Occupation · SOC 19-3011
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.
Median wage
$115,440
$62,340–$212,710
Projected growth
+1.1%
Slower than average
Annual openings
20
per year
Employed (US)
15,880
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
670 mapped
Core skills
Reading ComprehensionMathematicsCritical ThinkingJudgment and Decision MakingActive ListeningWritingSpeakingActive Learning
Knowledge areas
MathematicsEconomics and AccountingEnglish LanguageComputers and ElectronicsEducation and Training
Technology & tools
Analytical or scientific softwareObject or component oriented development softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareGeographic information system
Representative tasks
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.Provide advice and consultation on economic relationships to businesses, public and private agencies, and other employers.Formulate recommendations, policies, or plans to solve economic problems or to interpret markets.Conduct research on economic issues, and disseminate research findings through technical reports or scientific articles in journals.Supervise research projects and students' study projects.Develop economic guidelines and standards, and prepare points of view used in forecasting trends and formulating economic policy.Teach theories, principles, and methods of economics.Testify at regulatory or legislative hearings concerning the estimated effects of changes in legislation or public policy, and present recommendations based on cost-benefit analyses.Provide litigation support, such as writing reports for expert testimony or testifying as an expert witness.Forecast production and consumption of renewable resources and supply, consumption, and depletion of non-renewable resources.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Standard datasets (BLS, BEA, Census, FRED) — retrieve, clean, and document under a senior economist's review.Statistical software (Stata, R, Python) — produce reproducible scripts for routine analyses.Descriptive analytics and chart packs — build to a defined template for internal briefings.Microdata access protocols (RDC, FSRDC) — follow correctly on assigned projects.Reproducibility and code review — apply consistently across project repositories.Literature reviews on assigned topics — produce annotated summaries for a project lead.Standard regressions and diagnostic tests — run and interpret under a postdoc's guidance.Working-paper formatting and citation standards — apply with care across submissions.Survey-data cleaning and weighting — perform per published documentation.Project-tracking tools (Jira, Asana, GitHub) — use accurately within an active team.
developing
Independent empirical studies — design and execute on focused questions within a research group.Causal-inference methods (DiD, IV, RD, synthetic controls) — apply correctly to applied datasets.Forecast and nowcast pipelines — build and maintain for an internal economics shop.Junior analysts and research assistants — manage on standard data work.Reproducibility packages and replication archives — prepare for journal submission.Briefings for policymakers or business leaders — deliver clearly with appropriate caveats.Working papers and peer-reviewed articles — co-author for general-interest and field journals.Methodological notes and benchmark comparisons — author for internal documentation.Conference presentations (AEA, regional meetings) — deliver and respond to questions.Research budgets and consultant contracts — manage at task scale.
proficient
Research programs on substantive policy or market questions — lead across multi-year arcs.Externally funded grants (NSF, foundation, agency) — win at the principal-investigator level.High-impact publications — lead through revision in top general-interest and field journals.Doctoral students and senior research associates — advise on independent research.Policy briefings at agency or executive level — deliver under tight timelines with defensible analysis.Cross-institutional research consortia — lead working groups within larger initiatives.Methodological innovation — contribute new estimators or identification strategies validated in publication.Editorial roles at field journals — hold with rigorous and timely review practice.Industry and government engagements — maintain as a recognized expert on a substantive topic.External communication (op-eds, podcasts, hearings) — deliver clearly to non-economist audiences.
advanced
Research direction for a department, institute, or central-bank research function — set across years and people.Major policy designs (tax, monetary, trade, antitrust) — architect at the institutional level.Disciplinary norms (open science, ethics, replication) — advance through major society and journal leadership.Public-trust communications — lead during periods of crisis or contested policy debate.Doctoral and postdoctoral pipelines — build and steward across cohorts.Senior policy advisory roles — hold at agency, ministerial, or central-bank level.Cross-disciplinary collaborations (CS, statistics, public health) — catalyze at institutional scale.International policy networks and standards — shape through advisory and editorial roles.Major awards, named lectures, and editorial leadership — hold consistent with sustained influence.Legacy mentorship and field-shaping methodology — institutionalize through textbooks and training.
Also known as
42 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Project EconomistEconomic ConsultantResearch AnalystForest EconomistAgricultural EconomistForensic EconomistInternational Trade SpecialistHealth EconomistHealthcare Economics ConsultantBusiness EconomistEconomic SpecialistRevenue Research AnalystEconomic Development SpecialistPolicy OfficerPolicy AdvisorFinancial EconomistIndustrial EconomistMedical Economics ConsultantTrade EconomistEconomic AnalystForecast AnalystFiscal EconomistEnvironmental EconomistLabor EconomistMedical Economics AnalystHome EconomistTax EconomistConsultant EconomistEconomistDefense Systems Analyst (Marine Corps 8852)Health Economics ConsultantEconomic Development ManagerEconomic AdvisorStatistical Data Analyst (Navy 2085)Social EconomistResearch EconomistResource Planning AnalystEconomic Research AnalystPrice EconomistHealthcare Economics Analyst