25 Careers in Economics (With Duties and Salaries)
By Indeed Editorial Team
Updated 31 January 2023
Published 23 August 2021
The Indeed Editorial Team comprises a diverse and talented team of writers, researchers and subject matter experts equipped with Indeed's data and insights to deliver useful tips to help guide your career journey.
Economics is a broad field with a variety of career opportunities. Economic graduates can work in many industries, including education, government, business and marketing. If you're considering a career in economics or pursuing an economics degree, learning more about different jobs in this field can help you find your ideal career. In this article, we list 25 careers in economics and provide the primary duties and average salary for each role to help you find the right one for you.
Related: 12 Types of Business Jobs
25 careers in economics
There are a variety of roles in finance, marketing and other industries you may pursue if you're studying economics. These careers often involve analytical thinking, mathematical reasoning and research, which are skills you may learn during an economic degree program. Some of these roles may hire candidates with a bachelor's degree in economics, while others seek candidates with a master's degree, doctorate or additional certification. Here are 25 careers in economics you may consider:
1. Insurance underwriter
National average salary: $58,968 per year
Primary duties: Insurance underwriters are professionals who analyse risk for insurance companies. Their duties include reviewing applications, using computer software to assess risk and making decisions about insurance coverage and premium rates. They can use economic skills, such as analytical thinking and mathematical reasoning, to help them evaluate applications fairly.
2. Loan officer
National average salary: $61,737 per year
Primary duties: Loan officers review debt applications and create agreements between the applicant and the financial institution. They're responsible for determining the credit standing of the applicants and deciding on a lending solution. They often work on behalf of credit card companies or other lending institutions.
3. Marketing consultant
National average salary: $64,319 per year
Primary duties: Marketing consultants are professionals who help improve marketing strategies for various companies or clients. Their responsibilities can include evaluating current marketing efforts, offering suggestions and tracking marketing efficacy. They may also suggest new content ideas and evaluate target audiences to improve marketing efforts.
4. Accountant
National average salary: $72,360 per year
Primary duties: Accountants are financial professionals who manage financial records for companies or clients. Their duties may include preparing financial statements, inputting payroll information and tracking sales data. They may also advise clients on their private or business taxes.
Related: 30 Accountant Questions for Interview (With Examples)
5. Reporter
National average salary: $76,564 per year
Primary duties: Reporters, or journalists, are writing professionals who create content for newspapers, magazines or websites. Some reporters specialise in business or economic topics. These professionals may write about financial markets, economic trends or new businesses. Their duties include conducting research, interviewing relevant sources, drafting articles and editing their work.
6. Pricing analyst
National average salary: $86,648 per year
Primary duties: Pricing analysts are business professionals who help companies set fair and competitive prices for items. Their duties may include researching industry trends, evaluating competitors prices and reviewing customers' buying habits. They use data and mathematical models to determine the best price for goods and services.
7. Economic consultant
National average salary: $88,566 per year
Primary duties: Economic consultants often work for large consulting firms. They analyse an organisation's current economic status and suggest changes to help them improve. Some economic consultants collaborate with legal professionals, and they produce analyses, data, evidence and other materials in legal cases related to economics or finance.
8. Supply chain analyst
National average salary: $88,871 per year
Primary duties: Supply chain analysts are business professionals who work to improve efficiency in the supply chain or production process. Their duties include evaluating supply chain operations and processes to find areas of improvement. They use data and strategic methods to help increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve the supply chain process.
9. Economist
National average salary: $89,401 per year
Primary duties: Economists study financial trends related to stocks, bonds, spending, exchange rates, inflation and more. They conduct specific research to develop forecasts and inform organisations like corporations or government entities. Their duties include collecting data, making mathematical predictions and observing economic trends.
Related: Types of Economists (With Primary Duties and Average Salary)
10. Data analyst
National average salary: $89,951 per year
Primary duties: A data analyst is a professional who specialises in evaluating data. They can work in many industries, including finance, government and science. Their duties include collecting large amounts of data, creating ways to sort information efficiently and analysing data to solve problems.
