Economists Salary: $128,983 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 15,880 economists nationally earn a mean of $128,983. Employment in the series shown fell about 11% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.4% annual growth.
Key Statistics
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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $73,197 |
| 25th percentile | $86,879 |
| Median (50th) | $103,242 |
| 75th percentile | $162,263 |
| 90th percentile | $198,759 |
What education do you need?
For Economists, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
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 Workforce in 2023
The Economists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Economists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$128,983 Average Wage
In 2023, Economists earned an average of $128,983.
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.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 1,290 employees, $129,461 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Economists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 380 employees, $97,253 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 240 employees, $166,665 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 200 employees, $140,692 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 190 employees, $135,749 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 100 employees, $119,670 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 70 employees, $127,195 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 50 employees, $117,242 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 30 employees, $178,020 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 20 employees, $115,064 avg wage
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville MSA: 10 employees, $174,322 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Economists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Economists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Economists in 2023 was 15,880 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
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
The average yearly wage for Economists was $128,983 in 2023.
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.