You can present papers and get exposure this way. Investment banking will the best place for you to start. Its tough but the money is there to be made. If you enjoy the field and have a passion for it, stick to it. It will happen.
Lucrative positions are in investment banking and management consulting.
Most students eventually go on for a PhD from a top 10 school and then enter the private sector to government work. Average starting salaries for MA is between 50k and 60k for PhDs it is between 80k and 90k for the private sector. Business economists in investment banking and working overseas typically make over 100k. The job market right now is tight for economists. If you go on for a PhD try to get into a top 10 school that way you will get picked up by the Lehman Brothers and JP Morgans of the world.