20 Jobs for Mathematics Degree Holders

Updated April 18, 2024

A degree in mathematics can help you secure a career in a variety of math fields and industries. Understanding the types of jobs and careers that you can achieve may help you decide what math degree to pursue.In this article, we list the top 20 math-related jobs and career paths, including salaries, duties, education requirements and companies with the position.

What are math-related jobs?

Math-related jobs are any jobs that rely heavily on mathematics. While many people will use math at some point in their careers, some jobs require advanced math skills that you can acquire with a mathematics degree. Some mathematics degrees include statistics, applied probability, complex variables, algorithms, economics, logistics, data analysis and graph theory. Getting a degree in mathematics can help you develop a rewarding career in fields such as science, technology, engineering and analytics.Related: 10 Jobs for Statistics Majors

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20 career paths in mathematics

Here is a list of some of the most popular math-related jobs and career paths to help you in your job search.

1. Mathematics teacher

National average salary: $52,953 per yearPrimary duties: A mathematics teacher can work in many levels of education, and their salary will depend on whether they teach match at the primary, secondary or advanced level. A mathematics teacher's duties include teaching math-related subjects to students, developing curriculum and lesson plans, communicating with parents and students, managing students in a classroom and helping students prepare for standardized testing.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics or a related subject and a teaching certificate are required.Companies with this position: Wyzant, Sylvan Learning Center, The Princeton Review

2. Inventory manager

National average salary: $61,660 per yearPrimary duties: An inventory manager's duties include optimizing inventory control procedures, inspecting and identifying shortages, recording daily inventories, deliveries and shipments, placing orders, using software, reconciling inventory, analyzing data, evaluating suppliers, collaborating with other departments and reporting stock levels and issues to management.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Logistics or another math-related degree is required.Companies with this position: The Home Depot, Best Buy, DHL

3. Accountant

National average salary: $59,606 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of an accountant include preparing taxes for individuals and businesses, preparing balance sheets, reconciling financial discrepancies, preparing payments, requesting disbursements, answering accounting questions, complying with financial requirements, analyzing tax and financial documents and communicating with clients.Education requirements: Accountants are required to obtain at least a bachelor's degree.Companies with this position: H&R Block, Bank of America, Deloitte

4. Purchasing specialist

National average salary: $56,362 per yearPrimary duties: A purchasing specialist's duties include researching suppliers, evaluating products, preparing proposals, negotiating terms and conditions, requesting quotes, inspecting items, analyzing trends, preparing reports, maintaining an accurate inventory and holding records.Education requirements: A high school diploma or GED is required, but a degree in a business- or math-related field can help secure a higher-paying job.Companies with this position: Lennar Corporation, Aerotek, Marriott International, Inc.

5. Data analyst

National average salary: $74,377 per yearPrimary duties: A data analyst's duties include interpreting and analyzing data, using statistical techniques, creating reports, developing databases and data collection systems, optimizing for quality and efficiency, acquiring data from various data sources, analyzing trends and patterns, reviewing reports, working with management and locating process improvement opportunities.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Information Management, Statistics or another math-related field is required.Companies with this position: UnitedHealth Group, Verizon, Citi

6. Research analyst

National average salary: $66,256 per yearPrimary duties: A research analyst's duties include analyzing internal processes, identifying patterns, gathering data, interpreting data, developing data models, meeting with clients, analyzing competitors, preparing reports and providing recommendations to management.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Computer Science, Marketing, Market Research, Business Administration or another math-related degree is required.Companies with this position: Wells Fargo, United States Department of Defense, Nielsen

7. Investment analyst

National average salary: $84,337 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of an investment analyst include examining economic trends, assessing market trends, interpreting financial statements, analyzing investment opportunities, networking with industry professionals, monitoring market trends and opportunities, compiling advisory reports, making investment recommendations, enhancing portfolios and developing financial models.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting or other math-related field is required.Companies with this position: Bank of America, First Republic Bank, Prudential

8. Budget analyst

National average salary: $71,656 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of a budget analyst can include processing financial reports, providing advice and guidance on budget issues, reducing expenditures, creating and maintaining spreadsheets, analyzing and presenting financial data, allocating budgets, financially reorganizing departments, reducing costs and reporting to management.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Accounting, Finance, Business, Economics or another math-related field is required.Companies with this position: U.S. Air Force, California State University, Booz Allen Hamilton

9. Cost estimator

National average salary: $82,321 per yearPrimary duties: A cost estimator's duties include identifying and quantifying cost factors, traveling to gather information, reading technical documents and blueprints, preparing estimates, collaborating with clients, architects and engineers, resolving cost issues, calculating estimates, evaluating profitability, working with sales teams and other departments and developing project plans.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Statistics, Accounting, Finance or other math-related field is required.Companies with this position: Collins Aerospace, CDM Smith, Georgia-Pacific

10. Tax consultant

National average salary: $75,789 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of a tax consultant include preparing tax documents and payments, estimating and tracking tax returns, completing tax reports, organizing databases, recommending tax strategies, preparing paperwork, collaborating with the accounting department, identifying tax savings, suggesting profit-increasing opportunities, following industry trends and forecasting tax predictions.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance is required, and an industry certification such as a CMA or CPA certification is preferred and sometimes required for particular companies.Companies with this position: Liberty Tax Service, H&R Block, Internal Revenue Service

