Career Explorer Science
Grows with AI
Economists
Conduct research, prepare reports, or formulate plans to address economic problems related to the production and distribution of goods and services or monetary and fiscal policy. May collect and process economic and statistical data using sampling techniques and econometric methods.
Among the careers AI is changing fastest: more resilient than 11% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is very high (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it very high), and US jobs are projected to change by +4.7% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on creative vision.
AI can help with many of the tasks, and demand is still growing. Being fluent with AI is the edge here.
- Median pay (2025)
- $124,720
- Job growth to 2035
- +4.7%
- Openings a year
- 1,100
- People doing it (2025)
- 18,600
- Usual route in
- Master's degree
Where people already use AI for this work
- Analyze market or industry conditions
- Present research or technical information
- Assess characteristics or impacts of regulations or policies
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Investigate the environmental impact of industrial or development activities
- Develop plans for managing or preserving natural resources
- Collect environmental or biological samples
What the work looks like
- Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
- Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
- Study the socioeconomic impacts of new public policies, such as proposed legislation, taxes, services, and regulations.
- Explain economic impact of policies to the public.
- Review documents written by others.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- StatisticiansGrows with AI, Index 20, +11.0%
- Data scientistsGrows with AI, Index 22, +34.6%
- Market research analysts and marketing specialistsGrows with AI, Index 21, +7.0%
- AstronomersGrows with AI, Index 24, +7.8%
Also known as: Economic Analyst, Economic Consultant, Economist, Forensic Economist, Environmental Economist, Natural Resource Economist, Research Economist, Resource Economist.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.