Consulting, Technology, Investment Banking, and Pharma/Biotech lead the industries represented at Duke Fuqua, while Management Consulting, Investment Banking & Marketing/Sales were favorites as a post-MBA function.
In this in-depth analysis of the Duke Fuqua MBA Employment trends and Salary for the 2021 Graduating Class, we cover:
• Duke Fuqua MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
• Duke Fuqua MBA Salary by Function (2021)
• Duke Fuqua MBA Placement & Salary by Location (2021)
• Duke Fuqua MBA Top Employers (2021)
• Duke Fuqua MBA Career Service Team - Effectiveness (2021)
Duke Fuqua MBA Salary by Industry (2021)
Hiring in Consulting and Technology are nearly equal at Duke Fuqua – closing in on the 30% mark while Healthcare/Pharma/Biotech found 10% representation – one of the highest among top US schools. Investment banking also found close to 10% representation - completing the top industry placements at Fuqua.
Healthcare/Biotech/Pharma dominance is as large as MIT Sloan in terms of the percentage of MBAs hired by the industry, but the salaries are lower at Fuqua by approximately $2,800 at $167,194. The remuneration is the third-highest across M7 & Haas, after MIT Sloan ($170,000) and Stanford ($167,500).
Note: We have used the same overall median sign-on bonus for all industries in the absence of industry-level detail. The consulting median base salaries were lower by $7,000 (by industry) when compared to the M7’s median base salary of $165,000.
| Duke Fuqua MBA Salary by Industry | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-On Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | 28% | $158,293 | $34,958 |
| Technology | 27% | $134,360 | $34,958 |
| Investment Banking/Brokerage (Financial Services) | 9% | $144,275 | $34,958 |
| Healthcare/Biotech/Pharma | 10% | $132,236 | $34,958 |
| Other Financial Services | 7% | $144,275 | $34,958 |
Duke Fuqua MBA Salary by Function (2021)
Fuqua was the third-best school for placements to Investment Banking function (10%), behind NYU Stern and Wharton. However, the total median salary was below ($174,448) the $200,000 threshold seen in the function.
Note (lack of function-wise details): We have used the same overall median sign-on bonus for all functions in the absence of function-level detail. Hence, it might be possible that the median bonuses in banking could be higher at Fuqua as well, as they generally are around the $50,000 mark. Looking at other functions, we assume that this is unlikely as Fuqua’s salaries in Product Management and Consulting have been in the bottom half compared to other top-tier MBA programs (M7, NYU Stern & Haas).
The exception to this rule is Corporate Banking, where the median base salary is lower than Kellogg’s (~ $500) and higher than Chicago Booth. The use of the overall median sign-on bonus of $34,958 raises the total salary to $174,448, whereas at peer schools, the sign-on bonus is around $25,000. If we adjust the median sign-on bonus to $25,000, then it ranks second, behind Kellogg’s $172,000 total salary.
Note on General Management: Product Management was split into two different sectors - the Marketing/Sales (combined with brand management) function being more dominant than General Management. If combined, then collectively, it ranks as the second-highest function, after Consulting at Fuqua.
| Duke Fuqua MBA Salary by Function | Percent Hired | Median Base Salary | Median Sign-On Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic/general/management Consulting | 31% | $156,275 | $34,958 |
| Investment Banking | 10% | $139,490 | $34,958 |
| Brand/product management (Marketing/Sales) | 10% | $127,185 | $34,958 |
| Product Management (General Management) | 5% | $132,881 | $34,958 |
| Corporate Banking | 4% | $139,490 | $34,958 |
Duke Fuqua MBA Placement & Salary by Location (2021)
Roughly 97% of all placements were in the US due to limited international travel, ease of securing visas, and demand among Fuqua graduates. The remaining 3% of graduates were placed internationally, namely, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Seoul, Paris, Mexico City, and Toronto.
The West attracted 28% of Fuqua graduates. San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston/Silicon Valley were the favorite destinations.
The Northeast attracted 23% of Fuqua graduates, with New York ranking as the most popular city among Fuqua graduates for 5 consecutive years. Washington DC and Chicago also found sizeable representation.
The median base salary for US nationals was around $141,500, whereas for international graduates, it was lower by $1,500 (rounded up), and the median sign-on bonus was higher by $6,500.
Duke Fuqua MBA Top Employers (2021)
Amazon dominates hiring at Duke’s Fuqua accepting 11 more graduates than McKinsey, which has been the consistent top employer across top US MBA programs
Technology and Consulting firms lead, but there is a presence of a handful of financial firms like Bank of America, Barclays, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo. Optum is the only firm in Healthcare to make it into the top 10 list at Duke Fuqua. Although consumer packaged goods wasn’t a top industry, PepsiCo and Kraft-Heinz Co. were among the top 10 employers signaling the validation of the Sales/Marketing talent at Duke Fuqua.
| Rank | Duke Fuqua MBA Top Employers | No. of Hires |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | 33 |
| 2 | McKinsey | 24 |
| 3 | Boston Consulting Group | 19 |
| 4 | Deloitte | 12 |
| 5 | Bain & Company | 9 |
| 5 | Microsoft | 9 |
| 5 | Bank of America | 9 |
| 6 | EY—Parthenon | 7 |
| 6 | Dell | 7 |
| 7 | Accenture | 6 |
| 7 | PepsiCo | 6 |
| 8 | LEK Consulting | 5 |
| 8 | 5 | |
| 8 | Barclays | 5 |
| 9 | PricewaterhouseCoopers | 4 |
| 9 | Apple | 4 |
| 9 | Optum | 4 |
| 10 | Kearney | 3 |
| 10 | Simon-Kucher & Partners | 3 |
| 10 | ZS Associates | 3 |
| 10 | Cisco | 3 |
| 10 | 3 | |
| 10 | 3 | |
| 10 | Morgan Stanley | 3 |
| 10 | Wells Fargo | 3 |
| 10 | The Kraft-Heinz Co. | 3 |
Duke Fuqua MBA - Career Service Team - Effectiveness (2021)
80% of all jobs were sourced through Fuqua, out of which 50% were internships that converted into full-time job offers, followed by school-facilitated interviews and job postings.
Among the jobs sourced by graduates, 8% converted their internships, and the balance secured jobs through personal connections (including previous employers, friends, and family outside the Fuqua network).
Related Services
• F1GMAT’s Career Planning Service
• F1GMAT’s Essay Review Service
Related Books
• F1GMAT’s Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Guide
• F1GMAT’s Winning MBA Essay Guide (Includes Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Tips and Samples)
Reference
