Math Careers

The benefits of possessing good math skills can really add up. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted, “Learning math helps workers analyze and solve problems—abilities that most employers value.” In addition, the BLS stated that mastering mathematics is helpful in nearly any career. Another benefit are the potential earnings, as the salary for most careers in math could be substantial. For example, professional mathematicians reportedly earned a median salary of $99,380 in 2010, according to the BLS.

Current mathematics majors can look forward to average job growth until 2020 according to research conducted by the BLS. Math jobs use applied or theoretical mathematics to answer questions and solve problems, and there are many specialty subgroups of math jobs such as actuaries, financial analysts, budget analysts, operation research analysts, and economists.

Of these specialty professions, financial analysts are forecasted to see the most job openings, predicted by the BLS to increase by 54,200 between 2010 and 2020. These math specialists, who serve as investment consultants, earned a median income of $74,350 in 2010. While economists reportedly earned a higher salary than financial analysts, with a 2010 median income of $89,450 per year, the growth rate for this profession is much lower and is predicted to only yield 900 more jobs over the decade. Actuary jobs are predicted to grow faster than average, at 27% by 2020. This position yields a high median salary, reported at $87,650 per year by the BLS, but may require long hours and frequent travel.

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College Navigator did not have acceptance rate figures for all of the colleges on our list. We did not, however, want to penalize those colleges without data.

Professional Organizations

Association for Financial Professionals

Members of the AFP benefit from access to many different resources including research, reports, career services, discussion boards, and networking events. The organization also provides certification and continuing education.
Mathematical Association of America

The MAA is a professional organization that promotes discussion among fellow math colleagues, and is especially focused on providing college instructors with learning and teaching resources. In addition to faculty members and other math professionals, the organization accepts students and all math lovers as members.
National Association for Business Economics

NABE is a professional association for business economists and others who apply economic theories to their jobs. The organization provides offers conferences, career development, and research data to its members.
American Economic Association

The goal of the AEA is to encourage economic research, especially the historical and statistical study of the conditions of industrial life. Economists from all professions are welcomed and represented in the group.
Society of Actuaries

The Society of Actuaries provides all levels of education for actuarial sciences, conducts research, and promotes high standards of professionalism within the field.
The American Statistical Association

The world's largets community of statisticians, the ASA supports its memebers through meeetings, publications, education, accreditation, and advocacy. Statiticians of all sectors are welcomed and represented in this community.
The American Academy of Actuaries

This professional association has a dual mission to serve the public and professional actuaries in the U.S. The Academy assists public policymakers in assessing risk, and it also advocates on behalf of the actuary profession.

Publications

Mathematics Teacher

This magazine, for math teachers, is published monthly.
Journal for Research in Mathematics Education

This is the official journal of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Mathematics Teacher Educator

This online journal is a collaboration of the NCTM and the AMTE.
Student Explorations in Mathematics

This journal, published by the NCTM, is a peer-reviewed publication

Calendar of Events

31 May 2013 Friday

job-fair
Equal Opportunity Publications

STEM diversity Career Expo: Washington, D.C. - Opportunity for college students, graduates, and professionals to connect with potential employers.
20 Sep 2013 Friday

job-fair
Equal Opportunity Publications

STEM diversity Career Expo: New York, NY - Opportunity for college students, graduates, and professionals to connect with potential employers.
15 May 2013 Wednesday

conference
National Association for Business Economics

NABE Industry Conference: Houston, TX - Focuses on the changes within US manufacturing and energy sectors in the global economy. The conference will identify new challenges …
07 Sep 2013 Saturday

other
National Association for Business Economics

NABE Annual Meeting: San Francisco, CA- The conference will address economics, business, and policymaking, promising to probe the issues and trends that impact economic prosperity …
27 Oct 2013 Sunday

other
Association for Financial Professionals

AFP Annual Conference: Las Vegas, NV - Thousands of treasury and finance professionals joining together to disuss best practices and share new ideas. Netowrking and learning …
other
Society of Actuaries

The SOA offers a variety of specialty events throughout the year at various locations throughout the U.S.
conference
The American Statistical Association

The SAS offers many different conferences and workshops throughout the year. Visit the website to search statistical events throughout the world!

Get Experience

American Mathematical Society

The AMS lists internship opportunities for undergraduates at numerous leading companies, such as America Online, Boeing, IBM, and Fidelity Investments.
Capital University Mathematics Internships

Capital University provides a list of internship opportunities that have been held by other students of the institution. The list is a good starting point for people looking for mathematics internships at large companies.
Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Internships

SIAM provides a list of corporations and institutions that hire applied mathematicians for full-time positions and internships.
NASA Internships

NASA hires interns from a variety of educational backgrounds.
MathNerds Volunteer Opportunity
MathCounts

Licensure Information

Step 1

Earn a bachelor's degree in education or a subject, such as mathematics.

This is for high school teachers who work at public schools. Licensure may not be required for private school teachers or for other mathematics occupations.
Step 2

Complete a teacher training program, which is typically part of an undergraduate curriculum.
Step 3

Pass a state teaching certification examination.
Step 4

Complete annual continuing education requirements to maintain license.

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Math Careers at a Glance

Employment and Average Wage in Math Careers

Employed Nationwide
Annual Mean Wage
Nationwide

3 States With the Highest Annual Wage for Math Careers Careers

Washington D.C.
Virginia
California

Number of Degrees in Math Careers

Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral

Sources:

From U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2012
From National Center for Education Statistics, 2010-2011

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