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The tables below present the occupations that are most commonly associated with a degree in Economics. We have separated the tables depending on whether we examine graduates who stop their education with the bachelors degree in Economics, and those who get either a masters in Economics, a Ph.D. in Economics.
While the list above describes the occupations of students with advanced degrees in Economics some students with a bachelors degree in Economics will get advanced degrees in other fields. The tables listed below descibe the types of advanced degrees that were chosen by students with a bachelors in Economics.
Since all of the above tables present information on the average salary, it is possible to lose sight of the fact that some majors place students in jobs with a narrow range of salaries near to the mean while others place students in many different income categories. For this reason, we have drawn two frequency distributions (histograms) of Economics Salaries.
The diagram below includes all
students with a major in Economics who received no degree beyond the bachelors.
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The diagram below includes all
students with a major in Economics while an undergraduate. The data includes students who
subsequently earned degrees beyond the bachelors. 
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The information in the table below is based on data from people of all sexes and ages
whose most recent college degree was a bachelors degree majoring in Economics.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of Salary Observations Majors Description of Occupation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $70,389 156 18.40 Top and mid-level managers, executives, administrators (people who manage other managers) $62,653 91 10.73 Insurance, securities, real estate, and business services $52,116 75 8.84 Accountants, auditors, and other financial specialists $47,095 59 6.96 OTHER management related occupations $40,068 41 4.83 OTHER OCCUPATIONS (Not Listed) $52,269 34 4.01 Computer system analysts $37,610 33 3.89 Sales Occupations - Retail (e.g., furnishings, clothing, motor vehicles, cosmetics) $50,780 33 3.89 OTHER marketing and sales occupations $47,961 33 3.89 Computer programmers (business, scientific, process control) $52,970 32 3.77 Sales Occupations - Commodities Except Retail (e.g., industrial machinery/equipment/supplies, medical and dental equiptment/supplies) $25,091 28 3.30 OTHER administrative (e.g., record clerks, telephone operators) $51,707 19 2.24 Economists $40,525 18 2.12 OTHER service occupations, except health $47,589 17 2.00 Information systems scientists or analysts $65,245 15 1.77 Transportation/material moving occupations $51,002 14 1.65 OTHER computer, information science Occupations $27,749 11 1.30 Accounting clerks, bookkeepers $44,281 10 1.18 Construction trades, miners and well drillers $29,749 9 1.06 Personnel, training, and labor relations specialists $44,351 7 .83 Statisticians $43,893 7 .83 Protective services (e.g., fire fighters, police, guards) $21,706 6 .71 Secretaries, receptionists, typists $92,967 6 .71 Lawyers, Judges $28,308 6 .71 Precision/production occupations (e.g., workers, woodworkers, butchers, bakers, printing occupations, tailors, shoemakers, photographic process) $46,200 5 .59 Operations research analysts, modelling $58,662 5 .59 Artists, Broadcasters, Editors, Entertainers, Public Relations Specialists, Writers $39,440 5 .59 Teachers: Elementary $34,648 5 .59 Social Workers $42,364 4 .47 OTHER engineering technologists and technicians $57,000 4 .47 Computer engineer - software $31,100 4 .47 Mechanics and repairers $95,540 3 .35 Engineers: Electrical, electronic $29,500 3 .35 Teachers: Secondary - social sciences $34,845 3 .35 Farmers, Foresters and Fishermen $19,313 3 .35 Engineers: Electrical, electronic, industrial, mechanical $34,333 3 .35 Teachers: Secondary - other subjects $54,667 3 .35 Engineers: Industrial $41,062 3 .35 Drafting occupations, including computer drafting $73,000 3 .35 Actuaries $31,633 3 .35 Food Preparation and Service (e.g., cooks, waitresses, bartenders) $28,800 2 .24 Operators and related occupations (e.g., machine set-up, machine operators and tenders, fabricators, assemblers) $101,000 2 .24 OTHER social scientist $47,688 2 .24 OTHER physical scientists $48,613 2 .24 Engineers: Aeronautical, aerospace, astronautical $46,500 2 .24 Other engineers $35,328 2 .24 Unknown $36,995 2 .24 OTHER health occupations $104,000 1 .12 Registered nurses, pharmacists, dieticians, therapists, physician assistants $73,000 1 .12 Computer scientists, except system analysts $71,000 1 .12 Geologists, including earth scientists $72,800 1 .12 Engineers: Marine engineer or naval architect $15,600 1 .12 Clergy and Other Religious Workers $50,440 1 .12 Engineers: Sales $48,000 1 .12 Engineers: Nuclear $47,840 1 .12 Health Technologists and Technicians (e.g., dental hygienists, health record technologists/technicians, licensed practical nurses, medical or laboratory technicians, radiologic technologists/technicians) $33,600 1 .12 Counselors, Educational and Vocational (Also see 236) $32,400 1 .12 Teachers: Secondary - computer, math or sciences $32,240 1 .12 Engineers: Civil, including architectural and sanitary $31,500 1 .12 Forestry, conservation scientists $31,200 1 .12 Computer engineer - hardware $30,648 1 .12 Technologists and technicians in the biological/life sciences $26,000 1 .12 Teachers: Special education - primary and secondary
The information in the table below is based on data from people of all sexes and ages
whose most recent college degree was a masters degree in Economics.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of Salary Observations Majors Description of Occupation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $65,338 53 26.37 Economists $64,676 36 17.91 Top and mid-level managers, executives, administrators (people who manage other managers) $46,206 15 7.46 Accountants, auditors, and other financial specialists $46,435 13 6.47 OTHER management related occupations $35,605 11 5.47 Professors: Economics $53,480 8 3.98 OTHER OCCUPATIONS (Not Listed) $49,114 7 3.48 Computer programmers (business, scientific, process control) $51,520 6 2.99 OTHER marketing and sales occupations $69,125 4 1.99 Insurance, securities, real estate, and business services $36,450 4 1.99 Teachers: Secondary - social sciences $43,950 4 1.99 Computer system analysts $21,183 4 1.99 OTHER administrative (e.g., record clerks, telephone operators) $58,817 3 1.49 OTHER service occupations, except health $47,500 2 1.00 Artists, Broadcasters, Editors, Entertainers, Public Relations Specialists, Writers $54,500 2 1.00 Computer engineer - software $57,200 2 1.00 Operations research analysts, modelling $39,500 2 1.00 Social Workers $41,601 2 1.00 Professors: Business Commerce and Marketing $44,000 2 1.00 Information systems scientists or analysts $60,000 1 .50 Architects Engineers (Also see 101-103) $78,000 1 .50 Engineers: Environmental $66,000 1 .50 Engineers: Chemical $72,000 1 .50 Engineers: Mechanical $60,300 1 .50 Teachers: Elementary $60,400 1 .50 OTHER physical scientists $67,200 1 .50 OTHER computer, information science Occupations $14,820 1 .50 Accounting clerks, bookkeepers $51,000 1 .50 Engineers: Industrial $50,000 1 .50 Sales Occupations - Retail (e.g., furnishings, clothing, motor vehicles, cosmetics) $39,000 1 .50 Teachers: Secondary - computer, math or sciences $36,400 1 .50 Transportation/material moving occupations $36,000 1 .50 Precision/production occupations (e.g., workers, woodworkers, butchers, bakers, printing occupations, tailors, shoemakers, photographic process) $36,000 1 .50 Agricultural and food scientists $34,000 1 .50 Personnel, training, and labor relations specialists $32,223 1 .50 OTHER health occupations $25,000 1 .50 Chemists, except biochemists $23,483 1 .50 Operators and related occupations (e.g., machine set-up, machine operators and tenders, fabricators, assemblers) $21,965 1 .50 OTHER social scientist $21,600 1 .50 Teachers: Secondary - other subjects $20,000 1 .50 Secretaries, receptionists, typists
The information in the table below is based on data from people of all sexes and ages
whose most recent college degree was a Ph.D. degree in Economics.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of Salary Observations Majors Description of Occupation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $56,057 64 39.51 Professors: Economics $86,227 48 29.63 Economists $104,485 20 12.35 Top and mid-level managers, executives, administrators (people who manage other managers) $58,227 9 5.56 Professors: Business Commerce and Marketing $79,923 2 1.23 Operations research analysts, modelling $112,500 2 1.23 OTHER OCCUPATIONS (Not Listed) $50,000 2 1.23 Sales Occupations - Retail (e.g., furnishings, clothing, motor vehicles, cosmetics) $66,500 2 1.23 Information systems scientists or analysts $66,500 2 1.23 OTHER postsecondary $86,180 2 1.23 Accountants, auditors, and other financial specialists $127,000 1 .62 Lawyers, Judges $97,000 1 .62 Insurance, securities, real estate, and business services $37,000 1 .62 Computer programmers (business, scientific, process control) $74,000 1 .62 Forestry, conservation scientists $72,000 1 .62 Computer engineer - software $65,000 1 .62 OTHER mathematical scientists $65,000 1 .62 OTHER marketing and sales occupations $46,370 1 .62 Professors: Computer Science $40,000 1 .62 Professors: OTHER social sciences
Avg 1993 Number of Pct of Salary Observations Majors Description of Field of Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $68,689 106 20.31 Business administration and management $56,339 104 19.92 Economics $73,454 74 14.18 Financial management $88,571 21 4.02 Business, general $46,063 21 4.02 OTHER business management/administrative services $59,002 20 3.83 Accounting $59,415 15 2.87 Business/managerial economics $55,275 14 2.68 Business marketing/marketing management $51,209 12 2.30 Public administration $71,864 11 2.11 Computer science $45,625 8 1.53 Political science and government $51,772 7 1.34 Social Work $45,029 7 1.34 Computer/information sciences, general $63,700 5 .96 Operations research $59,424 5 .96 International relations $30,954 5 .96 Education: OTHER education $31,256 5 .96 Psychology: Counseling $70,779 5 .96 Health services administration $42,860 4 .77 History, other $51,750 4 .77 Education: Administration $63,689 4 .77 Public policy studies $48,450 4 .77 Architecture/Environmental Design $37,502 4 .77 Education: Counselor education/guidance services $40,000 3 .57 Psychology: General $32,000 3 .57 Sociology $44,219 3 .57 Education: Educational psychology $40,133 3 .57 Education: Secondary teacher education $44,600 3 .57 OTHER philosophy, religion, theology $44,219 3 .57 Psychology: Educational $65,183 3 .57 OTHER foreign languages and literature $68,667 3 .57 OTHER computer and information sciences $41,557 3 .57 OTHER social sciences $45,250 2 .38 OTHER FIELDS (Not Listed) $40,750 2 .38 Library Science $61,000 2 .38 Engineering: Electrical, electronics, communications $53,000 2 .38 Public health (including environmental health and epidemiology) $60,000 2 .38 Law/Prelaw/Legal Studies $59,500 2 .38 OTHER communications $41,500 2 .38 Journalism $65,000 1 .19 Engineering: Computer/systems $72,000 1 .19 OTHER engineering $100,000 1 .19 Fine arts, all fields $15,600 1 .19 Area/Ethnic Studies $57,000 1 .19 Mathematics, general $55,000 1 .19 OTHER conservation/renewable natural resources $52,500 1 .19 Marketing research $51,000 1 .19 OTHER physical sciences $46,000 1 .19 Information services and systems $45,000 1 .19 Forestry sciences (Except management) $43,000 1 .19 Agriculture, economics $42,364 1 .19 Education: Elementary teacher education $36,100 1 .19 Education: Special education $34,700 1 .19 Geology $27,600 1 .19 Statistics $27,000 1 .19 Education: Social science teacher education $24,128 1 .19 English Language and Literature/Letters $19,200 1 .19 Engineering: Industrial production technologies $19,000 1 .19 OTHER health/medical sciences
Avg 1993 Number of Pct of Salary Observations Majors Description of Field of Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $72,701 94 58.02 Economics $72,833 6 3.70 Business administration and management $50,500 6 3.70 Sociology $46,600 5 3.09 Education: OTHER education $57,250 4 2.47 Business marketing/marketing management $68,850 4 2.47 Law/Prelaw/Legal Studies $89,250 4 2.47 Financial management $74,365 3 1.85 Business/managerial economics $49,667 3 1.85 English Language and Literature/Letters $50,495 3 1.85 Political science and government $63,000 3 1.85 Agriculture, economics $39,000 2 1.23 OTHER communications $73,900 2 1.23 Geography $51,041 2 1.23 Accounting $53,000 2 1.23 Statistics $56,500 2 1.23 Social Work $26,245 2 1.23 OTHER philosophy, religion, theology $115,000 1 .62 Operations research $150,000 1 .62 Medicine (e.g., dentistry, optometry, osteopathic, podiatry, veterinary) $69,850 1 .62 Mathematics, general $69,000 1 .62 History, other $25,600 1 .62 OTHER psychology $65,000 1 .62 Engineering: Civil $58,032 1 .62 Area/Ethnic Studies $57,200 1 .62 Engineering: Mechanical $48,000 1 .62 Education: Administration $46,080 1 .62 Forestry sciences (Except management) $43,000 1 .62 Education: Counselor education/guidance services $37,000 1 .62 Psychology: General $33,800 1 .62 Public administration $33,000 1 .62 Psychology: Counseling $30,000 1 .62 Business, general
Other advanced degrees include: JD, LLB, ThD, MD, and the DDS.
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Avg 1993 Number of Pct of Salary Observations Majors Description of Field of Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- $81,643 132 82.50 Law/Prelaw/Legal Studies $77,039 19 11.88 Medicine (e.g., dentistry, optometry, osteopathic, podiatry, veterinary) $103,231 4 2.50 Economics $36,400 1 .63 Physical therapy and other rehabilitation/therapeutic services $45,000 1 .63 Financial management $50,000 1 .63 OTHER business management/administrative services $69,000 1 .63 Agriculture, economics $150,000 1 .63 Social Work
Prepared by Prof. Kenneth S. Chapman: kenneth.chapman@csun.edu