What Can You Do with an Economics Degree?

Do you have a passion for numbers? Are you interested in learning how markets work? Do you want to research the economy and understand how the world functions? If you’ve answered ‘Yes’ to those questions, there’s a reason why you’re exploring the idea of an economics degree.

However, you might also be asking your own question: ‘What can I do with an economics degree?’ This is a tricky one to answer. Not because there’s a limited number of routes you can take with such a degree it’s very much the opposite.

Simply put, there’s a great demand from the global labor market for highly numerate graduates. Add in the widely transferable problem-solving and analytical skills that economic students develop, and economics careers suddenly become extremely diverse and plentiful.

Jobs with an economics degree : the choices available

With the wide-ranging nature of economics-based positions, you’re spoilt for choice in terms of career paths. An economics major could set you on the road to Wall Street, with a lucrative career helping the rich get richer. On the opposite end of the scale, you may pursue a career in the public sector working to eradicate poverty.

For a more general overview, economics graduates will often follow one of these common career paths:

• Accountant
• Auditor
• Financial planner
• Data analyst
• Actuary
• Financial risk analyst
• Economist
• Economic researcher
• Loan officer
• Investment analyst
• Financial consultant
• Private/public sector roles
• Political scientist

While some students opt to remain in education to earn a master’s in economics, this isn’t mandatory to secure a rewarding graduate job. Even if you only have a bachelor’s degree, many economics-focused careers – including the majority of those listed above – are available. Nevertheless, further study will open the door to more highly specialized roles and generally larger wages.

What type of economics salary can you expect to earn?

When you have something that presents a vast array of careers like an economics degree, it’s impossible to pinpoint a general salary to expect. With that said, below are a few popular economics-based careers and their median pay. All statistics are taken from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2019:

• Market research analysts: $63,790
• Accountants and auditors: $71,550
• Budget analysts: $76,540
• Personal finance advisors: $87,850
• Actuaries: $108,350
• Political scientists: $122,220

As these figures help demonstrate, a degree in economics can lead to a well-paying position that makes all the studying worth it.

Selecting the right college

You know about the scale of possibilities when possessing an economics degree, but it’s important not to get too far ahead of the game! You still need to earn that degree – and that begins by choosing the right college.

When picking a college, there are many aspects to consider. This is why research is integral. It’s also why you need CampusReel by your side. By using CampusReel, you can gain valuable, truthful insights from the people that matter – students. Rather than slick, overly corporate college productions, these student videos paint the real picture about colleges across the US.

To gain access to over 15,000 student-produced videos, you can sign up for a free CampusReel account.