Careers in Mathematics
For students looking for a teaching career, TROY's Mathematics Education program, where students couple a math major with an Education major, continues to produce excellent and award-winning secondary education teachers. Our graduates are sought after by school districts throughout the region.
In addition, the job outlook for math graduates seeking non-teaching careers has never been better. In a recent Careercast.com article entitled The Best Jobs of 2018, five of the top ten careers that made the list were math-related: Mathematician, Statistician, Data Scientist, Operations Research Analyst, and Actuary.
Mathematician secured the number two spot on the list and Data Scientist came in at number seven. In the 21st century, we are increasingly reliant on technology for our day-to-day living. Mathematicians and Data Scientists can both find a variety of well-paying job opportunities in the technology sector that focus on examining and analyzing data.
The occupation of Statistician held the number five spot on CareerCast.com's best jobs list and also ranks as one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, expecting a job growth rate of 34% between 2016 and 2026. To help prepare our students to fill positions created by the expected growth in the Statistics field, our department recently added a minor in Statistics.
Operations Research Analyst came in at number nine. Operations research analysts use advanced mathematical and analytical methods to help organizations identify and solve problems and make better decisions. Like statistics, this particular field is experiencing rapid growth, expecting the number of available jobs to increase by 27% over the next ten years.
Taking the number ten spot was Actuary which also requires an educational background strong in mathematics. Actuaries use statistical data to evaluate risk, and the potential economic impact associated with certain risks, largely in the insurance sector.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2017 mean salary for Mathematicians is $104,700, for Statisticians is $88,980, for Actuaries is $114,850, and for Operations Research Analysts is $86,510.
We are proud to report that Troy mathematics graduates are securing lucrative jobs with a variety of employers including (but not limited to) Microsoft, NASA, South Central Bell, Bluebell Ice Cream, ALFA, Regions Bank, National Security Agency, CAS/Wyle Group, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Developmental Center, and AFLAC.