Careers for Mathematics Majors
As a math major, you'll develop the analytical and quantitative skills needed to succeed in today's data-driven world.
What can I do with my mathematics degree?
Mathematics opens the doors to many promising career paths. Five of the top ten best jobs ranked by CareerCast in 2019 were Mathematicians: Data Scientist was #1, Statistician #2, Mathematician #8, Operations Research Analyst #9, and Actuary #10. We offer concentrations in all of these fields! These jobs were ranked highly based on four factors:
- Environment
- Income
- Outlook
- Stress
A study by PayScale shows that the top 15 highest-earning college degrees have a common element: mathematics. Not only do many professions and majors (engineering, doctors, physics, nurses, computer science, actuarial science, etc.) require courses in mathematics, but the analytical and problem-solving skills students learn in mathematics can apply to all disciplines and careers.
By nature, Liberal Arts majors make great employees in any field because of their ability to communicate effectively, think critically and solve complex problems. These timeless skills make them attractive to employers in all walks of society. Specifically though, Math majors often pursue careers as:
- Cryptanalyst - Developing encryption for cybersecurity for the Department of Defense.
- Data scientist - Analyzing data to make predictive decisions for a retailer.
- Operations Research Analyst - Optimally determining which aircraft an airline should purchase.
- Teacher - Teaching math in grades 7-12.
- Actuary - Evaluating risk and helping companies make decisions.
When the Math major is matched with complementary majors or minors and thoughtful internships, new possibilities arise. A few examples are:
- Math + Biology = Biomathematician: Modeling biological processes for a Biotech company.
- Math + Graphic Design = Animator: Making realistic graphics for a movie.
- Math + Forensics = Forensics Analyst: Solving crimes for the FBI.
- Math + Geology = Hydrologist: Solving problems related to water quantity, quality, and availability for the U.S. Geological Survey.
- Math + English = Technical writer: Writing documents for industries that need writers fluent with numbers and calculations.