Most common destination first. Every card carries the national median annual wage, projected employment change and openings over 2024–2034, and the typical education people already in the job hold.
What Can You Do With a Mathematics and Statistics Degree?
Below are 15 occupations that mathematics and statistics graduates commonly move into, most common first. Data Scientist leads at $120,230 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025); across the whole list the middle occupation pays $105,650 and 6 of 15 typically need a graduate degree. A major is a body of study, not a job assignment, so treat every entry as a common destination rather than a promise.
What the degree actually involves: Proof based analysis and algebra, probability, statistical modelling, and computing.
Mathematics is one of the most transferable degrees there is, and almost none of its destinations have the word mathematics in the title. Graduates land in data, actuarial, quantitative finance, operations research and teaching, and the pure research route needs a doctorate.
- Common destinations
- 15
- Median pay range
- $50,330–$140,300
- Projected to grow
- 12 of 15
- Need a graduate degree
- 6 of 15
5 with a full profile page
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP typical entry, 2024–2034
How this list was built
- The destinations are the occupations mathematics and statistics graduates commonly move into. They are ordered by how common the destination is, not by what it pays, so the ordinary outcomes sit at the top where they belong rather than being buried under the flattering ones.
- Every destination is matched to a real occupation in the 923-occupation NueCareer career bank. A destination that does not resolve to a bank occupation is dropped rather than shown without data.
- All pay, growth, openings and education figures come from that bank: BLS OEWS May 2025 for wages, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 for projected change, annual openings and the typical education needed for entry, and O*NET 30.3 Database for what the work involves. Nothing is estimated and no figure here is generated by an AI model.
- Destinations whose BLS typical entry education is a master’s or a doctoral or professional degree are marked Graduate study on the list. That flag is read from the federal data, not asserted by us.
- What this list is not: a ranking of which destination you should pick, a statement of how many graduates reach each one, or a promise that the degree entitles you to any of them. Read the full methodology.
15 careers a mathematics and statistics degree commonly leads to
1. Data Scientist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $120,230
- Growth
- +33.5%
- Openings/yr
- 23,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software.
Data Scientist salary & outlook →2. Operations Research Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $88,940
- Growth
- +21.5%
- Openings/yr
- 9,600
- Education
- Bachelor's
Formulate and apply mathematical modeling and other optimizing methods to develop and interpret information that assists management with decisionmaking, policy formulation, or other managerial functions.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
- Graduate study
3. Statistician
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $105,650
- Growth
- +8.5%
- Openings/yr
- 2,000
- Education
- Master's
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
4. Financial and Investment Analyst
Business and Financial Operations
- Median pay
- $102,740
- Growth
- +5.7%
- Openings/yr
- 25,100
- Education
- Bachelor's
Conduct quantitative analyses of information involving investment programs or financial data of public or private institutions, including valuation of businesses.
Financial and Investment Analyst salary & outlook →5. Business Intelligence Analyst
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $120,230
- Growth
- +33.5%
- Openings/yr
- 23,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports.
Business Intelligence Analyst salary & outlook →6. High School Teacher
Educational Instruction and Library
- Median pay
- $72,040
- Growth
- -1.6%
- Openings/yr
- 66,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level.
High School Teacher salary & outlook →7. Actuary
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $130,000
- Growth
- +21.8%
- Openings/yr
- 2,400
- Education
- Bachelor's
Analyze statistical data, such as mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates and construct probability tables to forecast risk and liability for payment of future benefits.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
8. Software Developer
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $135,980
- Growth
- +15.8%
- Openings/yr
- 115,200
- Education
- Bachelor's
Research, design, and develop computer and network software or specialized utility programs.
