The study of math leads to numerous job possibilities.
Mathematics is the study of numbers and the patterns they create. According to a 2009 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, an organization that follows offers to college graduates, the 15 highest-earning college degrees require math skills. Math is required in an increasing number of careers at varying levels, especially as technology increases the role of numbers in all areas of life.
Mathematician
Mathematicians spend their time researching and studying the role of numbers. They solve problems related to logic and space. Sir Isaac Newton is one of the more famous mathematicians in history. Mathematicians' research digs into the fields of logic, number theory, abstract algebra, game theory, probability and statistics. Even studies in some of the more theoretical areas, like string theory, fall within the job description of the mathematician. These professionals spend their time asking questions and using the analysis of the numbers and research to find answers.
Actuary
A key player in the insurance industry is the actuary, a job that puts math to work all day, every day. An actuary examines the financial impact of risk using statistical formulas to seek solutions to situations. They analyze data to determine the costs associated with different probable outcomes. Events like death, illness or disasters that damage property are among the things they study. Insurance companies rely on tables of data created by actuaries to decide what kind of insurance to provide to different customers based on the profit-and-loss risk associated with that insurance. General math and statistics are required areas of knowledge for actuaries. In addition to general insurance plans, things like pension plan funding and investment strategy are determined largely after the input of an actuary.
Statistician
Statisticians are involved in all aspects of society, from government to athletics. Statistics takes math and its scientific application and uses it to present numbers in a way that they can be understood outside the scientific community. A statistician might be involved in creating surveys or in the collection and analysis of the data associated with the survey. Sports statistics are used to decide which players to acquire or get rid of, and to set salaries for athletes. Other statistical devices are in place for creating and evaluating things like opinion polls or earnings analysis for all sorts of jobs. Government uses statisticians to help it figure out where to spend money and resources, and politicians use them every day to help them determine the best ways to get elected.
Economist
An economist is tasked with studying the relationship between resources and their use. The way that goods and services are created using available materials and labor is a key area of expertise for an economist, and the analysis required for success as an economist is very mathematical. Their work involves research and also the gathering and analysis of information, including watching behavior and forecasting trends. Much of the economist's work is involved in the public sector, working with things like economic trends, unemployment rates and taxation. They also work in the business world to help companies study the cyclical nature of business and the impact of the numbers on business success. All of these tasks deal heavily with the manipulation of and understanding of mathematical data and formulas.
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