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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 salary (BLS)

$124,720

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$67k – $238k

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports one wage for this occupational group, which covers 2 related roles — so read the median as an approximate group figure, and the range as the truer picture for this specific title. BLS source.

Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $119,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.

Plan a path to Economists

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: Master's degree

Plan my path to this →

Typical progression

  1. Economists Intern

    Internship

    $36,000

    ~4 mos to advance

  2. Junior Economists

    Entry / Junior

    $67,360

    ~2 yrs to advance

  3. Economists

    Established

    $124,720

    ~3 yrs to advance

  4. Senior Economists

    Senior

    $181,390

Internships are a common on-ramp here — they speed up landing that first role and improve your odds, which is why the Safe and High-ceiling plans build one in.

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
  • •Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
  • •Study the socioeconomic impacts of new public policies, such as proposed legislation, taxes, services, and regulations.
  • •Explain economic impact of policies to the public.
  • •Review documents written by others.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Science

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.