A background in economics can be a launching point for any type of career, and it’s much more than a discipline focusing on human behavior and its effects on the world around us. In the business world, economics degrees typically lead to jobs in stocks, finance, banking and even government, and many of these positions don’t even have “economics” in their titles. The future is bright, as the demand for economists is expected to rise by 13% by 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Here are five of the top entry-level jobs so you can kickstart your career in economics.

Average salaries from Payscale.com.

Actuary

2022 average salary: $98,383

Like many other economics jobs, an actuary handles data and matters of probability, typically for the insurance industry. For example, figuring out the probability of a natural disaster, like a flood or tornado, which influences premiums and deductibles for a certain area.

Because there’s such a focus on data in today’s insurance industry, the job outlook for an actuary is strong, with growth projected at 18% by 2029.

Lawyer

2022 average salary: $87,104

Believe it or not, many attorneys studied economics before heading to law school. That’s because this type of work deals with making sense of lots of information – one of the foundations of economics. There’s also the factor of understanding human decision-making, which is another focus of economics.

As for job duties, lawyers do a range of things, from creating case arguments to helping clients navigate complex legal issues. Industries can vary as well, like business, finance, tax, real estate and more. UNI advisers are also more than willing to help you navigate next steps if you decide to jump into the law track. 

Economist

2022 average salary: $78,375

Economists look at how scarce resources, such as land, water, materials, labor, etc., satisfy the needs of the larger society. They then take those insights and forecast market trends, build economic models and report back to decision-makers. This role takes excellent data managing as well as inductive and deductive reasoning skills.

Healthcare Administrator 

2022 average salary: 69,366

If you like the idea of helping people, but don’t want to work directly with patients, healthcare administration is a great option. In this field, you will direct the operations of hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare organizations. They are responsible for the administration of these organizations and ensure patients have a positive experience. Healthcare is a stable field and with growing opportunities. 

Analyst

2022 average salary: $62, 541 (data analyst)

This is can be a catch-all title because there are so many different types of analysts in so many industries. Analysts are needed in all industries but are especially common in business, finance, energy and research. In general, analysts take a wealth of data and interpret the data for trends. This is then used for recommendations or predictions.

An Economics degree is a great option for those who are skilled at critical thinking and enjoy analyzing human behavior.

A background in economics can open the door to many opportunities. The critical thinking and analytical skills you develop as an economics major and valuable in many jobs and industries. Whether you are interested in banking, law, or government getting an economics degree from the University of Northern Iowa’s business college is the perfect place to launch your career.