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Job outlook for business advisors in the United States
Business advisor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected business advisor job growth rate is 6% from 2018-2028.
About 189,200 new jobs for business advisors are projected over the next decade.
Business advisor salaries have increased 9% for business advisors in the last 5 years.
There are over 85,299 business advisors currently employed in the United States.
There are 125,154 active business advisor job openings in the US.
The average business advisor salary is $96,469.
Are business advisor jobs in demand?
Business advisor job and salary trends over time
Business advisor jobs over time
Business advisor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 85,299 | 0.03% |
| 2020 | 26,312 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 25,652 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 85,010 | 0.03% |
| 2017 | 80,589 | 0.02% |
Average business advisor salary over time
Business advisor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,469 | $46.38 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | $92,797 | $44.61 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $90,623 | $43.57 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | $89,955 | $43.25 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $88,709 | $42.65 | +1.3% |
Business advisor jobs by state
Most common states for business advisors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 632 | 91% |
| 2 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 610 | 32% |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 342 | 32% |
| 4 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 227 | 30% |
| 5 | Alaska | 739,795 | 223 | 30% |
| 6 | Vermont | 623,657 | 190 | 30% |
| 7 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 304 | 29% |
| 8 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 253 | 29% |
| 9 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 169 | 29% |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 377 | 28% |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,582 | 27% |
| 12 | Delaware | 961,939 | 263 | 27% |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,755 | 26% |
| 14 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 1,568 | 26% |
| 15 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,414 | 25% |
| 16 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 795 | 25% |
| 17 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 760 | 25% |
| 18 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 872 | 24% |
| 19 | Nevada | 2,998,039 | 658 | 22% |
| 20 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 652 | 22% |
Most common cities for business advisors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frankfort | 4 | 14% | $87,386 |
| 2 | Bethesda | 8 | 13% | $93,204 |
| 3 | Schertz | 5 | 13% | $92,978 |
| 4 | Costa Mesa | 4 | 4% | $111,173 |
| 5 | Des Moines | 4 | 2% | $94,225 |
| 6 | San Antonio | 13 | 1% | $92,942 |
| 7 | Phoenix | 10 | 1% | $91,666 |
| 8 | Charlotte | 9 | 1% | $92,432 |
| 9 | Boston | 6 | 1% | $109,661 |
| 10 | Atlanta | 5 | 1% | $88,252 |
| 11 | Detroit | 5 | 1% | $96,878 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 5 | 1% | $94,174 |
| 13 | San Francisco | 5 | 1% | $126,199 |
| 14 | Tampa | 5 | 1% | $81,832 |
| 15 | Colorado Springs | 4 | 1% | $84,928 |
| 16 | Denver | 4 | 1% | $83,871 |
| 17 | Chicago | 5 | 0% | $98,294 |
Business Advisor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of business advisor experts
Lewis-Clark State College
Portland State University
Washington College
Purdue University Northwest
Florida State University
Arizona State University
Westminster College
University of Central Missouri
What skills will help Business Advisors earn the most?
Jenny Scott: -Emotional Intelligence
-Relevant industry experience (expertise)
-Written and oral presentation communication
-Ability to relate and connect . . .the best strategy in the world will live on paper only if the leader is not able to relate to their people (all stakeholder groups) and connect. Leadership involves three key elements: People - Influence - Goals. The most effective leaders are able to ethically influence their followers for the purpose of attaining the organization's mission and goals.
Becky Sanchez
Executive Director of Career & Academic ServicesPortland State University
The School of Business
What soft skills should all Business Advisors possess?
Becky Sanchez: -Conflict resolution
-Interpersonal relationship building
-Team player mentality
-Willingness to jump in and get the work done and focus on living into the company mission
Dr. Michael Harvey
Provost and Dean, John Toll Professor of Business ManagemenWashington College
Business Department
What skills stand out on Business Advisor resumes?
Dr. Michael Harvey: Above all, good Business Developers must have excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills. Their work centers on meeting prospective customers and building relationships with them. Their communication skills, in particular, must include good listening skills so that they can truly understand customer needs.
What soft skills should all Business Advisors possess?
Dr. Michael Harvey: Across the business, the soft skills most in demand are the "3 C's": collaboration, communication, and critical thinking. Employers are especially interested in evidence of projects, experiential learning, and internships, not simply majors and minors.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Business Advisors?
Dr. Michael Harvey: Quantitative skills and computer coding skills, plus any expertise in a specific technical area, like logistics or GIS.
