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Mathematician

Academic programs / Undergraduate degrees / Career opportunities / Mathematician

Mathematician

Explore employment trends, required job duties and skills for this career. ASU offers a variety of degrees that can help you prepare for and meet your career goals. Visit ASU's Career and Professional Development Services to learn how to develop your career plan.

Potential job titles in this career
Agent-Based Modeler, Computational Mathematician, Computational Scientist, Cryptographer, Cryptographic Vulnerability Analyst, Mathematician, Research Computing Specialist, Research Scientist, Researcher

* Additional schooling, certification, or degrees maybe be required for some of the potential careers that are listed.
What will I do?
  • Mentor others on mathematical techniques.
  • Maintain knowledge in the field by reading professional journals, talking with other mathematicians, and attending professional conferences.
  • Develop new principles and new relationships between existing mathematical principles to advance mathematical science.
  • Disseminate research by writing reports, publishing papers, or presenting at professional conferences.
  • Assemble sets of assumptions, and explore the consequences of each set.
  • Perform computations and apply methods of numerical analysis to data.
  • Address the relationships of quantities, magnitudes, and forms through the use of numbers and symbols.
  • Conduct research to extend mathematical knowledge in traditional areas, such as algebra, geometry, probability, and logic.
  • Develop mathematical or statistical models of phenomena to be used for analysis or for computational simulation.
  • Apply mathematical theories and techniques to the solution of practical problems in business, engineering, the sciences, or other fields.
  • In this career, it is important to know
    Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.

    Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    It's useful to be good at
    Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

    Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

    Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

    Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

    Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

    Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

    Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

    Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

    Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

    Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
    Employment trends
    Location Pay period 2024
    10% 25% Median% 75% 90%
    United States Hourly $30.50 $41.21 $58.50 $73.72 $90.22
    Yearly $63,430 $85,720 $121,680 $153,340 $187,660
    Arizona Hourly
    Yearly
    2024 Median%
    United States $58.50 Hourly $121,680 Yearly
    Arizona Hourly Yearly

    Employment (2024)
    2,400 employees
    Projected growth (2024 - 2034)
    Little or no change
    Projected job openings (2024 - 2034)
    100
    * Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

    Program term definitions

    Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.

    Accelerated master's

    These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).

    Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.

    Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.

    Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.

    ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.

    ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.

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