One popular reason to go back to school and earn an MBA is to improve your chance of upward mobility and to earn a higher salary. Some companies may automatically position employees with masters degrees at a base salary level that is higher than those with undergraduate degrees, despite their experience. Other employers may increase your salary over time if you have an MBA, depending on your increased marketability and how much they value your new specialization. Even though online MBA programs aren’t always as well-received as MBAs from more traditional schools, online schools and programs are becoming more main stream and are enjoying a better reputation in the business field.

To ensure that your online MBA program is well-received at your place of employment or in any future job your take, you must first verify the school’s accreditation. Fully online schools need to be accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), and traditional schools with online programs should be accredited by one of the six regional accreditation agencies. Also look for any professional or special programmatic accrediting agencies, like the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. If you are extremely concerned about your employer rejecting your online MBA, consider asking him or her to look into a tuition reimbursement program from a well-known school that offers an online degree. You can present the research and accreditation information to your employer, and even if they do not decide to reimburse your tuition, they will have a better understanding of online education. Another way to evaluate your company’s appreciation of an online MBA is to find out the education level of the managers and top executives at your company. If no one has needed a graduate degree to get to their high positions, they may not value your MBA as much as you’d like. If, on the other hand, senior managers and executives all have MBAs, then they will be much more receptive to inquiries about pay raises if you also decide to get an MBA.

Your salary potential varies greatly according to your company’s regional location, size, industry, and overall success. Generally, having an MBA will help you progress to a higher salary range, but you will need to be proactive about asking about pay raises, putting in extra hours, and demonstrating the theoretical and practical skills you acquired during your MBA program. If you cannot display any extra worth, dedication or contributions to your company after earning an online MBA, then senior managers will not be able to see the value in your higher degree.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publicizes its projections for job growth and salary information for many types of management positions. The median range for marketing, communications and public relations managers settled between $73,060 and $98,720, depending on the exact specialty. Computer and information systems managers earned between $79,240 and $129,250, and managers of medical and health services departments earned between $57,240 and $94,780. Not all of these professionals necessarily have MBAs, but a masters degree certainly helps your ability to get promoted and reach a higher salary level. MBAs can also put responsible, ethical professionals on the road to even more leadership opportunities, and they may eventually become top executives. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that general managers and operations managers earned between $58,230 and $128,580 in May 2006, and the median salary for chief executives was over $145,000 during the same time.