their compensation. Def 14A</p>