Economists
Research economic conditions and trends to inform business and policy decisions.
At a glance
The AI read on Economists: 94th percentile exposure, very high displacement risk, 3/100 working with AI, leaning toward displacement. Getting in usually takes a doctoral degree. Pay for Economists centers on a $124,720 median, $57,530 above the typical occupation we cover, and 40% above the Life & Physical Science median. Projected employment change for 2025 to 2035 is +4.7%, 1.0 points above typical growth across the occupations we cover. Hiring volume is roughly 1,100 openings a year, among the smaller pools in our data. Where the projection for Biochemists is +12%, the figure here is +4.7%.
Similar pay in Life & Physical Science
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Active Learning
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 50 states and DC. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | 3,000 | 4.3 | 37.4× | $168k |
| Maryland | 1,130 | 0.4 | 3.6× | $145k |
| Massachusetts | 1,030 | 0.3 | 2.5× | $106k |
| Virginia | 950 | 0.2 | 2.0× | $138k |
| New York | 910 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $137k |
| California | 860 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $119k |
| Illinois | 562 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 0.8× (estimated) | $125k (estimated) |
| Pennsylvania | 560 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $115k |
| Texas | 560 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $121k |
| Florida | 500 | 0.1 | 0.4× | $102k |
All 50 states and DC
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 500 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $105k |
| Washington | 450 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $109k |
| Arizona | 340 | 0.1 | 0.9× | $80k |
| Michigan | 320 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $106k |
| Oregon | 320 | 0.2 | 1.4× | $122k |
| North Carolina | 290 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $136k |
| Missouri | 280 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $117k |
| New Jersey | 280 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $168k |
| Wisconsin | 280 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $84k |
| Georgia | 260 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $123k |
| Colorado | 240 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $121k |
| Connecticut | 210 | 0.1 | 1.1× | $101k |
| South Carolina | 201 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 0.8× (estimated) | $115k (estimated) |
| Louisiana | 140 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $73k |
| Ohio | 140 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $120k |
| Idaho | 130 | 0.2 | 1.3× | $131k |
| New Mexico | 120 | 0.1 | 1.2× | $122k (estimated) |
| Kentucky | 100 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $71k |
| Mississippi | 99 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 0.7× (estimated) | $98k (estimated) |
| Montana | 90 | 0.2 | 1.5× | $89k |
| Nebraska | 90 | 0.1 | 0.8× | $76k |
| West Virginia | 88 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 1.1× (estimated) | $103k (estimated) |
| Alaska | 80 | 0.2 | 2.1× | $111k |
| Indiana | 80 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $81k |
| Kansas | 80 | 0.1 | 0.5× | $139k |
| Oklahoma | 80 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $90k |
| Tennessee | 80 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $118k |
| Delaware | 70 | 0.1 | 1.3× | $159k |
| Iowa | 70 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $96k |
| Maine | 70 | 0.1 | 1.0× | $91k |
| Nevada | 70 | 0.0 | 0.4× | $91k |
| South Dakota | 57 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 1.1× (estimated) | $99k (estimated) |
| North Dakota | 56 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 1.1× (estimated) | $108k (estimated) |
| Wyoming | 53 (estimated) | 0.2 (estimated) | 1.6× (estimated) | $111k (estimated) |
| Rhode Island | 52 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 0.9× (estimated) | $135k (estimated) |
| Arkansas | 50 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $92k |
| Hawaii | 50 | 0.1 | 0.7× | $83k |
| New Hampshire | 50 | 0.1 | 0.6× | $86k |
| Utah | 50 | 0.0 | 0.3× | $116k (estimated) |
| Alabama | 40 | 0.0 | 0.2× | $130k |
| Vermont | 39 (estimated) | 0.1 (estimated) | 1.1× (estimated) | $114k (estimated) |
Top metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV4,570 jobs · $157k median
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ850 jobs · $176k median
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH820 jobs · $108k median
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA250 jobs · $100k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA220 jobs · $123k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD220 jobs · $140k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX210 jobs · $122k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA200 jobs · $152k median
Explore the rankings
Explore Economists interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.