11. Financial planning analyst

National average salary: $85,688 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of a financial planning analyst include analyzing financial data, budgets and income statement forecasts, suggesting recommendations, assembling financial reports, developing economic models, conducting business studies, analyzing forecast models, identifying financial trends, reconciling transactions, improving financial processes and consulting with management.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Economics or other math-related field is required.Companies with this position: Citi, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley

12. Mechanical engineer

National average salary: $89,424 per yearPrimary duties: A mechanical engineer's job duties include designing and developing products, designing systems and components, analyzing data, interpreting results, testing designs, evaluating performance levels, modifying designs, estimating budgets, preparing and producing reports, developing theories and reporting to management.Education requirements: A math-related degree is preferred and a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering is required.Companies with this position: Lockheed Martin, L3 Technologies, Honeywell

13. Statistician

National average salary: $86,547 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of a statistician include collecting data, designing and creating surveys, conducting survey experiments, scrubbing and managing data, performing statistical analysis, creating analysis plans, performing calculations, conducting research and development, developing quality control procedures and presenting statistical findings to management or clients.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Statistics or other math-related or quantitative field is required, and a master's degree in a math-related field is preferred and sometimes required for a statistician position.Companies with this position: U.S. Census Bureau, Medtronic, Mathematica Policy Research

14. Electrical engineer

National average salary: $95,119 per yearPrimary duties: An electrical engineer's duties may include designing and implementing electrical systems and products, developing manufacturing processes, managing engineering projects, controlling safety standards, collaborating with other engineers and technicians, analyzing quality and performance standards, summarizing data, reporting test results, calculating costs and monitoring maintenance plans.Education requirements: A bachelor's degree in a math-related field is helpful, and a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering is usually required. A Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering is beneficial and sometimes required by some companies.Companies with this position: Westrock, Shermco Industries, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

15. Systems integration engineer

National average salary: $112,645 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of a systems integration engineer include integrating systems and networks, troubleshooting system issues, increasing performance, analyzing data, creating visual representations of systems, optimizing maintenance, recording test data, creating algorithms and models and supporting system integrations.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or an engineering field such as electrical, software, computer or mechanical engineering is required. A master's degree in an engineering field is preferred for some jobs.Companies with this position: Army National Guard, Northrop Grumman, Boeing

16. Economist

National average salary: $111,940 per yearPrimary duties: An economist researches and analyzes economic data, conducts surveys, collects data, uses statistical techniques and mathematical models, interprets market trends, prepares reports, presents economic research results, advising businesses, organizations and governments, designing policies, recommending financial opportunities, solving economic problems, writing articles and reporting data and findings to clients.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Economics or other math-related field is required for entry-level economist jobs, and a master's degree in economics is necessary for higher-paying positions.Companies with this position: U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of the Treasury, World BankRelated: 18 Top Economics Degree Jobs

17. Mathematician

National average salary: $111,102 per yearPrimary duties: The duties of a mathematician include developing mathematic theories and concepts, proving theories using mathematical formulas and models, using math to solve business, engineering or science-related problems, analyzing data, developing statistical models and reporting findings to clients or management.Education requirements: A bachelor's degree in a math-related field is the minimum requirement for entry-level mathematician jobs, and a Master's Degree or Doctorate in Mathematics is required for specialized positions.Companies with this position: U.S. Navy, Applied Research Associates, Inc, National Security Agency

18. Computer scientist

National average salary: $107,614 per yearPrimary duties: A computer scientist's duties include developing algorithms, creating computing languages, testing computer systems and designs, developing computer models and theories, improving computing performance, presenting computer analytics findings to management, clients or the scientific community and increasing computer software and hardware efficiency.Education requirements: This job requires at least a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a related field, and some advanced positions require a master's degree.Companies with this position: Amazon.com, Burns & McDonnell, Microsoft

19. Actuary

National average salary: $120,164 per yearPrimary duties: Actuaries predict and estimate costs for businesses and institutions in fields such as health insurance, life insurance, property insurance, casualty insurance and retirement and pension benefits. Duties may include developing insurance policies, predicting short-term and long-term costs of policies, analyzing and estimating risk factors, calculating numbers of claims, developing investment strategies, managing risk, maximizing returns and evaluating costs of overall business strategies.Education requirements: A Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Economics, Analytics or Actuarial Science is required, and usually requires the passing of examinations to become a certified professional actuary.Companies with this position: Willis Towers Watson, Genworth, Anthem, Inc.

20. Algorithm engineer

National average salary: $122,287 per yearPrimary duties: An algorithm engineer's duties include creating algorithm solutions, recording algorithm operations, managing the design and development of algorithms, assisting or managing a development team, researching algorithmic improvements, communicating with clients and management, experimenting with algorithms and maintaining and upgrading algorithmic systems.Education requirements: Algorithm engineers are required to obtain at least a bachelor's degree in an area such as computer science or mathematics.Companies with this position: Apple, Oracle, Raytheon