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Columbia MBA Salary 2023

In the four-part series, we cover:

•    Columbia MBA Salary 2023 by Industry
•    Columbia MBA Salary 2023 By Function
•    Columbia MBA Job Offers By Region
•    Columbia MBA Top Employers for 2023

Let us start with the industry trends for Columbia MBA graduates:

Columbia MBA Salary 2023: By Industry

Consulting is the most sought-after sector, attracting 36.30% of graduates. But the just above 35% representation is far below the 40-50% range that T10 schools have represented for the industry. Clearly, CBS is not just using the strong $190,000 median base salary to its advantage. The New York branding is strong, and so are the diverse industries represented in the recruitment.  

Financial services as expected from a New York school is not far behind, with 35.70% of graduates securing positions in this sector. The industry maintains its appeal with a median base salary of $175,000 and median guaranteed compensation of $60,000 taking the total salary to $235,000, which stands as the highest salary offered at Columbia.

Silicon Alley and its influence on Technology hiring is evident in the latest employment report that shows 10.80% of Columbia MBA graduates accepting offers despite the $20,000 to $35,000 below benchmark salary compared the top two industries – Finance and Consulting. The compensation of $156,000 falls on the lowest quartile for T10 school and the second lowest for an M7 school. Kellogg despite its resurgence in Technology is at the bottom.

Consumer Products, Healthcare, and Real Estate exhibit relatively lower percentages of hires - 3.2%, 2.60%, and 3.30%, respectively. The lower representation had high correlation with the compensation with the median base salaries falling at $120,000 and $133,000 respectively while bonus also fell below the $30,000 mark. Healthcare was the only exception in Bonus, maintaining a healthy $30,000.

By Industry (2023)% HiredMedian Base SalaryMedian Guaranteed Compensation
Consulting36.3%$190,000$30,000
Consumer Products3.2%$120,000$22,500
Financial Services35.7%$175,000$60,000
Healthcare2.6%$133,000$30,000
Real Estate3.3%$145,000$10,300
Technology10.8%$156,000$30,000

Read the next analysis in the series for the 2023 Columbia MBA graduating class:

•  Columbia MBA Salary 2023 By Function
•  Columbia MBA Salary 2023 By Region
•  Columbia MBA Top Employers for 2023
 

Related Download

Columbia MBA Essay Guide

Related Service

F1GMAT's Columbia MBA Essay Editing Service

Reference

Columbia MBA Employment Report

 

F1GMAT's Columbia MBA Essay GuideShort Answer Question 1: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)

Short Answer Question 2: How do you plan to spend the summer after the first year of the MBA? If in an internship, please include target industry(ies) and/or function(s). If you plan to work on your own venture, please indicate a focus of business. (50 characters maximum)

Essay 1: Through your resume and recommendation, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next three to five years and what is your long-term dream job? (500 words)

Essay 2: Please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative, more inclusive or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization. (250 words)

Essay 3: We believe Columbia Business School is a special place with a collaborative learning environment in which students feel a sense of belonging, agency, and partnership--academically, culturally, and professionally.

How would you co-create your optimal MBA experience at CBS? Please be specific. (250 words)

Download F1GMAT's Columbia MBA Essay Guide

About the Author 

Atul Jose

I am Atul Jose, Founding Consultant of F1GMAT, an MBA admissions consultancy that has worked with applicants since 2009.

 

For the past 15 years I have edited the application files of admits to the M7 programs: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School, MIT Sloan, Chicago Booth, Kellogg School of Management, and Columbia Business School, together with admits to Berkeley Haas, Yale School of Management, NYU Stern, Michigan Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, SDA Bocconi, IESE Business School, HEC Paris, McCombs, and Tepper, plus other programs inside the global top 30.

 

My work covers the full MBA application deliverable: career planning and profile evaluation, application essay editing, recommendation letter editing, mock interviews and interview preparation, scholarship and fellowship essay editing, and cover letter editing for funding applications. Full bio with credentials and admit history is here.

 

I am the author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, the best-selling essay guide covering M7 MBA programs. I have written and updated the guide annually since 2013, which makes the 2026 edition the thirteenth.

 

The reason I still write and edit essays every cycle: a good MBA essay carries a real applicant's voice. Writing essays for F1GMAT's Books and Editing essays weekly is how I stay calibrated to what current admissions committees respond to.

 

Contact me for school selection, career planning, essay strategy, narrative development, essay editing, interview preparation, scholarship essay editing, or guidance documents for recommendation letters.