Economists
Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods.
Also known as: Agricultural Economist, Business Economist, Consultant Economist, Econometrician, Economic Advisor, Economic Analyst, Economic Consultant, Economic Developer, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Slower than average)
What You'd Do
- Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
- Provide advice and consultation on economic relationships to businesses, public and private agencies, and other employers.
- Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
- Formulate recommendations, policies, or plans to solve economic problems or to interpret markets.
- Develop economic guidelines and standards, and prepare points of view used in forecasting trends and formulating economic policy.
- Testify at regulatory or legislative hearings concerning the estimated effects of changes in legislation or public policy, and present recommendations based on cost-benefit analyses.
- Supervise research projects and students' study projects.
- Teach theories, principles, and methods of economics.
- Provide litigation support, such as writing reports for expert testimony or testifying as an expert witness.
- Study the socioeconomic impacts of new public policies, such as proposed legislation, taxes, services, and regulations.
- Conduct research on economic issues, and disseminate research findings through technical reports or scientific articles in journals.
- Explain economic impact of policies to the public.
- Review documents written by others.
- Forecast production and consumption of renewable resources and supply, consumption, and depletion of non-renewable resources.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
Is Economists right for you?
Take our free career quiz to see how you match with this and 900+ other careers.
Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.