Those who specialize in mathematics are needed by almost all companies engaged in industrial and scientific research. In addition, organizations involved in computational work or statistical analysis make use of the talents of those trained in this field. Advanced work is necessary for students who plan to do research in pure mathematics. Career options for mathematics majors who have completed both theoretical and practical courses include jobs in business, industry, science and government.
Graduates trained in statistics are particularly in demand in statistical analysis, investment counseling, and actuarial work. The Mathematics Department is one of the sponsors of the Actuarial Studies and Quantitative Finance Program. For more information on this program and the certificate tracks available to students, see the Actuarial Studies and Quantitative Finance program website.
A nationwide need for well-trained secondary school mathematics teachers provides opportunities for students who have taken the appropriate program and earned state licensure. Please contact the School of Education for further information.
Career Services offers free services for all CU Boulder degree-seeking students, and alumni up to one year after graduation, to help students discover who they are, what they want to do, and how to get there. They are the bridge between academics and the world of work by discussing major and career exploration, internship or job searching, and graduate school preparation.
The 2016 median salary for mathematicians and statisticians with a master’s degree was $81,950 per year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the 2017-18 College Salary Report by PayScale Human Capital:
- the median salary for someone with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics and 0-5 years of experience is $57,600;
- median salary for 10-plus years of experience, $113,200.
At CU Boulder, Mathematics graduates earn less than the nationwide average of comparable majors as reported by PayScale. CU Boulder alumni in this discipline earn an estimated annual salary of $90,551 based on a pool of 476 alumni who graduated between 1989 and 2018. This amount, however, is slightly higher than the average for all CU Boulder graduates with a bachelor's degree, according to a survey by Esmi Alumni Insight of 25,000 alumni who graduated during that same stretch.
Job growth for mathematics and statistics field is projected to be 33 percent for 2016-2026, compared to the average for all jobs (7 percent), according to the labor-statistics bureau.