11. Credit analyst
National average salary: $89,985 per year
Primary duties: Credit analysts are responsible for evaluating client credit scores by reviewing specific information. They might also help clients change their credit standing by creating improvement plans and providing information about various financial organisations. Their evaluations help companies make lending decisions regarding a client's creditworthiness.
12. Project officer
National average salary: $90,148 per year
Primary duties: A project officer is a business professional who helps ensure teams complete projects effectively. Their duties can include scheduling project tasks, managing project documents and coordinating with a project manager. They may also track a project's progress using specific performance data.
13. Financial advisor
National average salary: $96,352 per year
Primary duties: Financial advisors help their clients manage their funds and reach their individual financial goals. Their duties include meeting with clients, discussing clients' short-term and long-term financial goals and creating individual recommendations. They may also make suggestions for saving money or making large purchases.
14. Policy analyst
National average salary: $99,682 per year
Primary duties: Policy analysts are responsible for studying national economic trends. They gather data from a variety of sources to forecast economic predictions and consider possible outcomes. They may make recommendations for government agencies or social organisations.
15. Management consultant
National average salary: $102,648 per year
Primary duties: Management consultants work with both public and private organisations to assess areas for operational improvement. They develop plans to improve organisational functions for better, more efficient ways of working. Their duties include meeting clients, analysing current operations and presenting their findings to improve efficiency at the management level.
16. Statistician
National average salary: $105,147 per year
Primary duties: Statisticians are mathematicians who use statistical calculations to answer questions for both public and private organisations. Statisticians can work on projects such as risk management, increasing efficiency in business and more. Their responsibilities may include collecting data, using mathematical models and creating algorithms.
Related: How To Become a Statistician in 5 Steps (Plus Skills and Salary)
17. Investment analyst
National average salary: $105,239 per year
Primary duties: An investment analyst evaluates investment options for a client or business. Their duties include meeting with clients, discussing individual investing goals and preferences and creating individual plans. They may research market trends, use mathematical models and analyse data to make recommendations.
18. Compensation manager
National average salary: $110,371 per year
Primary duties: Compensation managers develop and administer an organisation's compensation and benefits plans to employees. They may manage retirement plans, vacation policies and wellness programs. They research and negotiate plans for employees and may also answer employees' compensation questions.
19. Product manager
National average salary: $117,120 per year
Primary duties: Product managers define strategies and plans for developing, launching and testing new and existing products for organisations. They often manage teams and oversee the production process. They may also coordinate product tests to improve designs.
20. Quantitative analyst
National average salary: $118,103 per year
Primary duties: A quantitative analyst is a professional who uses statistics to evaluate finances and risk management. Their duties may include using specialised algorithms to evaluate options and risk, writing research reports that document their findings and making recommendations to clients based on their data reports. They may specialise in a certain area of finance, such as securities or sales.
21. Corporate lawyer
National average salary: $120,893 per year
Primary duties: Corporate lawyers are legal professionals who support and represent businesses. Some of their duties include overseeing contracts, managing negotiations and advising in legal matters. They may also prepare legal paperwork and review local regulations to ensure the business complies.
Related: How To Become a Lawyer in Australia
22. Actuary
National average salary: $121,073 per year
Primary duties: Actuaries perform statistical and mathematical studies to define the financial outcomes of a certain risk. They often work with insurance companies to create and review policies. Their duties may include collecting data, using statistical modelling methods and operating computer software to calculate risk.
23. Senior financial analyst
National average salary: $123,132 per year
Primary duties: Financial analysts are business professionals who advise clients and organisations on investment choices. Their duties include researching the stock market, reviewing market and bond trends and analysing investment options. They may also write financial reports, review investment documents and present investment data to clients.
Read more: What Does a Financial Analyst Do? (With Skills)
24. Portfolio manager
National average salary: $128,900 per year
Primary duties: Portfolio managers are responsible for managing funds or fund groups. They oversee the investments for their clients or company. Their responsibilities can include researching the current economic status, analysing marketing trends and making investment decisions based on their findings.
25. Senior market analyst
National average salary: $140,464 per year
Primary duties: Market analysts research and study data about the sale of products and services. They might work for a specific organisation to study consumers and competitors, or a market research firm. They use data to create and implement strategic plans involving marketing campaigns.
Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.
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