What skills will help Business Advisors earn the most?
Dr. Michael Harvey: Quantitative skills and computer coding skills are in the highest demand and shortest supply-and people who can combine them with strong, soft skills end up going the furthest.
Pat Obi Ph.D.
White Lodging Professor of Finance, Director, Executive MBA ProgramPurdue University Northwest
Finance Department
What soft skills should all Business Advisors possess?
Pat Obi Ph.D.: Communication, negotiation, writing, and professional conduct, especially on virtual platforms.
What skills will help Business Advisors earn the most?
Pat Obi Ph.D.: Data analytics, accounting, risk management, and business analytical skills, especially as they relate to financial data.
C. Darren Brooks Ph.D.
Assistant Department Chair and Executive Director, Center for Human Resource ManagementFlorida State University
Department of Management and the Center for Human Resource Management
What soft skills should all Business Advisors possess?
C. Darren Brooks Ph.D.: While advancements in technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics occupy center stage in many areas of management practice, soft skills continue to be seen as equally or even more important skills for success in the field of management. Soft skills are typically described as personal attributes, qualities, and characteristics that enable us to interact more effectively with others. In most fields of management, our ability to communicate, work with, and interact with other people constitutes a significant portion of the work we do. Consequently, employers are focused on identifying candidates who possess strong skills are areas of communication (verbal, written, and non-verbal), leadership and followership, collaboration, an ability to work in teams, intellectual curiosity, adaptability, conflict management, problem-solving, creativity.
Adegoke Oke Ph.D.
Professor of Supply Chain ManagementArizona State University
W. P. Carey Supply Chain Management
What skills stand out on Business Advisor resumes?
Adegoke Oke Ph.D.: Effective communication, leadership, critical thinking skills. Can you be entrepreneurial in the face of adversity? Demonstrating situations where the candidate has been able to persevere and solve problems in the face of diversity would be very attractive to employers.
What soft skills should all Business Advisors possess?
Adegoke Oke Ph.D.: In general, people skills: leadership, effective communication and negotiation skills, the ability to work effectively with people in different cultures and in a team environment.
What skills will help Business Advisors earn the most?
Adegoke Oke Ph.D.: Imagine the perfect candidate that possesses the combination of all the skills mentioned above. But in truth, some combination of good people skills and appreciation of the digital environment and its impacts will help.
What will help Business Advisors increase their earning potential?
Michael Mamo Ph.D.: Not sure how this relates to the previous themes but I do not believe the quest to increase one's earning potential is a noble goal. As humans we value (or should value) the benefits of enlightenment that come from education and life-long learning. Of course, enlightenment could translate to monetary gains. Enlightenment also comes with a greater sense of fulfilment in life and provides the person with traits of empathy, integrity, and other virtues such as justice and perseverance. Beyond improving ones earningn potential, education is a life-affirming process and that is what I would advise people in my field to aspire for.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Business Advisor job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Dan Jensen: There will be a combination of opportunities and losses across the next 3-5 years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many industries will find it difficult to recover such as hospitality (hotels, restaurants, etc.), entertainment (movie theatres, night clubs, casinos, etc.), manufacturing, and educational services. But many industries and career pathways are opening up because of the use of online technologies. Positions that include remote work that leverage technology will remain and probably increase across time. Supply chain, project management, eCommerce, computer science, data science ("big data"), digital content, and artificial intelligence specialists will continue to increasingly be in demand. The healthcare industry has been in flux because of increasing costs but will emerge on the other side of the pandemic with opportunities for nurses, healthcare support staff, and related technologies (e.g., the "electronic healthcare record"). Irrespective of the pandemic, careers in sales or customer relationship management (CRM) will continue to be a popular launching point for recent college graduates.
The recruitment/hiring process is likely to become much longer than in the past and will rely on virtual interviews instead of face-to-face. With a high unemployment rate, it will be more difficult for younger, less experienced candidates to get hired. This is not great news for recent college graduates, but all is not lost.
Networking has always been the number one way that people find work opportunities. The skill is more important than ever. My recommended approach is to: identify a list of companies where you would like to work; research job postings within the company (and apply!) while simultaneously identifying contacts at the company (LinkedIn is a great tool to do this); then reaching out to contacts by using your existing network for an introduction (identify someone you know is already connected to the person you want to meet and ask them to forward a letter of introduction on your behalf). This leads to an "informational interview" (not a job interview); a chance to speak with someone about the company and its culture.