Find out about the types of jobs you could pursue in mathematics. Read on to learn more about career options along with job outlook and education information.
What Can a Major in Mathematics Do For Me?
Some people love working with numbers. They enjoy having the numbers make sense, columns aligning, net, gross, advising, understanding what all the numbers mean. There are several career fields made just for these people. With a B.S. in Mathematics you could have an excellent career working on client accounts, analysing investments or market information, interpreting data and statistics and making reports of those findings. With that degree, you can become an actuary, a personal finance advisor or a statistician.
With a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mathematics, you may be prepared for a job in actuarial science, financial advising or statistics. The table below outlines the general requirements for these career options.
<table border="1"><tr><td></td><td><b>Actuary</b></td><td><b>Financial Advisor</b></td><td><b>Statistician</b></td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td>Bachelor's degree</td><td>Bachelor's degree</td><td>Master's degree recommended</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Skills</b></td><td>Analyze policies, investments or pension plans, calculate risk management</td><td>Monitor client accounts, research investment opportunities, educate clients</td><td>Collect, analyze and interpret data, apply statistical theories and methods</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Licensure/Certification </b></td><td>Associate certification - four to six years, fellowship certification - two to three years</td><td>A combination of licenses is required for most positions; certification is recommended</td><td>None</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)</b></td><td>24%*</td><td>5%*</td><td>35%*</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Average Annual Wage (2020)</b></td><td>$123,180*</td><td>$122,490*</td><td>$97,170*</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.</i>
</p><h3 id="section---WhatWillILearnInABachelorOfScienceInMathematicsProgram">What Will I Learn in a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Program?</h3><p>Universities often offer mathematics degree programs with concentrations in a number of areas. Some of these specialties may include computer programming, statistics, life sciences, education and economics. Mathematics is such a diverse topic that some colleges even offer it as a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree. The difference between a B.A. and a B.S. is that the B.S. is usually focused on the science of math. Some of the subjects you will study during your undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree program are:
</p><ul><li>Algebra
</li><li>Calculus
</li><li>Numerical analysis
</li><li>Mathematical reasoning
</li><li>Discrete mathematics
</li><li>Probability and statistics
</li><li>Topology
</li></ul><h3 id="section---WhatCanIDoWithThisDegree">What Can I Do with This Degree?</h3><p>A strong background in math will prepare you for work in the sciences, education, technology, business and analysis. One career possibility you can consider is to become an actuary. Actuaries use probability and statistics to calculate events and possibilities for individuals and companies. They specialize in risk management and proactively analyze the impact of an event to eliminate financial loss.
</p><p>Other employment opportunities for you may include a career as a statistician, financial advisor, mathematician or accountant. All of these jobs draw on the skills attained during your degree program and your knowledge of how to use equations to figure out budgets and finances for individuals and businesses. You can also find work with the government, a not-for profit or a commercial agency.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatCanIEarn">What Can I Earn?</h3><p>According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov) in 2020, actuaries made an annual average salary of $123,180, financial advisors made $122,490, and statisticians earned $97,170. Employment is expected to grow faster than the average of all occupations for these three careers due to many key factors.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>Economist immediately comes to mind for mathematicians with a Bachelor's of Science. These positions require more education, a master's degrees and will help you work analyzing things like production and distribution of products and using data and statistics to understand trends and make predictions. Other jobs could be as a financial or budgetary analyst or maybe a financial manager where your bachelor's degree works to aid you in preparing analytical reports for clients pertaining to investment decisions. Other alternative careers could be accounting or insurance underwriting where, again, that bachelor' degree allows you to work with client accounts and financial records or checking out insurance claims and determining if anything should be paid out and how much.</p>
