Colorado’s contribution to international commerce continues to make the state a national economic frontrunner. In an August 2014 article published in Business Insider, Colorado ranked as the #1 fastest growing state economy in the nation. The article cited Colorado’s 3.8% growth in GDP in 2013 as a major reason for this coveted ranking. Since global trade continues to contribute to the state’s rising prominence on the global stage, more than ever professionals working in the fields of international business and relations have greater access to high-paying positions here.
In fact, the US Department of Commerce reported that 709,826 jobs in Colorado were linked to international trade as of 2013. This accounted for one in every five jobs.
In that year, international business professions helped Colorado export $22.7 billion in goods and services worldwide, thanks in large part to the international relations specialists that paved the way for strong trade relations.
Colorado’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) is the premiere source of global trade data throughout the state. The OEDIT found that international exports from Colorado increased by 45% between 2009 and 2013.
By the end of 2013, the state’s top industry exports included: optical, medical and surgical instruments, meat, computer and electronic machinery, and industrial machinery. Colorado’s major foreign trade partners that year were Canada, Mexico, China, Japan, and South Korea.
International relations specialists working with global nonprofit development organizations like Water for People in Denver and worldwide religious groups such as the Association of Christian Schools International in Colorado Springs help to establish diplomatic relationships with other countries that make trade possible.
International Business Salaries in Colorado
Salary information collected by the United States Department of Labor revealed that international business professionals come from a wide-range of occupational backgrounds. In 2013, this federal agency released the median salaries of some international business professions operating in Colorado:
- Industrial Production Managers: $97,100
- Purchasing Managers: $122,600
- Transportation Storage and Distribution Managers: $95,100
- Compliance Officers: $65,700
- Logisticians: $74,100
- Management Analysts: $80,500
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists: $67,000
The following occupational wage table shows a more extensive analysis of international business salaries in Colorado:
International Relations Salaries in Colorado
In 2013, the United States Department of Labor conducted salary surveys to determine the annual median pay associated with several jobs associated with international relations. These findings confirmed that in Colorado, international relation salaries were largely dependent on a worker’s chosen career path:
- Fundraisers: $55,200
- Economists: $87,000
- Urban and Regional Planners: $70,900
- Political Science Teachers Postsecondary: $64,300
- Foreign Language and Literature Teachers Postsecondary: $46,100
- Area, Ethnic and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary: $42,000
- Interpreters and Translators: $48,100
The following occupational wage table shows a more extensive analysis of international relations salaries in Colorado: