Economists
Life, Physical, and Social Science
The work centers on studying economic and statistical data in a chosen area—finance, labor, agriculture, or similar—and turning that analysis into reports, forecasts, and policy advice. Day to day that means compiling figures, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques, reviewing other people's documents, and explaining how proposed taxes, regulations, or services would affect people and markets. Some of the job is consultation with businesses and public or private agencies; some is supervising research or student projects. It suits people who like careful reading, practical math, and writing clear accounts of how markets and policies behave.
Typical education: Master’s Degree
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$124'720
Median Wage Market Position
$124'720
What you might do
- Study economic data in a chosen specialty
- Use models to explain events and forecast trends
- Examine how new laws and taxes affect people
- Advise firms and agencies on economic questions
- Explain policy effects to the public
- Review others' writing or supervise research
Skills that matter
- Analysis of economic and statistical data
- Market forecasts from mathematical models
- Study of policy effects on people
- Public explanation of economic effects
- Advice to businesses and agencies
- Oversight of research and student work
AI & the future of this role
Forecasting, data cleaning, and standard econometric workflows are tasks AI might handle with growing competence. Framing questions for policy clients, defending assumptions under scrutiny, and navigating institutional politics still count, yet much screen-based analysis looks increasingly exposed.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details