20+ BEST Jobs for Math Majors (Mar 2023 Update)

There are many skills that you gain throughout your educational journey. One such skill is knowledge of mathematical sums, calculations, and equations. In your math learning, you understand how to prove/disprove mathematical concepts and how to extract real-world meaning from confusing and complex numbers.

Your interest in math may have started as your hobby. However, it is possible to make your love of mathematics into a lucrative career option with the right skills and efforts. As a math major, you would have decided to pursue math’s as your academic focus. But, before you take your career-oriented course, it is important to know which career path options or jobs are best for math majors.

Here are some of the best suitable jobs for math majors with their descriptions and salary details:

1) Actuary

Actuaries are the math professionals who work with numbers and statistics, primarily in the financial and insurance industries and occasionally for professional and technical companies or even the government. They analyze economic data to help businesses make the right financial decisions.

These finance graduates with strong mathematical skills help organizations to calculate the likelihood of various events. They also allow an organization to assess the impact of economic effects on those outcomes.

Average Salary: $90,664 annually.

2) Statistician

In this job, you will collect and analyze data to solve practical and real-world problems, whether in agriculture, business, or another field. Some entry level job positions are also available for students with a bachelor’s degree in this mathematical job field.

Average Salary: $96,509 per year.

3) Mathematician

Mathematician is certainly one of the most obvious career choices for anyone with a good understanding and education in math. This job brings responsibilities that include developing mathematical rules, deciding what data is required for specific questions, and applying various mathematical theories to different areas such as science and engineering.

Average Salary: $161,900 per year.

4) Economist

Economists evaluate economic issues related to the production and distribution of raw materials, goods, and services. They analyze and show their findings to government agencies, corporations, and academic research organizations.

Economists’ job is to help public and private groups to forecast important aspects of their operations like job availability in specific sectors, labor shortages, the impact of the pandemic, natural resource scarcity, etc.

Average Salary: $107,611 per year.

5) Operations Research Analyst

In this job role, you will use your advanced mathematical and analytical skills to organize, investigate issues, identify and solve problems, and make the right and better decisions.

You will also identify problems, create mathematical equations to solve them and use the information to inform policymakers and business leaders. You will help firms evaluate records, data, customer reviews, and management insights.

Average Salary: $81,390 per year.

Education: Bachelor’s degree required and generally no work experience or on-the-job training. You need a four-year math degree for this career.

6) Data Scientist

Data Scientists are among the most in-demand mathematical professionals today. Many organizations invest heavily in big data, which is important to create consumer-centric solutions and enhance product/service performance. Moreover, many companies hire data scientists to make more data-driven business decisions.

Education: Bachelor’s degree – B.E. / BTech (without coding experience).

Skills:

• An understanding of consumer psychology.
• Ability to work with complex formulas.
• Skilled at programming languages.

Average Salary: $120,173 per year.

7) Accountant

An accountant professional is responsible for checking and ensuring an individual or company’s tax information, whether it is accurate and done properly or not. Accountants are busy during the tax filing season. Accountants sometimes need to work like mathematicians. It is one of the best careers for math lovers, which demands lots of calculations.

Average Salary: $71,550 per year.

8) Math Professor

A University or College professor is one of the best careers for math majors. These professionals teach students calculus, statistics, number theories, and differential equations. They also write a syllabus, present lectures, design tests, assignments and assess student learning through exams.

Apart from teaching in classes, math professors often research their specialties. Math professors also supervise graduate and undergraduate students, serve on academic committees, and attend professional universities and colleges.

Average Salary: $55,569 per year.

9) Financial Analyst

Financial analysts’ job is to look after company finances, poring over data, and supporting financial management decisions. Their job also involves evaluating possible outcomes of business and investment recommendations.

Generally, they are hired in junior and senior positions in banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions. Apart from the basic financial literacy and accounting skills, these professionals should also have critical thinking and communication skills.

Average Salary: $127,990 per year.

10) Market Research Analyst

A market research analyst job requires performing market analysis with the help of advanced methods and mathematics. They also monitor the market, forecast sales, analyze trends, and help you measure the effectiveness of marketing programs.

This math degree job demands a bachelor’s degree in most cases. On-the-job training or previous experience is rarely a requirement for advanced roles. In this decade, we are most likely to see career job growth of 23%, which means it’s one of the best jobs for math majors.

Average Salary: $63,790 per year.

11) Cryptographer

A cryptographer is a professional who uses math and computer science to encrypt and decrypt data. They are most likely to work in financial and government agencies to protect sensitive information. Since hackers are constantly finding new methods and techniques to breach data security, cryptographers must think on their feet and develop new ways to protect the data.

Average Salary: $145,356 per year.

Education Required: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

12) Physicist

A physicist is a highly advanced and educated professional studying how the universe works, including how matter and energy interact with each other. From the nature of time to the behavior of electrons, these job professionals use complex mathematics to design and test different theories.

