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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 pay
- $115,440
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- +1.2%
- Stable
- Typical entry
- Master's degree
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Active Learning
What they do
- 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.
- Provide advice and consultation on economic relationships to businesses, public and private agencies, and other employers.
- Formulate recommendations, policies, or plans to solve economic problems or to interpret markets.
- Supervise research projects and students' study projects.
- Conduct research on economic issues, and disseminate research findings through technical reports or scientific articles in journals.
- Develop economic guidelines and standards, and prepare points of view used in forecasting trends and formulating economic policy.
Majors that lead here
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.