Careers in STEM - Mathematics

STEM Careers: Mathematics

It is time for mathematics! 

Any mathematics student with a passion for problem-solving can look forward to a successful career. The skills you develop while studying mathematics are in high demand, and there is no shortage of interesting jobs that will tap into your analytical, problem-solving, and logic skills. 

Whether we are cooking, driving, balancing our checkbook, or watching a movie, we’re going to find math or numbers at some point. If you enjoy working with numbers you may easily find STEM job opportunities. Here are some great STEM careers in math.

Biostatistician

A biostatistician’s work is driven by questions relating to the health of people—as individuals or members of the population. For instance, how might the benefit of treatment vary based on an individual’s characteristics, such as genotype or exposures? Every research question poses a unique challenge. Biostatisticians consider the nature of information available from sources such as genomic studies or large medical discharge records databases, and then how the information was collected and what populations it represents.

Biostatisticians can also work in ecology to predict how ecosystems will change or in agriculture, helping farmers choose which crops to grow and which methods will be most effective.

The average salary for a biostatistician is 145,364 USD per year in the United States and requires a Master’s degree.

Actuaries 

An actuary uses math and statistics to estimate the financial impact of uncertainty and help clients minimize risk. With an average salary of over 111,000 USD, this profession offers a strong employment outlook and projected job growth, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Actuaries tend to focus on a specific area within the company, such as personal lines (auto and homeowners), specialty lines (boat, motorcycle, etc.), or business insurance. 

Actuaries made a median salary of 111,030 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made 151,060 USD that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made 83,550 USD.

Logisticians 

A logistician is someone who analyzes and coordinates an organization’s supply chain—the system that moves a product from supplier to consumer. They manage the entire life cycle of a product, which includes how a product is acquired, distributed, allocated, and delivered. Logisticians essentially work in every industry.

Logisticians oversee activities including purchasing, shipping and transportation, inventory, warehousing, and delivery. They may direct the transportation of a range of goods, people, or supplies, from common consumer goods to military supplies. 

Logisticians use sophisticated software systems to plan and track the movement of goods. They operate software programs specifically designed to manage logistical functions, such as procurement, inventory management, and other supply chain planning and management systems.

Logisticians made a median salary of 76,270 USD in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made 98,400 USD that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made 57,810 USD.

Learn more about our STEM programs for Professional Development

Data Scientist 

If you enjoy solving complex, real-world problems, you’ll never be bored as a data science professional. The primary responsibility of this job is to find answers and insights by analyzing and processing vast amounts of raw data. 

Data scientists answer questions about the business from the context of data. They leverage data to create new product features and tend to do more modeling and open-ended research. 

They’ll spend a lot of time cleaning data to make sure that it is usable for their models and their machine learning algorithms. When you watch Netflix and see a personalized list of recommended shows, that’s machine learning algorithms and data science at work.

The median salary for a data scientist remains high at 95,000 USD. The median salary for a mid-level data scientist is 130,000. If this data scientist is also in a managerial role, the median salary rises to 195,000. 

Financial Analyst 

Financial analysts examine financial data and use their findings to help companies make business decisions. Often, their analysis is meant to inform the investing decisions of companies.

In the financial services industry, one of the most coveted careers is that of the analyst. The main role of a financial analyst is to pore over data to identify opportunities or evaluate outcomes for business decisions or investment recommendations. Financial analysts can work in both junior and senior capacities within a firm, and it is a niche that often leads to other career opportunities.

The financial services industry is competitive and it can be tough to break into the field. However, it implies a lot of fun and challenge for those who love numbers. 

Financial Analysts made a median salary of 83,660 USD in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made 112,460 USD that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made 63,670 USD.

Market Research Analyst 

A market research analyst helps companies determine the target consumers for their goods or services.

Market research analysts examine market trends in relation to their target audience's shopping patterns and demographics. Their research work helps companies optimize their products, choose their advertising channels and determine price points.

Many employers require market research analysts to have at least a bachelor's degree in an area, such as marketing. A marketing degree helps potential marketing research analysts learn about marketing principles, consumer behavior patterns, macroeconomics, and business communications.

Market research analysts require a range of soft and hard skills to perform well in their job roles.

Market Research Analysts made a median salary of 65,810 in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made 93,030 that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made 48,040. 

Technical Writer 

Technical writing is the art of conveying complex information to an audience with varying amounts of familiarity with the subject.

Technical writers, also known as technical communicators, might be employed in a number of fields, which range from manufacturing to the sciences to information and emerging technology. They use their expertise to write everything from how-to guides and journals to instruction manuals and supporting documents such as FAQ pages.

Technical Writers made a median salary of 74,650 USD in 2020. The best-paid 25 percent made 95,690 USD that year, while the lowest-paid 25 percent made 57,960 USD.

STEM Careers: Mathematics

AND here we reach our fourth and last delivery for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Careers. Which one is your favorite? 

Are you interested in professional development in the STEM world? We are the best option! 

Remember that at NextWaveSTEM®, you can provide your students with programs where “We teach” and we drive positive academic outcomes with quality instruction from NWS®-trained instructors.