Overview: Companies + Roles
Retail
Retail attracts candidates seeking to make a real-world impact and drive innovation. MIT Sloan graduates offer a unique value proposition to companies that leverage technology as a core function of their business model.
Three popular career paths for MIT Sloan graduates in this industry include:
- Product Managers
- Marketing Managers
- Brand Managers
Operations-focused graduates may find opportunities as global sourcing or supply chain managers. Sloanies on quantitative career paths take roles as financial analysts and data analysts.
Consumer Package Goods (CPG)
CPG is a popular option for students pursuing marketing career paths. Candidates often pursue food and beverage companies, and also find opportunities with health/wellness companies.
Graduates usually start as:
- Assistant or Associate Brand Managers
- Product Managers
- Marketing Manager
Candidates with strong quantitative and technical backgrounds may target financial analyst and data analysts positions, and a variety of roles involving digitization of supply chain and marketing.
Sample Roles
- Product Manager – Oversee the entire product lifecycle, from ideation to launch and beyond.
- Category Manager – Focus on a specific category of goods or services purchased by a company and are engaged in planning, supplier management, and performance.
- Marketing Manager – Develop and implement marketing strategies to promote products and services, driving business growth.
- Mobile Marketing Manager – Develop and execute strategies to promote products and services to consumers on their mobile devices, focusing on engagement, retention, and revenue growth through mobile channels.
- Brand Manager – Develop and maintain a brand’s identity and strategy, ensuring alignment with consumer trends and business goals.
- Global Sourcing Manager – Oversee global procurement to optimize cost, quality, and supply chain efficiency; builds and maintains relationships with international suppliers.
- Supply Chain Manager – Manage the flow of goods from suppliers to retailers, ensuring efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
- Operations Manager – Oversee daily operations for retail, manufacturing, or distribution centers.
- Customer Experience Manager – Ensure customer experience drives satisfaction and loyalty.
Companies to Explore
Retail
Best Buy | Corporate Jobs
CVS Health | Corporate Jobs | Tech/Data Jobs
Gap | Jobs
H-E-B Grocery | Corporate Jobs
Target | Corporate Jobs
Urban Outfitters | Home Office Jobs
Walmart | Corporate Jobs
WayFair | Jobs
Luxury/Beauty
Chanel | Jobs
Estée Lauder Companies | Jobs
Louis Vuitton | Jobs
Sporting Goods + Toys
Dick’s Sporting Goods | Corporate Jobs
Mattel | Jobs
New Balance | Jobs
Nike | Jobs
Patagonia | Jobs
Topgolf Callaway Brands |Jobs
YETI | Jobs
Restaurants + Meal Kits
Restaurant Brands International | Jobs
GoTo Foods (portfolio includes Cinnabon) | Jobs
HelloFresh | Jobs
Farmer’s Fridge | Jobs
Consumer Package Goods
Food/Nutrition
General Mills | Jobs
The Hershey Company | Jobs
The Kraft Heinz Company | Jobs
Mars | Jobs
Mondelez International | Jobs
Nestlé | Jobs
Ocean Spray | Jobs
Premier Nutrition | Jobs
Beverages
Anheuser-Busch InBev | Jobs
Bevi | Jobs
Ocean Spray | Jobs
PepsiCo | Jobs
Talking Rain Beverage Company | Jobs
Health
Bayer | Jobs
Johnson & Johnson | Jobs
Procter & Gamble | Jobs
Unilever | Jobs
Paper Products
Kimberly-Clark | Jobs
Industry Hiring Trends
Click the link to view the complete Industry Hiring Trends.
Percent of Class Accepting Opportunities in CPG Retail
CPG/Retail Offers Accepted by Years of Experience
Top Locations of Accepted US Offers
Boston
NYC
Miami
Houston
Chicago
Los Angeles
San Diego
Salary Summary
| Mean Base Salary | Median Base Salary | 25th-75th Percentile | |
| 2024 | $146,500 | $153,500 | $132,750-$159,250 |
| 2023 | $146,688 | $146,250 | $137,500-$156,500 |
| 2022 | $140,100 | $141,000 | $95,200(low)-$185,000(high) |
| 3-Year Summary | $145,979 | $145,00 | $105,000-$157,500 |
Featured Companies
Anheuser-Busch InBev
Bevi
DICK’S Sporting Goods
Estée Lauder Companies
H-E-B Grocery
The Hershey Company
The Kraft Heinz Company
Mars
Nike
New Balance
HelloFresh
Prodek
Restaurant Brands International
Target
Topgolf Callaway Brands
Urban Outfitters
Wayfair
YETI
Sample Job Titles
Consultant
Data Analyst
Decision Scientist
Machine Learning Scientist
Senior Data Analyst
Salary Summary
| Mean Salary | Median Salary | Range (Low-High) | |
| 2024 | $126,438 | $125,000 | $90,000-$181,500 |
| 2023 | $124,667 | $124,000 | $120,000-$130,000 |
Featured Companies
Amazon
Artsy
Cirkul
Cognira
CVS Health
HelloFresh
Nike
Nordstrom
RetSci
Restaurant Brands International
REVOLVE
Talking Rain Beverage Company
Unilever
Walmart
Wayfair
Industry Research Resources
McKinsey – Retail Insights
- Sporting Goods 2025: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity
- Eight Tech-Forward Imperatives for Consumer CTOs in 2025
- How Beauty Players Can Scale Gen AI in 2025
Podcasts: McKinsey Consumer + Retail Podcasts
Job Search Tools
Job Boards
Interview Preparation
- Big Interview – Practice your interviewing skills and get AI feedback to improve your score with mock interviews tailored to your specific major or area of interest.
Contacts + Connections
- Employment Directories – Search by company + industry
- Career Central – Company contacts
- Alumni Directories
Clubs + Courses
Retail & Consumer Goods Club
Join events and treks to learn more about the industry and prepare for recruiting.
Cultivate and practice skills to drive real change in CPG/Retail. Join the cohort to learn from world-renowned sustainability faculty and join a 650+ strong alumni network.
Action Learning:
Sustainable Business Lab (S-Lab) (15.878)
Translate sustainability challenges into future business opportunities, applying lessons learned in the classroom to host-organization projects that bring results and advance sustainability.
Industry + Career Advice
MIT Sloan Industry Advisors
Click to see career advisors and coaches for your academic program:
MBA/LGO/MSMS | MFin
MBAn | SFMBA | EMBA
MIT Alumni Advisors Hub
Connect with MIT alumni who have volunteered to be your thought partner. Search by industry and the type of support you are seeking.
