Who Are Economists?

Becoming an economist may seem like a steep climb, but there are numerous pathways to success, and not all of them require a PhD. Aspiring economists come from diverse backgrounds and have varying goals. You might attend a small private college, a big state university, or something in between. And whether you work in business, government, banking, or something else, an understanding of economics will help you do your job better. That's why an economics degree is incredibly useful in almost any field. Economists who go all the way to earn a PhD analyze big data to look for patterns or rules they can use to help predict what might happen in the future, or to better understand the problems they want to solve. Economists work everywhere in the world and in all sectors of society. For example, development economists study the economic impacts of serious concerns like food and water security, education policy, and changing climate. Travel to the Amazon like this economist to study and improve the economic outlook for indigenous farmers. Or be an econometrician using calculus, game theory, statistical analysis, and other math techniques to develop forecasts about the effects of inflation and legislation on agriculture, energy, and health. Or write a bestseller that interprets the world in new ways using economic thinking. Economists know that almost everything has something to do with economics, even outer space, and that's why you will find them in the most surprising places.