Careers
Careers in Mathematics
Mathematics plays a role, to some extent, in almost everything - particularly in all the sciences, engineering and technology, and business and economics. Statistics moreover plays a large role in the social sciences, and mathematics is a fundamental subject in educational institutions. As a result, mathematicians tend to have widely varied career paths, finding work at companies ranging from engineering firms such as Boeing and Raytheon, to government institutions such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Security Agency, to financial institutions such as large banks and Wall Street firms, as well as much, much more. Thus, combining mathematics with a companion subject (e.g., economics or biology) can be particularly attractive. And of course, there are teaching careers at all levels, as well as those that go on to pursue advanced degrees in mathematics, go on to law or medical school, or start their own businesses. Lastly, an education in mathematics involves training in the purest form of logical thought and problem solving that is applicable and useful in any endeavor.
Mathematician has been a highly ranked occupation for several years, and as our society and economy becomes increasingly technology based, this ranking is not likely to waver in the future. To read more about these rankings, as well as more information on careers in mathematics, follow the links below:
- What do Mathematicians Do? (American Mathematical Society)
- Career Profiles (Mathematical Association of America)
- Doing the Math to Find the Good Jobs (The Wall Street Journal)
- The Best Jobs of 2017 (Career Cast)
- SIAM Careers (Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics)
- ASA JobWeb (American Statistical Association)