SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists” (13-1161).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 19-3011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $67,360 | $5,613 | $1,295 | $32.38 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $89,330 | $7,444 | $1,718 | $42.95 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $124,720 | $10,393 | $2,398 | $59.96 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $174,720 | $14,560 | $3,360 | $84.00 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $238,060 | $19,838 | $4,578 | $114.45 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Economists is $124,720, which is 145% higher. Among the 48 occupations of the field Life, Physical, and Social Science, it ranks number 6 by median pay. With 17,790 jobs, it makes up about 1.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($142,130) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Economists pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($167,590), New Jersey ($167,550) and Delaware ($159,120). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($70,750), Kentucky ($71,400) and Louisiana ($73,050). The most jobs were in District of Columbia (3,000), Maryland (1,130) and Massachusetts (1,030). The occupation is most concentrated in District of Columbia, where its share of all jobs is 37.3 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 3,000 | $167,590 | $175,100 | $80.57 |
| New Jersey | 280 | $167,550 | $161,990 | $80.55 |
| Delaware | 70 | $159,120 | $149,020 | $76.50 |
| Maryland | 1,130 | $144,680 | $146,600 | $69.56 |
| Kansas | 80 | $138,790 | $150,950 | $66.72 |
| Virginia | 950 | $137,590 | $144,880 | $66.15 |
| New York | 910 | $136,660 | $168,580 | $65.70 |
| North Carolina | 290 | $136,150 | $136,220 | $65.46 |
| Idaho | 130 | $131,270 | $119,930 | $63.11 |
| Alabama | 40 | $129,960 | $127,060 | $62.48 |
| Georgia | 260 | $122,570 | $131,680 | $58.93 |
| Oregon | 320 | $122,120 | $116,410 | $58.71 |
| Texas | 560 | $121,420 | $135,080 | $58.38 |
| Colorado | 240 | $121,410 | $127,020 | $58.37 |
| Ohio | 140 | $120,000 | $132,380 | $57.69 |
| California | 860 | $119,410 | $133,680 | $57.41 |
| Tennessee | 80 | $117,650 | $123,810 | $56.56 |
| Missouri | 280 | $117,010 | $134,000 | $56.26 |
| Pennsylvania | 560 | $115,000 | $117,370 | $55.29 |
| Alaska | 80 | $111,040 | $121,300 | $53.39 |
| Washington | 450 | $109,300 | $120,550 | $52.55 |
| Massachusetts | 1,030 | $106,380 | $133,270 | $51.14 |
| Michigan | 320 | $106,350 | $117,980 | $51.13 |
| Minnesota | 500 | $105,120 | $117,980 | $50.54 |
| Florida | 500 | $102,430 | $113,290 | $49.24 |
| Connecticut | 210 | $101,400 | $112,760 | $48.75 |
| Iowa | 70 | $96,310 | $102,020 | $46.30 |
| Arkansas | 50 | $91,560 | $94,330 | $44.02 |
| Maine | 70 | $91,480 | $97,410 | $43.98 |
| Nevada | 70 | $91,340 | $96,620 | $43.92 |
| Oklahoma | 80 | $89,980 | $111,010 | $43.26 |
| Montana | 90 | $89,340 | $97,330 | $42.95 |
| New Hampshire | 50 | $86,130 | $98,080 | $41.41 |
| Wisconsin | 280 | $84,000 | $91,630 | $40.39 |
| Hawaii | 50 | $83,050 | $89,520 | $39.93 |
| Indiana | 80 | $80,750 | $96,780 | $38.82 |
| Arizona | 340 | $79,610 | $99,420 | $38.28 |
| Nebraska | 90 | $75,880 | $86,280 | $36.48 |
| Louisiana | 140 | $73,050 | $89,010 | $35.12 |
| Kentucky | 100 | $71,400 | $83,920 | $34.33 |
| Puerto Rico | 100 | $70,750 | $72,570 | $34.02 |
| New Mexico | 120 | not published | not published | not published |
| Utah | 50 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Political Scientists$142,080 a year
- Astronomers$128,820 a year
- Biochemists and Biophysicists$127,410 a year
- Physical Scientists, All Other$122,570 a year
- Materials Scientists$117,790 a year
- Psychologists, All Other$110,840 a year
Common questions
How much do Economists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $124,720 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $67,360 and the highest-paid 10% more than $238,060.
How many people work as Economists?
About 17,790 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.