MBA Fast Facts

The employment report provides career data for the graduating class of 2024.

Data used in the employment report was provided to the Willamette MBA career management staff by members of the graduating class. The employment report refers to the graduates' first position after completing the Willamette MBA.

As with most Willamette MBA graduates, the class of 2024 represented a wide range of career interests. Some were seeking their first management position and some were seeking career change or advancement. Some were seeking careers in business, while others were seeking careers related to public service or not-for-profit organizations.

A few examples of salary comparisons for Portland, Oregon and other cities in the U.S. are presented at the bottom of this page.

Conducting a successful job search is a partnership between students and the school. The school helps students develop their knowledge, experience and competitive career skills, facilitates networking and employment opportunities, and connects students to the information and resources they need. MBA students build their tools of management, identify their career goals, develop competitive resumes and interview skills, network through student professional organizations, alumni and employer contacts, and actively pursue employment opportunities.

Employment - Graduating Class of 2024

Members of the graduating class of 2024 entered the program seeking their first professional position or career change.

Prior to the Willamette MBA program they had an average of 21 months of full-time work experience, and median of zero months of full-time experience. The range of months of work experience was 0 to 335 months of full-time work experience.

The graduating class of 2024 consisted of 40 students, of whom 33 were seeking employment. Seven were not seeking employment because they were starting a new business, pursuing further education or postponing their job search for personal reasons. The data below is based on the 33 students seeking employment.

Accepted a Job Offer by Graduation	47%
Accepted a Job Offer Within Three Months of Graduation	67%
Average Salary (*see salary notes below)	$58,614
Median Salary	$61,250
Salary Range	$4,200 to $90,000

 Sector

Business	80%
Government and Not-for-Profit	20%

 Functions

Finance and Accounting	32%
General Management	9%
Marketing	27%
Other	32%

Sample of Employers Who Hired 2024 Graduates

• Intel
• Wieden+Kennedy
• Russell Investments
• Morgan Stanley
• State of Alaska
• NCAA
• Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Quarter
• State of Washington Dept of Commerce
• Target
• Boys & Girls Club
• Transwestern
• Carnival Cruise Line
• Schrodinger

Sample of Job Titles of 2024 Graduates

• Digital Marketing Specialist
• Junior Data Strategist
• Associate Regional Director
• Senior Financial Analyst
• Firm Success Coordinator
• Client Services Associate
• Area Planner
• Executive Team Leader
• Marketing and Communications
• Project Manager
• Associate Broker
• Manufacturing Operations Manager
• Broadband Infrastructure Contract Manager

*Salary Notes:

Employment and salary data vary from year to year depending on general economic trends, the career goals and financial considerations of the individual members of the graduating class, undergraduate degree, previous related work experience, level of managerial responsibility, and sector of employment. Salaries also vary by geographic location. For the graduating class of 2024, a $58,614 salary in Portland, Oregon is approximately equal to $71,584 in Seattle, Washington; $83,278 in San Francisco, California; $72,714 in Boston, Massachusetts; and $70,159 to $111,922 in New York, New York (Source: Nerd Wallet Cost of Living Calculator, 1/15/2025)

The employment report provides career data for the graduating class of 2023.

Data used in the employment report was provided to the Willamette MBA career management staff by members of the graduating class. The employment report refers to the graduates' first position after completing the Willamette MBA.

As with most Willamette MBA graduates, the class of 2023 represented a wide range of career interests. Some were seeking their first management position and some were seeking career change or advancement. Some were seeking careers in business, while others were seeking careers related to public service or not-for-profit organizations.

A few examples of salary comparisons for Portland, Oregon and other cities in the U.S. are presented at the bottom of this page.

Conducting a successful job search is a partnership between students and the school. The school helps students develop their knowledge, experience and competitive career skills, facilitates networking and employment opportunities, and connects students to the information and resources they need. MBA students build their tools of management, identify their career goals, develop competitive resumes and interview skills, network through student professional organizations, alumni and employer contacts, and actively pursue employment opportunities.

Employment - Graduating Class of 2023

Members of the graduating class of 2023 entered the program seeking their first professional position or career change. Prior to the Willamette MBA program they had an average of 16 months pre MBA work experience, and median of 13 month of pre-MBA work experience. The range of months of work experience was with a range 0 to 134 months of work experience.

The graduating class of 2023 consisted of 49 students, of whom 42 were seeking employment. Seven were not seeking employment because they were starting a new business, pursuing further education or postponing their job search for personal reasons. The data below is based on the 42 students seeking employment.

