What Career Paths Are Possible in Economics?

In your lifetime you will make many decisions about your career that will affect your income, job opportunities, and where you live. Decisions you don't want to leave to chance. But developing your job skills and earning a degree takes a lot of time, money, and effort. So what are the rewards after all that hard work? People often choose careers based on the income and benefits they expect to receive. But those aren't the only important factors. Quality of life matters too, will your work be meaningful, will you have time for your family, your hobbies, or just kicking back and enjoying life? A career in economics offers many pathways to a balanced and rewarding future, and while economists often go on to complete their masters or Ph.D.'s, a bachelor's degree in economics can open a world of opportunity, a world where diversity is a big plus. Employers are looking for economic thinkers just like you in fields as varied as banking, public service, finance, and real estate. You could be a research analyst using advanced mathematical and analytical methods to investigate and solve complex problems, or a market researcher helping companies understand what products people want and who will buy them. How about a job as a business journalist, or working with a major non-profit organization to study education and health in underserved communities. Any of those jobs will pay a comfortable living wage and can be combined with other areas of interest to make you a specialist in your chosen field, even fashion, film, or sports. Combining your study of economics with computer and data science can put you on a team that designs the kinds of online platforms that increasingly define modern life. Combining economics with psychology can lead to scientific insights about the mind and how it affects economic behavior. Meaningful work and six-figure careers that let you leave the job at the office and enjoy a healthy work-life balance. And if you are fluent in another language, your work could really take you places. So lean into a career in economics you will be challenged to work hard, think deeply, and take risks, and in a way those are rewards too they prepare you to be the best version of who you can be.