19
Economists is a notable career in the 19 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Economists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
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11
Managers, All Other
11
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13
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13
| soc | 19-3011 |
| title | Economists |
| onet code | 19-3011.00 |
| description | Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods. |
| job zone | 5 |
| major group | 19 |
| tot emp | 15,880 |
| a mean | 130,910 |
| a median | 115,440 |
| a pct10 | 62,340 |
| a pct25 | 82,260 |
| a pct75 | 166,030 |
| a pct90 | 212,710 |
| h mean | 62 |
| h median | 55 |
The day-to-day work of a economists typically centers on study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Mathematics. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.91 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working economists, the most common entry qualification is a Master's Degree (50.0%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 100% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in District of Columbia at $162,610 and lowest in South Carolina at $51,980 — a 3.1× spread. The top five states (District of Columbia, Virginia, New York, Maryland, Georgia) average $143,550. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $162,610 | $163,820 | $84,390 | — | 3,010 |
| Virginia | $148,010 | $149,770 | $79,100 | $218,880 | 970 |
| New York | $142,300 | $169,520 | $77,740 | — | 870 |
| Maryland | $137,610 | $138,830 | $80,970 | $191,880 | 920 |
| Georgia | $127,220 | $141,820 | $81,630 | $222,120 | 340 |
| Ohio | $117,750 | $130,850 | $62,080 | $219,590 | 130 |
| Washington | $116,390 | $128,120 | $79,750 | $181,420 | 470 |
| Missouri | $115,520 | $129,370 | $70,990 | $201,360 | 210 |
| Kansas | $115,100 | $114,280 | $67,580 | $150,690 | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $113,300 | $110,740 | $63,920 | $151,590 | 710 |
| Illinois | $112,790 | $128,330 | $66,930 | $225,440 | 590 |
| North Carolina | $111,770 | $122,470 | $68,190 | $186,640 | 250 |
| Oregon | $111,660 | $109,360 | $78,040 | $144,600 | 270 |
| Colorado | $111,540 | $112,980 | $66,260 | $169,210 | 230 |
| Tennessee | $110,320 | $110,010 | $72,810 | $142,480 | — |
| Alaska | $108,960 | $123,410 | $64,830 | $174,970 | — |
| Minnesota | $107,470 | $112,460 | $71,380 | $149,690 | 210 |
| Texas | $106,200 | $122,400 | $63,070 | $215,370 | 620 |
| Alabama | $103,400 | $114,850 | $59,950 | $161,110 | 40 |
| Connecticut | $103,200 | $113,300 | $72,910 | $163,220 | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $103,170 | $142,140 | $66,300 | — | 770 |
| New Jersey | $102,350 | $110,270 | $61,450 | $187,280 | 110 |
| California | $100,510 | $125,570 | $71,260 | $193,500 | 1,400 |
| Arizona | $96,390 | $98,750 | $65,000 | $127,520 | — |
| Montana | $95,990 | $104,200 | $63,440 | $142,240 | 70 |
| Indiana | $95,830 | $104,400 | $54,350 | $162,980 | 60 |
| Michigan | $94,850 | $147,280 | $64,240 | $232,850 | 280 |
| Iowa | $92,750 | $101,090 | $52,700 | $137,590 | 70 |
| Florida | $89,250 | $109,420 | $55,390 | $170,850 | 460 |
| Louisiana | $89,010 | $110,960 | $56,540 | $208,330 | 70 |
| Nevada | $84,540 | $87,360 | $63,070 | $118,140 | 90 |
| New Mexico | $82,490 | $91,570 | $62,590 | $126,890 | — |
| Oklahoma | $82,330 | $97,250 | $46,180 | $163,770 | — |
| Hawaii | $81,740 | $94,810 | $63,130 | $149,760 | 60 |
| Maine | $80,670 | $88,250 | $62,110 | $127,240 | 60 |
| Idaho | $78,770 | $83,550 | $39,540 | $136,400 | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $76,940 | $79,240 | $50,450 | $113,730 | 330 |
| Nebraska | $66,690 | $77,180 | $44,120 | $118,420 | 90 |
| Kentucky | $65,470 | $73,910 | $41,040 | $120,640 | 160 |
| South Carolina | $51,980 | $61,730 | $50,390 | $73,670 | 660 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for economists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Agricultural Economist or Business Economist frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Economists compares to others in the 19 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Economists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
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