How much does a business specialist make?
Answer: A typical business specialist in the United States makes $83,050 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 1.1 million people work in this job. Well above the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).
If 100 people had this job
Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-rightHover over a person to see their yearly pay
Business specialist pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $47,880 | $83,050 | $150,010 | about 1.1 million |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $108,160 | about 38,000 |
| Maryland | $101,500 | about 40,000 |
| Washington | $100,360 | about 52,000 |
| Alabama | $100,240 | about 7,000 |
| Delaware | $95,040 | about 2,000 |
Why does pay differ?
Pay in the U.S. varies because this is a catch-all group: specialists have different skills, responsibilities, and experience. Industry and location also affect pay, and any license or certificate depends on the specialty and employer.
What if you lived in a different state?
Pay varies a lot by state in the USTop 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
What does a business specialist do?
All business operations specialists not listed separately.
What's a typical day like?
A specialist might compare figures on a screen, check how a process works, then meet coworkers to plan a fix. The details vary: an online merchant checks orders and stock, while a continuity planner prepares emergency plans.
How to get this job
In the U.S., BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the usual entry education for this broad group, so study business or a subject related to your specialty. Requirements differ across specialties; BLS lists no related experience or extra training as typical for the group.
Did you know?
Some business continuity planners run mock-disaster exercises to test whether a company can keep going or recover after a disruption.
Similar jobs
Jobs using similar skills (O*NET)Earn more in the same field
Business and Financial Operations jobs that pay a bit moreSources and data
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.00
- www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- data.bls.gov/oesprofile?areas=INDUSTRY%2CSTATE%2CMSA&major_group=130000&measure=
- www.bls.gov/oes/earnings.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.04
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1199.06
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY