10 Careers for People Who Love Math

Mathematics is applicable to nearly every industry today, from science and technology to business, retail, healthcare, and more. Professionals with advanced degrees in math are highly desirable for their mastery of certain skills—particularly for their critical thinking and problem-solving expertise, says Thomas Goulding, lead faculty member for Northeastern University’s programs in artificial intelligence and analytics.

“You won’t see too many job postings for theoretical mathematicians, but where the field of study becomes especially valuable is in a graduate’s ability to apply mathematical concepts to solve any problem they put their mind to,” Goulding says. “Mathematicians have strongly developed logical skills and decomposition skills, they’re very organized, and they can more easily attack big-picture problems.”

Math majors diverge into two distinct career paths: While some may work in academia as math researchers, others work in diverse industry roles. The industry path is far more common than academic research, Goulding says.

Industry roles vary greatly and the opportunities are endless based on your interests. People with an advanced degree in mathematics and an interest in technology may work as computer programmers, software developers, or data scientists, for example. Others with business interests may take jobs working as auditors or financial analysts, or work as medical scientists if they’re pursuing a career in the healthcare industry.

“You have to transfer your math skills into something that’s interesting and useful to you,” Goulding says. “Ask yourself where your interests lie and how a variety of industries could use technical people like yourself.”

Here’s a sample of 10 careers for people who love math.

 

Career Communities: Accounting & Finance, STEM

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