Sector

Functions

Sample of Employers Who Hired 2023 Graduates

Sample of Job Titles of 2023 Graduates

* Salary Notes:

1) Employment and salary data vary from year to year depending on general economic trends, the career goals of the individual members of the graduating class, undergraduate degree, previous related work experience, level of managerial responsibility, and sector of employment. Salaries also vary by geographic location. For the graduating class of 2023, a $74,418 salary in Portland, Oregon is approximately equal to $94,315 in Seattle, Washington; $137,145 in San Francisco, California; $86,221 in Boston, Massachusetts; and $94,765 in New York, New York (Source: "Sperling's BestPlaces" Cost of Living Calculator, 4/5/2024.)

Willamette MBA students have the rare opportunity to participate in up to three semesters of supervised internship experiences. This means eligible students can participate in a full-time internship in the summer between the first and second year of study, and part-time internships during the fall and spring semesters of the second year of the MBA program.

100% of students who needed to complete an internship for course credit as a graduation requirement accepted an internship offer in summer 2024.

94% of all students who indicated they were interested in completing an internship for credit accepted an internship offer. Internship salaries averaged $22.36 per hour. The average length of an internship was 11 weeks. 59% of 2024-25 internships were in the business sector, and 32% were in non-profit organizations, and 9% were in government agencies.

Industries included accounting, consulting, financial services, health care, technology, logistics, manufacturing, economic development, human and social services, real estate, sports, and government.

Functions included marketing, strategic planning, project management, human resources, marketing, product development, financial advising and investments, data analytics, operations, supply chain, process improvement, planning, and others.

Several students received job offers from their summer internship employer, and will begin working full-time after completion of their MBA degree. In addition, many students will participate in part-time internships during the academic year.

Internships provide important opportunities to apply what you have learned in your MBA courses, explore your career interests, build your resume of real-world experience, and develop your professional network! And, because most internships are paid, they provide a source of income that helps students fund their educational and living expenses.

A Sample of Recent Internship Employers

• MassMutual Oregon
• University of Wisconsin Health
• Wieden + Kennedy
• Tillamook County Creamery Association
• API Group
• Boys & Girls Club
• Advantage Solutions/Anheuser Busch
• Family Building Blocks
• Salem Health
• American Fiduciary Services
• Ecotrust
• Economic Development for Central Oregon
• IMS Capital Management
• Amazon
• Community Economic Development of Oregon
• Hewlett Packard
• Intel Corporation
• Alaska Innocence Project
• Professional Risk Management
• Morgan Stanley
• Oregon Department of Transportation
• Oregon Health Authority
• Pacific Seafoods
• Salem Leadership Foundation
• Willamette Humane Society
• Oregon Public Performance Improvement Association

A Sample of Recent Internship Titles

• Strategic Project Management Intern
• Human Resources Intern
• Product Development Intern
• Management Trainee
• Financial Advisor Intern
• Marketing and Development Intern
• Economic Development Intern
• Regional Business Strategist Intern
• Corporate Safety Intern
• Social Media Marketing Intern
• Marketing Coordinator
• Coaching Program Manager
• Legal/Business Intern
• Data Analyst
• Consulting Intern
• Wealth Management Intern
• Financial Representative
• Commercial Real Estate Intern
• Workforce Development Intern
• Research Analyst Intern
• Strategic Initiatives Intern
• Accounts Payable Intern
• Inventory Accountant
• Operations Management Intern
• Community Analyst and Policy Manager
• Fiscal and Budget Intern
• Social Finance Intern

Willamette MBA students have the rare opportunity to participate in up to three semesters of supervised internship experiences. This means eligible students can participate in a full-time internship in the summer between the first and second year of study, and part-time internships during the fall and spring semesters of the second year of the MBA program.

100% of students who needed to complete an internship for course credit as a graduation requirement accepted an internship offer in summer 2023. 87% of all students who indicated they were interested in completing an internship accepted an internship offer. Internship salaries averaged $26.18 per hour. The average length of an internship was 12 weeks. 71% of 2023 internships were in the business sector, and 26% were in government or non-profit organizations.

Industries included accounting, consulting, financial services, technology, logistics, manufacturing, human and social services, electronics, real estate, education, international trade, and government.

Functions included marketing, strategic planning, data analytics, operations, human resources, finance, process improvement, auditing, planning, compliance, business analysis, sustainability, investments, and project management.

Several students received job offers from their summer internship employer, and will begin working full-time after completion of their MBA degree. In addition, many students will participate in part-time internships during the academic year.

Internships provide important opportunities to apply what you have learned in your MBA courses, explore your career interests, build your resume of real-world experience, and develop your professional network! And, because most internships are paid, they provide a source of income that helps students fund their educational and living expenses.

Note: Different MBA formats of the Full-time MBA program have different program lengths. The MBA and BA/MBA Formats are 21 month programs, the JD/MBA program is a four year program, and the Accelerated MBA is generally a one year program.