To become a physicist, you should have doctorate-level education for this career. This job career offers one of the best salaries for people who have great math skills.

Average Salary: $117,220 per year.

13) Cost Estimator

Cost estimators calculate how much a potential project will cost, how long it will take to finish, and what resources will be required to complete the project.

In this job profile, you need to study blueprints or talk with architects, engineers, and other contractors that help you to gather the production data you need for your estimates. You might also be expected to recommend finding out ways to keep costs down.

Average Salary: $65,250 per year.

14) Budget Analyst

Budget analysts help public and private institutions like government agencies and universities organize their finances. Budget analysts are also responsible for ensuring that budget proposals are accurate and compliant with laws and regulations.

However, this job role is technical and business, which makes the work engaging, and it also means your skills will be in demand.

Average Salary: $76,540 per year.

15) Programmer Analyst

Programmer analysts write and test code, computer applications, and software program codes. These IT professionals update and expand existing programs, check programs for errors, and help you fix errors from code lines. They are also well-versed in various computer languages, including C++, Java, and Python. This job requires a background in various math topics.

Average Salary: $84,280 per year.

16) Investment Analyst

An investment analyst is a professional who needs to research investment opportunities and past market data. This professional also develops financial models, creates reports on insights, and recommends stocks, bonds, or other investment opportunities to clients, organizations, or corporations.

Investment analysts are specialized in producing research that improves a sales pitch for certain investment options. Moreover, they research and recommend opportunities to their employer’s financial team to buy or sell investments when opportune.

Average Salary: $96,220 per year.

17) Aerospace Engineer

An Aerospace engineer designs aircraft like airplanes, helicopters, and missiles for air travel, cargo shipping, military purposes, and emergency services. These professionals are also responsible for assessing each aircraft project’s goals, drawing manufacturing blueprints and creating prototypes, and making improvements during the manufacturing process.

Average Salary: $101,659 per year.

18) Software Engineer

Software engineers research, design, create and test OS-level software programs for virtually every industry and sector of the computer programming market. This job for math degree majors also requires applying principles and techniques of computer science, engineering, and mathematical analysis.

Salary Range: $56,310 per year.

19) Database Administrator

Database administrators are among the most important members of any corporate team. These job professionals design and build databases for customer information, organizational data, financial information, and other organization needs to function. These professionals are also responsible for protecting the information and ensuring it is useful and accessible when needed.

Average Salary: $92,734 per year.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information science.

20) Data Analyst

A data analyst‘s duties include interpreting and analyzing data, using statistical techniques, creating reports, developing databases, optimizing for quality and efficiency, acquiring data from different data sources, analyzing trends and patterns, working with management, and locating process improvement opportunities.

Average Salary: $67,472 per year

Education requirements: A Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Information Management, Statistics, or another math-related field.

21) Insurance Underwriter

Insurance companies measure statistical probability and costs of coverage. However, this math degree job involves many numbers and figures, making it a great career for people who understand mathematics.

Insurance underwriters determine how much premium an insured individual needs to pay, the amounts included in the coverage and the T&C that shall apply for a specific policy.

Average Salary: $70,000 per year.

Education: Bachelor’s degree.

22) Financial Planner

A financial planner helps people manage their investments and helps them meet their financial goals. It is a rewarding way to put your mathematical knowledge into action. They help clients to set up their funds for retirement, investments, etc.

You should have great communication skills in this field. Moreover, you must establish trust with your clients. When you have at least three years of work experience, you can become a Certified Financial Planner to enhance your career.

Average Salary: $87,850 per year.

23) Computer Scientist

A computer scientist’s job duties include developing algorithms, creating computing languages, testing computer systems and designs, preparing computer models and theories, improving computing performance, engaging with clients or the scientific community, and increasing computer software/hardware efficiency.

Education requirements: This math major’s degree job requires at least a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field. However, some advanced positions demand a master’s degree.

Average Salary: $101,781 per year.

24) Tax Consultant

The tax consultant prepares tax documents and payments, estimates and tracks tax returns, completes tax reports, recommends tax strategies, prepares paperwork, collaborates with the accounting department, identifies tax savings, etc.  These professionals also need to follow industry trends and forecast for tax predictions.

Education requirements: A Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance is required.

25) Mathematical Modeler

Mathematical modelers design models to describe processes of devices and objects to solve complex problems associated with those devices and objects.

Education requirements:

Working as a mathematical modeler, a Ph.D. in mathematics, or applied mathematics. However, in some cases, a master’s degree and experience in the field may be sufficient.

Average Salary: $148,000 per year.

26) Algorithm Engineer

An algorithm engineer’s duties include developing algorithm solutions, recording algorithm operations, managing the design and development of algorithms, researching algorithmic improvements, communicating with clients and management, experimenting with algorithms, etc.

Education requirements: Algorithm engineers must obtain at least a bachelor’s degree in an area such as computer science or mathematics.

Average Salary: $124,484 per year.

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