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E-Commerce

Types of Degrees E-Commerce Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing E-Commerce can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	25
Associate’s Degree	21
Bachelor’s Degree	217
Master’s Degree	204

What E-Commerce Majors Need to Know

Programs in E-Commerce build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that E-Commerce graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in E-Commerce emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administration and Management — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a E-Commerce program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to E-Commerce careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, E-Commerce graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.8 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	3.8 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by E-Commerce professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for E-Commerce graduates include:

• Front End Manager
• Food Checkers and Cashiers Supervisor
• Stock Supervisor
• Bookkeepers Supervisor
• Banking Supervisor
• Magazine Supervisor
• Central Supply Technician Supervisor
• Airline Ticket Sales and Reservations Supervisor
• Central Office Operator Supervisor
• Payroll Supervisor
• Call Center Manager
• Stock Control Supervisor
• Steno Pool Supervisor
• Medical Billing Supervisor
• Coding Clerks Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to E-Commerce graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	41.9%
High school diploma or equivalent	20.8%
Some college courses	12.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.5%
Master’s degree	7.2%
Postsecondary certificate	5.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.2%
Less than a high school diploma	2.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in E-Commerce?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.4% of E-Commerce degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	282	60.4%
Men	185	39.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of E-Commerce graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	192	41.1%
Asian	25	5.4%
Hispanic or Latino	57	12.2%
Black or African American	66	14.1%
Two or More Races	10	2.1%
Race Unknown	11	2.4%
International Students	106	22.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do E-Commerce Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of E-Commerce graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$62,537
4 years	$63,883
5 years	$71,749

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $71,749 — roughly 15% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online E-Commerce Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for E-Commerce. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	1
Bachelor’s	4	3
Master’s	5	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in E-Commerce Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, E-Commerce graduates earn a median of $63,883 four years after completion — roughly 68% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Business Administration, Management and Operations	52.02
Business Administration and Management, General	52.0201
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other	52.0299
Customer Service Management	52.0207
Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management	52.0203
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management	52.0206
Office Management and Supervision	52.0204
Operations Management and Supervision	52.0205
Organizational Leadership	52.0213
Project Management	52.0211
Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management	52.0202
Research Administration	52.0214

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.