Professional Economists
Training and Education
| Fast Facts* | |
|---|---|
| Recommended Degree Level | Bachelor |
| Salary, Typical | $91,860 |
| Salary Range | |
| Number of Jobs, 2012 | 15,760 |
| Annual Job Growth Rate | 3.6% |
| Job Openings per Year (est.) | 580 |
A master's degree is often required to work in this field. Survey data provided by the government shows that 100% of employees have a bachelor's degree or higher.
Part-Time Work and Self-Employment
Of those working as employees, 3% work fewer than 40 hours per week. Around 7% of professional economists are independent contractors.
Area Job Conditions
On a per capita basis, there are more jobs for professional economists in Washington (District of Columbia), Little Rock (Arkansas), and Tallahassee (Florida), and fewer jobs in St. Louis (Missouri), Santa Ana (California), and Tampa (Florida).
Compensation for workers is the most in Bethesda (Maryland), Washington (District of Columbia), and New York (New York), and the lowest in Fort Worth (Texas), San Diego (California), and Little Rock (Arkansas).
Video Overview
Recaps economist careers. Produced for the US Dept. of Labor.