Economists
Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods.
- Median pay
- $124,720
- Doing it now
- 18,600
- By 2035
- Up 4.7%
- Usually needs
- Master's degree
a year
across the country
1,100 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
- Provide advice and consultation on economic relationships to businesses, public and private agencies, and other employers.
- Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
- Formulate recommendations, policies, or plans to solve economic problems or to interpret markets.
- Develop economic guidelines and standards, and prepare points of view used in forecasting trends and formulating economic policy.
- Testify at regulatory or legislative hearings concerning the estimated effects of changes in legislation or public policy, and present recommendations based on cost-benefit analyses.
- Supervise research projects and students' study projects.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Political Science and GovernmentSee 1,130 colleges that teach it
- EconomicsSee 807 colleges that teach it
- Applied MathematicsSee 313 colleges that teach it
- Business/Managerial EconomicsSee 266 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Organised and precise
Leading and persuading
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $124,720 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.