Professional Economists: Job, Salary, and School Information from The Riley Guide

Job Numbers and Growth

Across the US there are 15,000 professional economists. This occupation has an unemployment level that is low.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Employees may end up working less than full time; 3% of those in the career did so in 2008. 7% of the time professional economists are self employed.

Training and Education

Finding jobs is easier for workers with a master's degree. Recent government surveys (2008) show that 100% of employees have received at least a 4 year degree. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which, if any, could help you with this career.

Area Job Conditions

The fewest jobs (per capita) are found in St. Louis (Missouri), Santa Ana (California), and Tampa (Florida), and the most jobs are found in Washington (District of Columbia), Little Rock (Arkansas), and Tallahassee (Florida).

The earnings potential (not adjusted for cost of living) is highest in Bethesda (Maryland), Washington (District of Columbia), and New York (New York). However, the potential is lowest in Fort Worth (Texas), San Diego (California), and Little Rock (Arkansas).

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Professional Economists: Job and Salary Data by Metropolitan Area

The table below shows data for Professional Economists, as of 2008. The Popularity in Area number tells you how common jobs for Professional Economists are in the area, compared to other US metro areas. A value of 1.0 means an average number of people in the position for area population. Lower numbers mean fewer of these positions in the metro area. The most popular areas for Professional Economists are starred .

State	Area	Positions	Typical Pay	Popularity in Area
Arizona	Phoenix	100	$76,950	0.6
Arkansas	Little Rock	360	$45,210	12.3
California	Oakland	80	$116,850	0.9
California	Riverside	140	$94,700	1.2
California	Sacramento	90	$70,500	1.2
California	San Diego	80	$63,630	0.7
California	San Francisco	130	$104,280	1.5
California	Santa Ana	40	$74,610	0.3
Colorado	Denver	50	$81,400	0.5
Connecticut	Bridgeport	40	$100,390	1.1
Connecticut	Hartford	110	$80,480	2.2
Delaware	Wilmington	50		1.8
District of Columbia	Washington	4,510	$109,730	22.2
Florida	Tallahassee	50	$65,560	3.7
Florida	Tampa	30		0.3
Georgia	Atlanta	190	$83,260	0.9
Hawaii	Honolulu	30	$64,080	0.8
Illinois	Chicago	380	$100,840	1.1
Kentucky	Louisville	40	$68,740	0.7
Maryland	Baltimore	60		0.5
Maryland	Bethesda	160	$114,380	3.2
Massachusetts	Boston	430	$79,090	2.8
Minnesota	Minneapolis	210	$63,640	1.3
Missouri	Kansas City	100	$82,450	1.1
Missouri	St Louis	50	$99,230	0.4
New York	Albany	100	$81,760	2.6
New York	New York	260	$117,200	0.6
North Carolina	Charlotte	110	$80,850	1.4
North Carolina	Durham	80	$75,140	3.4
North Carolina	Raleigh	50	$65,220	1.1
Ohio	Cleveland	60	$86,480	0.6
Oregon	Portland	130	$88,100	1.4
Pennsylvania	Philadelphia	170	$103,200	1
Pennsylvania	Pittsburgh	90	$78,800	0.9
South Carolina	Columbia	60	$63,130	2
Texas	Austin	150		2.3
Texas	Dallas	160	$93,520	0.9
Texas	Fort Worth	50	$61,990	0.7
Texas	Houston	110	$89,910	0.5
Texas	San Antonio	60		0.8
Utah	Salt Lake City	80	$63,180	1.5
Virginia	Richmond	90	$89,030	1.7
Washington	Seattle	150	$83,860	1.2

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Professional Economists