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Mathematics

Types of Degrees Mathematics Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Mathematics can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	4,428
Bachelor’s Degree	17,367
Master’s Degree	2,535
Doctor’s Degree	1,182

What Mathematics Majors Need to Know

Studies in Mathematics develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Mathematics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Mathematics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Mathematics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Mathematics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Mathematics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Mathematics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Mathematics graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Data Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Postdoctoral Associate
• Clinical Research Director
• Clinical Research Manager
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Program Manager
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Clinical Research Monitor
• Clinical Trial Coordinator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Mathematics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	49.2%
Master’s degree	18.9%
Doctoral degree	9.0%
Post-doctoral training	5.1%
Postsecondary certificate	4.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.2%
Some college courses	3.7%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%
Post-master’s certificate	1.0%
First professional degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Mathematics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 63.3% of Mathematics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	9,369	36.7%
Men	16,149	63.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Mathematics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	11,475	45.0%
Asian	3,519	13.8%
Hispanic or Latino	3,921	15.4%
Black or African American	811	3.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	60	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	22	0.1%
Two or More Races	1,036	4.1%
Race Unknown	694	2.7%
International Students	3,980	15.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Mathematics Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Mathematics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$51,386
4 years	$65,097
5 years	$75,512

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,512 — roughly 47% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Mathematics Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for Mathematics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	34	26
Bachelor’s	17	38
Master’s	18	25
Doctoral (Research)	1	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Mathematics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Mathematics graduates earn a median of $65,097 four years after completion — roughly 71% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Mathematics and Statistics	27
Applied Mathematics	27.03
Applied Statistics	27.06
Mathematics and Statistics, Other	27.99
MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS	27.00
Statistics	27.05

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.