Economists Salary: $115,440 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 15,880 economists work nationally, and $115,440 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.4% annual growth.
Economists: what the data shows
Common questions about economists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a economists?
Economists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 19-3011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 15,880 workers.
What does a economists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Analyzing Data or Information, Working with Computers, Processing Information, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Thinking Creatively, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a economists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $115,440 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $128,983 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $73,197 |
| 25th percentile | $86,879 |
| Median (50th) | $103,242 |
| 75th percentile | $162,263 |
| 90th percentile | $198,759 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Mathematics, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making, Speaking, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Economics and Accounting, English Language, Computers and Electronics. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is economists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 18.1%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 39.5%.
Current U.S. headcount: 15,880.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do economistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 15,880 | 17.7% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 8,790 | 9.8% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 8,500 | 9.4% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 8,500 | 9.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 7,090 | 7.9% |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 4,830 | 5.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Economists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Financial Advisors | 270,480 | $102,140 |
| Financial Analysts | 340,580 | $101,350 |
| Economics Teachers, Postsecondary | 12,420 | $119,980 |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | 182,320 | $60,990 |
| New Accounts Clerks | 38,030 | $46,610 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary | 2,630 | $77,280 |
| Area, Ethnic, and Cultural Studies Teachers, Postsecondary | 11,430 | $84,290 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Economists workforce.
Employment Over Time
15,880 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Economists grew from 3,160 in 2009 to 5,380 in 2025 (70.3%).
Historical employment for Economists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$115,440 Median pay (BLS national)
Economists earn $115,440 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Economists.
Salary distribution for Economists.
Employment Growth Projections
3.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
6,353 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 18.1%
7,502 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 39.5%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Economists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Economists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Economists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Economists.
Wage Trends by Industry
11.0% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Economists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Economists.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- DC: 3,010 employees, $163,820 avg wage
- CA: 1,400 employees, $125,570 avg wage
- VA: 970 employees, $149,770 avg wage
- MD: 920 employees, $138,830 avg wage
- NY: 870 employees, $169,520 avg wage
- MA: 770 employees, $142,140 avg wage
- PA: 710 employees, $110,740 avg wage
- SC: 660 employees, $61,730 avg wage
- TX: 620 employees, $122,400 avg wage
- IL: 590 employees, $128,330 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Economists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 4,300 employees, $160,290 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 730 employees, $182,320 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 590 employees, $151,950 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 470 employees, $135,790 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 440 employees, $148,970 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 380 employees, $94,680 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 310 employees, $143,060 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 300 employees, $130,270 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 250 employees, $146,040 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 230 employees, $128,400 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Economists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Economists in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Economists is about 15,880 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Economists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Economists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Economists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Economists in 2023 were Business Administration, Economics, Mathematics.
Common majors for Economists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Economists workers.
Education level distribution for Economists.
Skills
Economists need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Mathematics, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making.
Required skills for Economists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Economists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Economists include Mathematics, Economics and Accounting, English Language, Computers and Electronics, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Economists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Economists include Written Comprehension, Written Expression, Deductive Reasoning, Speech Clarity, Oral Expression.
Required abilities for Economists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Economists.
Daily Activities
Economists spend their time on activities such as Analyzing Data or Information, Working with Computers, Processing Information, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Economists.
About
Economists
Economists earn $115,440 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
19-3011 - Economists
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Economists reports an average salary of $128,983, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 15,880 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.