2021 Employment Report Data
See how the Cornell MBA drives your potential earnings and career opportunities. The data below details the compensation, locations, companies, industry sectors, and job functions of recent graduates.
Two-Year Class of 2021: Full-Time Job Offers and Acceptances
Of the 278 Two-Year MBA graduates in the class of 2021, 259 were seeking full-time employment. Almost the entire class—95 percent—obtained a job within three months of graduation. Graduates with US work authorization received a slightly higher percentage of offers at 98 percent, while non-US work authorization graduates received a slightly lower percentage of offers at 93 percent.
97%
RECEIVED OFFERS
as reported by class of 2021 job-seekers three months after graduation
98%
US WORK AUTHORIZED
graduates received an offer within three months of graduation
93%
NON-US WORK AUTHORIZED
graduates received an offer within three months of graduation
95%
ACCEPTED OFFERS
within three months of graduating from the Two-Year MBA program
97%
US WORK AUTHORIZED
graduates accepted an offer within three months of graduation
89%
NON-US WORK AUTHORIZED
graduates accepted an offer within three months of graduation
Two-Year Class of 2021: Average Base Salary
The Two-Year MBA class of 2021 saw their average base salary increase compared to graduates in the class of 2020. US work authorized graduates earned slightly more than the average at $141,379 and non-US work authorized graduates earned slightly less than the average at $133,173.
139,121
AVERAGE BASE SALARY
Class of 2021
141,397
US WORK AUTHORIZED
average base salary
133,173
NON-US WORK AUTHORIZED
average base salary
Salary Data
Interested in how average base salary changes by location, industry, or job function? Take a look below.
Salary by Industry
Over a third of Johnson graduates are employed in the financial services industry which has the second highest average base salary. Almost a third of graduates are employed in consulting, which has the highest average base salary of all industries. The technology industry rounds out the top three with just under one-fifth of the graduating class.
| Industry | Average Base Salary | Median Base Salary | Salary Range | Percent Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial services | $147,396 | $150,000 | $110,000 - $175,000 | 36% |
| Consulting | $148,389 | $155,000 | $82,000 - $170,000 | 27% |
| Technology | $132,084 | $130,000 | $100,000 - $160,000 | 17% |
| Consumer products | $116,667 | $110,000 | $100,000 - $135,000 | 6% |
| Manufacturing | $123,600 | $125,000 | $109,000 - $150,000 | 5% |
| Healthcare | $121,639 | $122,250 | $100,392 - $140,000 | 4% |
| Energy/Utilities | $111,667 | $105,000 | $100,000 - $130,000 | 1% |
| Real estate | $112,333 | $102,000 | $95,000 - $140,000 | 1% |
| Other* | N/A** | N/A | N/A | 3% |
*Other includes: Entertainment/Media, government, human resources, non-profit, and retail
**N/A: less than 3 data points available (necessary to maintain student anonymity)
Salary by US Region
The Northeast region employed half of the Two-Year Johnson graduates with the second highest average base salary. The Southwest region had the highest average base salary, 2 percent more than the Northeast.
| US Region | Average Base Salary | Median Base Salary | Salary Range | Percent Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | $144,098 | $150,000 | $82,000 - $175,000 | 51% |
| West | $132,935 | $131,250 | $95,000 - $160,000 | 13% |
| Midwest | $133,978 | $130,000 | $110,000 - $165,000 | 9% |
| Southwest | $147,647 | $150,000 | $100,000 - $170,000 | 7% |
| Mid-Atlantic | $141,875 | $145,000 | $110,000 - $175,000 | 4% |
| South | $133,750 | $132,000 | $105,000 - $165,000 | 3% |
Average Base Salary by Job Function
Johnson’s strengths in finance and consulting are evidenced with over one-third of the class of 2021 hired into finance/investment banking and almost another third of the class going into consulting.
| Job Function | Average Base Salary | Median Base Salary | Salary Range | Percent Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consulting | $148,052 | $155,000 | $82,000 - $170,000 | 29% |
| Investment Banking | $156,571 | $150,000 | $125,000 - $175,000 | 25% |
| Management | $126,243 | $125,000 | $60,000 - $160,000 | 19% |
| Finance | $125,833 | $125,000 | $102,000 - $150,000 | 12% |
| Marketing | $117,047 | $115,000 | $100,000 - $135,000 | 8% |
| Operations/Logistics | $125,143 | $130,000 | $100,000 - $140,000 | 3% |
| Information/Technology | $113,333 | $115,000 | $100,000 - $125,000 | 2% |
| Other* | $133,556 | $142,000 | $105,224 - $145,000 | 2% |
*Other includes: Engineering, human resources, and legal
A detailed breakdown for the Finance and Investment Banking and Management industries is below:
| Detailed Job Function | Average Base Salary | Median Base Salary | Salary Range | Percent Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finance & Investment Banking | 37% | |||
| Investment Banking | $156,571 | $150,000 | $125,000 - $175,000 | 25% |
| Accounting, Auditing, Corporate Finance | $124,735 | $120,000 | $105,000 - $140,000 | 8% |
| Asset Management | $130,714 | $125,000 | $125,000 - $150,000 | 3% |
| Other Finance | $120,667 | $110,000 | $102,000 - $150,000 | 1% |
| Management | 19% | |||
| General, Rotational/Development Program | $122,204 | $125,000 | $60,000 - $155,000 | 12% |
| Product Management | $136,554 | $134,000 | $113,000 - $160,000 | 6% |
| Project Management | $121,667 | $130,000 | $95,000 - $140,000 | 1% |
Two-Year Class of 2021: Signing Bonus Data
The Two-Year MBA class of 2021 saw their average signing bonus increase by 4 percent compared to graduates in the Class of 2020. Non-US work authorized graduates received a slightly higher than average signing bonus at $43,208 and US work authorized graduates received a slightly lower than average signing bonus at $35,925.
37,684
AVERAGE SIGNING BONUS
reported by the Two-Year MBA class of 2021
4%
INCREASE IN AVERAGE SIGNING BONUS
compared to the class of 2020
35,925
US WORK AUTHORIZED
average signing bonus
43,208
NON-US WORK AUTHORIZED
average signing bonus
Two-Year Class of 2021: Top Hiring Companies
In total, 233 companies recruited Two-Year MBAs for either full-time employment or internships during the 2020–2021 academic year. The list below represents the top 15 companies that hired Two-Year MBA class of 2021 graduates for full-time positions.
