Economics Degree Jobs by Entry Credential
Financial Analyst
Bachelor’s Degree Typically Required. Evaluate investments, companies, and market conditions for banks, funds, and corporate finance teams. BLS names finance or a related field as the typical degree, so economics majors usually add accounting, finance, or valuation coursework and an internship. BLS reports a $103,570 median and 7% projected growth from 2025 to 2035. BLS Financial Analysts.
Market Research Analyst
Bachelor’s Degree Typically Required. Study demand, pricing, and consumer behavior using surveys and statistical models. Econometrics and survey statistics transfer directly, and BLS projects 7% growth from 2025 to 2035. BLS Market Research Analysts.
Budget Analyst
Bachelor’s Degree Typically Required. Help governments, schools, and organizations plan and monitor spending. BLS says courses in accounting, economics, and statistics are helpful, and it projects 2% growth from 2025 to 2035, so competition for openings can be steady. BLS Budget Analysts.
Economist
Master’s Degree Typically Required. Collect and analyze data, forecast trends, and evaluate policy or business questions. BLS says some economists qualify with a bachelor’s, primarily in government, if they have enough economics, statistics, or mathematics coursework. It projects 5% growth from 2025 to 2035. BLS Economists.
Why the Economist Title Is Only Part of the Picture
BLS counts about 18,600 economist jobs, compared with 443,100 for financial analysts and 952,700 for market research analysts. Most economics majors therefore work in the larger analyst fields, where the degree supplies the quantitative training. About half of economists, 49%, work for federal, state, or local government, so public-sector hiring rules matter if you want the title itself.
Pay for Economists and Market Research Analysts
These are May 2025 national wages for two occupations economics graduates commonly pursue. Financial analyst ($103,570) and budget analyst ($91,640) medians come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profiles linked above.
| Occupation | 10th Percentile | Median | 90th Percentile | U.S. Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $43,390 | $78,760 | $155,480 | 899,580 |
| Economists | $67,360 | $124,720 | $238,060 | 17,790 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, national estimates. U.S. employment is the OEWS estimate; the linked Occupational Outlook Handbook profiles may show a different employment series. The 10th and 90th percentiles describe the pay spread for employed workers, not entry-level and senior-level guarantees. Browse BLS OEWS tables.
Quantitative Skills That Show in a Job Search
Employers read an economics transcript for statistics, econometrics, and calculus before they read the title of the major. Add a working tool such as R, Python, Stata, or SQL, and keep one finished analysis, like a regression with a clear write-up, that you can send with an application. For finance roles, accounting and valuation courses fill the gap BLS describes between a general major and a finance degree.
Decide Between Analyst Work and an Economist Title
If an analyst job in finance, marketing, or budgeting is the goal, compare programs on their quantitative course map and internship access. If the economist title is the goal, look at master’s programs and the federal entry rules, because the bachelor’s alone qualifies only some applicants.
Questions About Economics Degree Jobs
What Can You Do With an Economics Degree?
Common paths are financial analyst, market research analyst, and budget analyst, all typically entered with a bachelor’s according to BLS. The occupation economist typically requires a master’s degree, though some government positions accept a bachelor’s with enough economics, statistics, or mathematics coursework.
What Are the Highest-Paying Economics Degree Jobs?
Of the occupations compared here, economists have the highest May 2025 national median at $124,720, with the top 10 percent earning more than $238,060. Financial analysts follow at a $103,570 median. Economist pay reflects mostly graduate-trained workers, not new bachelor’s graduates.
Do You Need a Master’s Degree to Be an Economist?
BLS lists a master’s degree as the typical entry education for economists. Some positions, mainly in government, are open to candidates with a bachelor’s and sufficient coursework in economics, statistics, or mathematics.
Sources and Related Degrees
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for occupation duties and typical entry education.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025 national wages.
- BLS Financial Analysts for financial analyst.
- BLS Market Research Analysts for market research analyst.
- BLS Budget Analysts for budget analyst.
- BLS Economists for economist.
