There are many career opportunities for people with degrees in mathematics. It is a common misconception that people with math degrees can only go on to teach mathematics. This couldn't be further from the truth. In today's information-driven society, people with good mathematical reasoning and problem solving skills are in high demand. Often industry seeks out people with degrees in mathematics not for any particular mathematical skill which they might possess, but rather for their problem solving skills (since good mathematicians tend to be good problem solvers).

It is impossible to list every career where problem solving skills are needed since this would include almost every career in the universe. However, below we list several common career choices for people with degrees in mathematics:

Statistician

• Implementation of market research design and design analysis
• Average starting salary (B.S.) -- $43,448

Actuary

• Estimating premiums for life and accident insurance and pension plans
• Evaluating risks and liabilities in business and construction
• Average starting salary (B.S.) -- $53,111

Operations Researcher

• Project management
• Production planning and scheduling
• Average starting salary (B.S.) - $45,305

Software Designer

• Programs solutions to engineering or business problems
• Designs algorithms in numerical computations
• Average starting salary (B.S.) - $46,750

Educator

• Teaching secondary, college and university mathematics
• Scholarly research

Government Agency Employee

• Design various surveys and censuses
• Intelligence gathering and analysis (National Security Agency, CIA, FBI)
• Prepare analytical data
• Produce demographic and economic research on other countries