As the U.S. continues to spread its global reach, Georgia state government agencies like the Atlanta Office of International Affairs and nonprofits like the Atlanta Council on International Relations work to further the development of business relationships by forming strong ties with foreign governments and international trade partners.
The outreach work of these organizations — often focused on security, diplomacy, and cultural exchange — will in turn allow Georgia’s businesses community to establish strong ties with oversees suppliers and gain access to foreign markets. In 2014 alone, the total value of international exports from Georgia was $39 billion. Global companies play a crucial role in Georgia’s economy, in-sourcing over 196,000 jobs and writing paychecks to nearly 6% percent of Georgia’s private-sector workforce, according to Organization for International Investment. Among these are high-paying jobs for international business professionals, who routinely earn six-figure salaries for their international business acumen.
Among the top export commodities listed by the US Census Bureau for 2014 were civilian aircraft engines and parts; in fact, Georgia’s export of aircraft parts to China alone has lead to record years of trade for the state, up 3.7% over 2011, according to a Northwestern University publication on state trade. These figures have a significant impact on the health of the state’s economy as major foreign and domestic corporations hire key individuals to maintain these important international connections.
Salaries for International Business Professionals in Georgia
With the state of Georgia now housing seventeen Fortune 500 and over 100 Fortune 1000 companies, including H.D. Holding Supplies, Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, and United Parcel, international business continues to expand. Careers in the international business sector vary widely as each company’s needs differ. A composite of salary offers for jobs involved in international trade and commerce from 2015 job vacancy announcements revealed the following:
- Public Relations: $54,940
- Director of Strategic Planning: $118,640
- International Sales and Marketing: $78,005
- Internal Auditor: $52,349
- Information Technology Specialist: $51,962
- Consultant: $85,905
For companies with wide global reach, such as Sony Ericsson Inc. headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the median salary for Director of Operations is $166K (from a job vacancy announcement in May 2015).
The table below shows additional salary information for international business professionals in Georgia (US Department of Labor, 2014):
Salaries for International Relations Professionals in Georgia
For Georgia’s businesses to thrive in foreign countries, good relations with trade partners are key. There are many government and non-profit organizations that work to pave the way for liaisons to develop, as well as those that offer humanitarian aide, building goodwill and strengthening ties outside U.S. borders.
An aggregation of salary data shown in job postings from 2015 revealed the following salaries for international relations professionals in Georgia:
- Associate Director, Regional Programs: $56,603
- Director of Development: $58,308
- Events Manager: $45,795
- Regional Finance Manager: $83,908
For detailed information on international relations salaries in Georgia, see the table below (US Department of Labor, 2014):