Mathematician Career Information: The Top Ten Jobs for Mathematicians (Part 1)

Mathematician Career Information: The Top Ten Jobs for Mathematicians (Part 1)
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Emphasizing the Importance of Mathematics

To enlighten a college undergraduate who aspires to become a mathematician, career information gives focus on the kind of mathematical discipline to acquire in relation to a desired field of specialization. Many are unaware that all technological advancements that take place in almost every industry are conceptualized and developed through the use of mathematical principles and calculations.

Everything that has been achieved today has all been derived from mathematical abstractions. Studies of artifacts provide evidence dating as far back as 30,000 B.C., that even the earliest civilizations made use of patterns and counting units. The ancient Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese civilizations created and developed the different systems and procedures currently used for algorithms in today’s age of computerization.

Payroll, acreages, taxes, census, logistics, costing, profits, accounting, astronomy, military units, music, medicine, engineering, designing–in fact, every system under the sun involves mathematical applications. However, high-tech advancements have come to a point where it becomes obvious that the latest breeds of American graduates are unable to deliver the same degree of competency provided by foreign mathematicians.

Actually, this started to become evident at the turn of the 21st century, when business industries demanded the strengthening of computerized systems in response to the scare created by the Y2K predictions. As a result, it also gave birth to the outsourcing of foreign skills for various industries.

The Need for Aspiring Mathematicians to Excel

National Park Service 9-11 Statue of Liberty and WTC fire

In today’s technologically complex environment, mathematicians are needed in order to innovate through the use of algorithms. Thus, career counselors have found it necessary to provide career information for America’s aspiring mathematicians, since competition is stiff not among fellow American job prospectors but among foreign counterparts.

Most of the top American companies are hiring foreign nationals to fill key positions, as exemplified by California’s Silicon Valley. In fact, the Hoover Institution of Stanford University summarized its statistical findings by stating that 30 percent of employees based in the US are not US citizens.

The university’s publication is entitled “Give Me Your Skilled, Your Trained,” as it sardonically refers to the iconic passage in Emma Lazarus’ New Colossus sonnet “Give me your tired, your poor…” Ironically, it’s America’s original invitation to foreigners to join in the country’s quest for industrial growth and development.

The following sections therefore will provide overviews about specific types of mathematical disciplines on which to concentrate for different mathematician careers. Information will give emphasis that the tasks involved are not only for the application of math as computational tools, but also for the conceptualization of simulation models and determination of patterns used for logical analysis and problem solving.

Career Information for Graduates of BS Engineering Degrees with Major Concentrations in Math

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There are two classes of mathematicians by which this career information is categorized, theoretical and applied. Careers for theoretical mathematicians are centered mostly on academic and research work. Graduates with a BS degree in pure mathematical sciences find entry level positions in academic settings as researchers and analysts. Taking up Master’s and PhD degrees in advanced mathematical studies will open their career advancement avenues to become heads of research teams, while at the same time performing in professorial positions.

Applied mathematicians find work outside of the academic field, and are expected to have solid foundations in math and its applications. However, most employers in the non-academic or business sectors prefer BS Engineering graduates with dual majors for math and another related discipline like computer science, statistics, business, finance, and materials engineering for entry-level positions.

Find on the next page more on mathematician career information, including a comparison of career outlooks for theoretical vs. applied mathematicians.

Comparison of Career Outlooks Between Theoretical vs. Applied Mathematicians

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Comparisons between these two types of mathematical learning show that while theoretical mathematicians are still spending time in the academy in pursuit of a master’s or doctorate degree, those who have completed bachelor’s degrees with dual majors in applied math and a related field have already found work as semi-skilled mathematicians in the non-academic or business sector.

Accordingly, after five years of graduate studies in PhD, the theoretical mathematicians’ career prospects are for post-doctoral appointments and tenures in the academic world.

In the same length of time, the applied mathematicians who excelled in entry-level positions would have advanced as project managers and are already undergoing succession planning programs as future managers.

As candidates for future key managerial and executive positions in the company, it denotes that the applied mathematicians’ proficiency and contributions in analyzing, conceptualizing, and problem-solving abilities have been taken into account. The company’s management and career-training programs will address the additional qualifications they need as they proceed in every level of advancement.

In view of this information, bachelor in science undergraduates who intend to major in math will have to work closely with their department counselors in determining their math subjects. There should be a clear communication about their career plans as future mathematicians. Taking up advanced math subjects is an essential consideration to enhance their qualifications. In addition, they should have awareness that several math disciplines are present in both theoretical and applied mathematics.

Top Ten Jobs for Mathematicians - Career Information for the Non-Academic or Business Sector

1. Scientific Researchers

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Business Industries:

(1) Research and Development in Biotechnology (2) Software Development (3) Pharmaceuticals

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $39,730 to $85,902

Top Employers:

(1) Procter & Gamble (2) Microsoft (3) Oak Ridge National Laboratory

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) New York, NY (2) Boston, MA (3) Cincinnati, OH (4) Houston, TX (5) San Jose, CA (6) Philadelphia, PA and (7) Chicago, IL.