Software Developer salary & outlook →9. Statistical Assistant
Office and Administrative Support
- Median pay
- $50,330
- Growth
- -2.5%
- Openings/yr
- 800
- Education
- Bachelor's
Compile and compute data according to statistical formulas for use in statistical studies.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
- Graduate study
10. Biostatistician
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $105,650
- Growth
- +8.5%
- Openings/yr
- 2,000
- Education
- Master's
Develop and apply biostatistical theory and methods to the study of life sciences.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
11. Financial Quantitative Analyst
Business and Financial Operations
- Median pay
- $81,100
- Growth
- +3.1%
- Openings/yr
- 10,300
- Education
- Bachelor's
Develop quantitative techniques to inform securities investing, equities investing, pricing, or valuation of financial instruments.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
- Graduate study
12. Economist
Life, Physical, and Social Science
- Median pay
- $124,720
- Growth
- +1.2%
- Openings/yr
- 900
- Education
- Master's
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.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
- Graduate study
13. Mathematician
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $126,710
- Growth
- -0.7%
- Openings/yr
- 100
- Education
- Master's
Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
- Graduate study
14. Computer and Information Research Scientist
Computer and Mathematical
- Median pay
- $140,300
- Growth
- +19.7%
- Openings/yr
- 3,200
- Education
- Master's
Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
- Graduate study
15. Mathematical Science Teacher, Postsecondary
Educational Instruction and Library
- Median pay
- $79,940
- Growth
- +2.3%
- Openings/yr
- 4,400
- Education
- Doctorate
Teach courses pertaining to mathematical concepts, statistics, and actuarial science and to the application of original and standardized mathematical techniques in solving specific problems and situations.
Full page coming in the next tranche. Data shown here is from the same bank.
Does a mathematics and statistics degree decide your career?
For most people, no. Federal survey data has consistently found that only a minority of US graduates work in a job closely related to their degree field, and that share falls further with each year after graduation. The exceptions are the fields where a licence sits at the end of the degree, and they are exceptions precisely because the route is fixed.
The practical reading of the list above is this: 9 of the 15 destinations are typically entered with a bachelor's degree or less, and 6 typically need a master's or a doctoral or professional degree (BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034). If the destination you want is in the second group, the extra years are part of the decision from day one, not a detail to sort out later.
Not sure this is the right major in the first place? Take the free college major quiz — fifteen questions that score what you like doing against what each major actually asks of you, and show the same real occupations underneath every match.
Mathematics and Statistics degrees: FAQ
Do you need a master's degree after a mathematics and statistics degree?
For 9 of the 15 destinations on this page, no: BLS Employment Projections (2024–2034) list a bachelor's degree or less as the typical entry requirement. The other 6 typically need a master's or a doctoral or professional degree, and each is marked on the list below. "Typical" describes what people already in the job hold, not an admissions rule.
What is the highest-paying career a mathematics and statistics degree leads to?
Of the 15 destinations on this page, Computer and Information Research Scientist has the highest national median wage at $140,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), against $50,980 for all US occupations. Typical entry education for it is master's, so it usually means further study after the degree. A median is the midpoint of everyone in the job today, so a first salary normally sits well below it.
Which of these careers hires the most people each year?
Software Developer, with about 115,200 projected openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034). Across all 15 destinations on this page the combined figure is roughly 289,000 openings a year. Openings include replacing people who leave, not just new jobs, which is why a slow-growing occupation can still hire heavily.
Is a mathematics and statistics degree worth it?
That depends on the price you pay for it, which this page cannot know. What it can tell you is where the destinations sit: the middle occupation on this list pays $105,650 a year against $50,980 for all US occupations, the range runs $50,330–$140,300, and 12 of the 15 are projected to grow over 2024–2034 (BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
How was this list of careers put together?
The destinations were curated as the occupations mathematics and statistics graduates commonly move into, ordered by how common rather than by pay, then matched against the 923-occupation NueCareer career bank. Every figure shown comes from that bank: wages from BLS OEWS May 2025, projected change and annual openings and typical entry education from BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, and occupation descriptions from O*NET 30.3 Database. Nothing is estimated, and no figure on this page is generated by an AI model.
What can you do with other degrees?
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Business Administration
- Finance and Accounting
- Marketing
- Psychology
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Education
- Communications and Journalism
- Graphic Design
- Political Science and Pre-Law
- Environmental Science
- Kinesiology and Exercise Science
- Social Work
- Hospitality and Event Management
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- Philosophy
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- History
- Anthropology
- English
- Nutrition and Dietetics
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