If money is your goal, Tony Carnevale, the director of Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, will tell you that a certain group of majors provide a bigger return on investment over a lifetime. The Georgetown center has found in its research that of the twenty-five highest-paying majors, all but two (economics and business economics) are in STEM fields.
Careers
High Returns to Econ Degree
Career Planning
Analytical skills, a strong quantitative background, and clarity and precision of expression are qualities developed in the economics major. Additionally, knowledge of the operations of a complex economic system and its institutions provides skills applicable to a wide variety of job responsibilities in a number of occupational areas.
The skills listed below are representative of those acquired from the study of economics, and may be applied in various occupations. For example, an investment banker, a technical writer, and an urban planner might use analytical thinking skills on a daily basis, although for different purposes.
For more information, check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics Report on the Economics Profession.(opens in new window)
- Financial
- Maintaining accurate records
- Tabulating figures
- Manipulating numerical data
- Developing budgets
- Performing cost/benefit analyses
- Creating and evaluating financial reports
- Research/Analysis
- Designing projects
- Generating/developing ideas
- Organizing materials
- Computing data
- Analyzing results
- Testing an idea/hypotheses
- Using computers
- Applying statistical methods
- Communication
- Writing reports/articles
- Summarizing
- Writing proposals
- Justifying a position
- Reading and interpreting reports
- Speaking persuasively
- Explaining ideas/goals
- Problem Solving
- Assessing needs
- Defining problems
- Reviewing/evaluating goals
- Relating theory to practice
- Projecting/forecasting results
- Applying quantitative analysis
- Generating solutions
- Evaluating policies
Job Search Websites
- CSU, Chico Career Planning and Placement
- JOE - Jobs Openings for Economists(opens in new window) through the American Economic Association (AEA)(opens in new window)
- Economic Research Network(opens in new window)
- Monster.com Job Search(opens in new window)
- Association of Environmental & Resource Economists (AERE)(opens in new window)
- Inomics Job Openings for Economists(opens in new window)
- International Economics Jobs(opens in new window)
- American Agriculture Economic Association (AAEA)(opens in new window)
- National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)(opens in new window)
- National Association for Business Economics (NABE)(opens in new window)
- International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE)(opens in new window)
- International Health Economic Association (IHEA)(opens in new window)
- Bureau of Labor Statistics for Economic Jobs(opens in new window)