Business Degree Salary: "The Office" Reveals its HR Files

How much would each character on NBC's hit TV show earn in real life?

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Ever wonder just how much Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company's "World Greatest Boss" Michael Scott actually makes? Or whether Assistant to the Regional Manager, Dwight Schrute's salary is enough to make up for having all of his office supplies consistently frozen in Jell-O?

Though the absurdly ridiculous—and often ridiculously inappropriate—antics of Steve Carell's character, Michael Scott, seem a little over the top for your conventional office, his position of Regional Manager is a very real and significant one in the business world. That position, in fact, can mean an almost six-figure salary. With some help from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' actual data and our resource center information, we came up with a list of what each of the characters on "The Office" might make in real life and what degrees they may have earned to land their positions.

Michael Scott (Steve Carell)

Title: Regional Manager
Salary: $84,220
Business Degree: Michael likely has a bachelor's in business and could even have an MBA, though by his actions in the office, it appears he didn't learn much about political correctness or appropriate office etiquette in any of his management courses.

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Jan Levinson (Melora Hardin)

Title: Corporate Executive
Salary: $99,670, including stock options, dividends and other performance bonuses
Business Degree: With Jan's high rank, she probably has a bachelor's in business administration and an MBA.

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Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein)

Title: Human Resources Director
Salary: $66,530
Business Degree: It is likely that Toby has a specialized degree in human resources administration or human resources management.

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Angela Martin (Angela Kinsley)

Title: Head of Accounting Department
Salary: $50,770
Business Degree: Angela would have to have at least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field.

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Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Title: Assistant Regional Manager
Salary: $50,200
Business Degree: After transfering to the Stamford branch, Jim was promoted from his sales job to Assistant Regional Manager. His initial education probably centered around sales, meaning that in addition to his bachelor's degree, Jim likely attended seminars in sales techniques or took courses in marketing, economics, or communication. Jim then used his work experience to earn the big promotion.

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Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)

Title: Assistant to the Regional Manager
Salary: $48,400, including commission
Business Degree: As the Assistant to the Regional Manager (note: not the same as Jim's job), Dwight probably has a bachelor's degree in business and, considering his competitive nature, may also have a graduate certificate in business.

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Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)

Title: Office Manager / Administrative Assistant
Salary: $34,970
Business Degree: To be qualified for her position, Pam might have a diploma or associates in office administration.

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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2004, Official NBC "The Office" site. Photos © NBC Universal