Mathematicians
What Mathematicians Do
Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields. Solve problems in various fields using mathematical methods.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 5 of 5Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Job training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Mathematicsimportance 4.8/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.7/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
- English Languageimportance 3.3/5
- Physicsimportance 3.0/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.9/5
- Communications and Mediaimportance 2.1/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.0/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- E-Mail4.5/5
- Freedom to Make Decisions4.5/5
- Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.3/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
- Spend Time Sitting3.9/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Statisticians97% skill match
- Economists96% skill match
- Operations Research Analysts95% skill match
- Economics Teachers, Postsecondary94% skill match
- Survey Researchers94% skill match
- Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary94% skill match
- Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists94% skill match
- Business Teachers, Postsecondary94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 4.0/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.8/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
- Systems Analysisimportance 3.0/5
- Systems Evaluationimportance 3.0/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.8/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
In-Demand Technologies
- Chatbot software
- Perforce software
- Version control software
Other Software Used
- AMPL
- ARfit
- Algae
- Analyse-it
- Analysis and Visualization of Time Sequences AVTS
- Apfloat
- Apple Shazam
- Aptech Systems GAUSS
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Attention to Detail
- Innovation
- Achievement Orientation
- Perseverance
- Dependability
- Tolerance for Ambiguity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- InvestigativeHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- ArtisticMedium
- RealisticMedium
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where mathematicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Providence-Warwick, RI-MA10.24× national avg
- 2Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV4.87× national avg
- 3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA2.61× national avg
- 4New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ1.23× national avg
- 5Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN1.02× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- StatisticiansLateral Move
- Mathematical Science Teachers, PostsecondaryCareer Change
- Operations Research AnalystsLateral Move
- EconomistsCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Mathematics, General
- The University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)grads earn ~$88,434
- University of Massachusetts-Amherst (Amherst, MA)grads earn ~$83,338
- University of California-Irvine (Irvine, CA)grads earn ~$77,472
- University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI)grads earn ~$101,438
- University of California-San Diego (La Jolla, CA)grads earn ~$79,015
Financial Mathematics
- University of California-Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$103,887
- Washington University in St Louis (St. Louis, MO)
- Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY)grads earn ~$82,200
- University of California-Berkeley (Berkeley, CA)grads earn ~$118,414
- University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
Mathematics and Statistics
- Columbia University in the City of New York (New York, NY)grads earn ~$167,848
- University of California-Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA)grads earn ~$90,778
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Champaign, IL)grads earn ~$105,978
- University of California-Los Angeles (Los Angeles, CA)grads earn ~$109,017
- Purdue University-Main Campus (West Lafayette, IN)grads earn ~$104,047