2. Logistics Engineer

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Business Industries:

(1) Aerospace and Defense (2) Logistic Services (3) Government Contractors (4) Shipping/Warehousing/Transportation, Distribution Logistics (5) Engineering Consulting

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $56,073 to $81,476

Top Employers:

(1) Northrop Grumman (2) Lockheed Martin Corp (3) General Dynamic Land Systems (4) Boeing Company (5) Raytheon Technical Services Company

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) St. Louis, MO (2) San Diego, CA (3) Huntsville, AL (4) Baltimore, MD (5) Orlando, FLA

3. Business Analyst – IT

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Business Industries:

(1) Information Technology Services (2) Insurance (3) Financial Services (4) IT Consulting (5) Healthcare Providers

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $51,823 to $80,358

Top Employers:

(1) Accenture (2) J.P. Morgan Chase & Co (3) Computer Science Corp. (4) Electronic Data systems, Inc. (5) Hewlett Packard

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) New York, NY (2) Chicago, IL (3) Minneapolis, MN (4) Washington, DC (5) Houston, TX and (7) Atlanta, GA

4. Software Engineer/Developer/Programmer Jobs

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Business Industries:

(1) Software Development (2) Software Application (3) Aerospace and Defense (4) Financial Services (5) Computer Hardware/Software Manufacturer

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $52,307 to $79,929

Top Employers:

(1) IBM (2) Microsoft (3) Lockheed Martin (4) Northrop Grumman (5) Cisco Systems

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) New York, NY (2) Chicago, IL (3) San Francisco, CA (4) Seattle, WA (5) Austin, TX (6) Los Angeles, CA and (7) San Jose, CA

5. Systems Engineers - Computer/ Networking and IT

Matt Inaki, computer network defender coach-trainer of SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego, shows how to monitor the activity of a network to Air Force Staff Sgt. Daryl Graham and Information Systems Tech

Business Industries:

(1) Information Technology Services (2) IT Consultancy (3) Government Contractors (4) Aerospace and Defense (5) Financial Services

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $49,753 to $79,250

Top Employers:

(1) Lockheed Martin (2) Cisco Systems,(3)Northrop Grumman (4) Raytheon Co (5) Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) New York, NY (2) San Diego, CA (3) Chicago Illinois (4) Atlanta, GA (5) Washington DC (6) Houston, TX and (7) Dallas, TX

Please continue on page 3 for more on mathematician career information

Continuation of Top Ten Jobs for Mathematicians- Career Information for Non-Academic or Business Sector

6. Network Engineers

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Business Industries:

(1) Information Technology Services (2) Network & Communications Services (3) Internet Service Provider (4) Telecommunications and ( 5) IT Consulting

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $49,621 to $75,844

Top Employers:

(1) Computer Science Corporation (2) Cisco Systems Inc. (3) Verizons Communication, Inc (4) Science Applications International, Corp. and (5) AT & T, Inc.

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) Denver, CO (2) Houston, TX (3) New York, NY (4) Chicago, IL (5) Dallas, TX (6) Philadelphia, PA and (7) Atlanta, GA

7. Environmental Engineer Jobs

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Business Industries:

(1) Environmental Consulting (2) Engineering Consulting (3) Government (4) Energy/Utility Providers

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $50,055 to $74,071

Top Employers:

(1) Arcadis, US (2) URS Corp. (3) CH2M Hill (4) Environmental Resource Management, Inc. (5) Aecom Corporation

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) Denver, CO (2) Houston, TX (3) New York, NY (4) Chicago, IL (5) Dallas, TX (6) Philadelphia, PA and (7) Atlanta, GA

8. Mechanical Design Engineers

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Business Industries:

(1) Engineering Consulting Firms, (2) Aerospace & Defense, (3) Aerospace Manufacturing, (4) Manufacturing and Distribution, (5) Heavy Equipment Manufacturing

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $52,337 to $70,682

Top Employers:

(1) General Electric Co. (2) Boeing Company, (3) General Electric – Energy (4) General Electric - Aviation and (5) Northrop Grumman

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) Houston, TX, (2) San Diego, CA (3) Chicago, IL (4) Los Angeles, CA (5) Cincinnati, OH (6) Portland, OR, and (7) Boston, MA

9. Entry Level Actuarial Analyst Jobs

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Business Industries:

(1) Insurance Companies (2) Health Insurance (3) Consultancy Firms (4) Human resources Consulting Services (5) Business Consulting

Average Annual Salary I_ncluding Bonuses and Profit Shares:_ $44,191 to $58,840

Top Employers:

(1) Towers Perrin (2) Watson Wyatt Worldwide (3) Mercer (4) American International Group (AIG) (5) Hewitt Associates, Inc

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) Chicago, IL (2) New York, NY (3) Louisville, KY (4) Boston, MA (5) Atlanta, GA (6) San Francisco, CA and (7) Cleveland, OH

10. Civil Engineers in Training Jobs

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Business Industries:

(1) Engineering Consulting (2) Construction Projects (3) Transport Industry (4) Architectural and Engineering Services

Average Annual Salary Including Bonuses and Profit Shares: $44,626 to $56,935

Top Employers:

(1) URS Corp. (2) US Army Corps of Engineers (3) Jacobs Engineering Groups (4) Black and Veatch (5) Kimley-Horn & Associates

US Cities Where This Job is Popular

(1) Houston, TX (2) Chicago, IL (3) Dallas, TX (4) Seattle, WA (5) Denver, CO (6) Boston, MA and (7) Austin, TX

Note: All of the top ten jobs for mathematicians in this career information review require computer applications to which mathematical proficiencies are the key elements for success.

Reference Materials and Image Credits:

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