MBA Job Trends 2011-2012

 Before you apply to an MBA program, it's a good idea to learn about MBA job trends, so you have an idea of the demand for MBAs in your field. Want to know which countries have the highest percentage of MBA hires, or what types of companies have had the largest increases of MBA hires? Check out this data from the 2011/12 QS Jobs & Salaries Trends Report.

• The region with the biggest increase in MBA hires in 2011-12 is the Asia-Pacific region at 19%. The previous year, however, the percentage increase in MBA jobs was even bigger (43%).

• In 2010-11, Latin America had the highest percentage increase in MBA hires at 47%.

• The country with the highest demand for MBA hires in 2011 wasn't the United States, but India which held a 26% share of the MBA job market. The US came in second with a 15% share, followed by Mexico at 5%.

• In India, employer demand for MBAs rose 53% in 2011. Most Indian companies focus on hiring locally-educated MBAs from business schools such as the IIMs and the Indian School of Business.

• Tech jobs for MBAs increased by 34% in 2011, largely due to the Asian tech boom.

• The demand for MBA hires in the consulting industry increased by 28% in 2011.

• In the financial services industry, the demand for MBA hires rose 27% in 2011.

• In terms of job experience, the majority of MBA employers preferred candidates with 3-5 years of experience in both 2010 and 2011.

• The three most important skills for MBA hires, as identified by MBA employers surveyed in 2011, are: interpersonal skills, communication skills, and leadership skills.

• The average North American MBA salary in 2011 was $87,200 -- a $500 decrease from the previous year.

• The region with the highest MBA salary is Western Europe, where MBAs were paid an average yearly salary of $93,400 in 2011.

• Graduates of the Stanford Graduate School of Business had the highest average salaries in 2010 at $118,783. Other than Stanford, the business schools with the top five average salaries were all in the Ivy League: Harvard Business School ($112,500), Wharton ($110,000), Tuck ($105,118) and Columbia ($106,000).