Economics degree: salary, jobs & colleges
Bachelor's graduates in economics earn a median $79,489 four years after finishing, across 368 U.S. colleges. At ages 25-34, people whose degree is in economics earn $85,541, $23,492 more than all bachelor's holders. The most common job is other managers (6%).
Median across 368 colleges; middle half $69,884–$92,453.
College Scorecard field of study (graduates who received federal aid)
Middle half $55,839–$131,184. 8,827 survey respondents.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; field "Economics"; EducationGuide calculation
- All bachelor's, 25-34$62,049
- High school, 25-34$35,638
- This degree vs high school+$49,903/yr
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school
Median across colleges reporting.
College Scorecard field of study
Jobs economics graduates hold
What employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in economics actually do, with U.S. wages and the outlook for each job. The first column comes from the Census survey; wages and growth from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Job | Share of graduates | U.S. median wage | Jobs growth 2025-35 | Typical entry | Interests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Managers | 6% | — | — | — | — |
| Management Analysts | 4% | $101,860 | +10.1% | Bachelor's degree | CIE |
| Financial And Investment Analysts | 4% | $102,740 | +7.2% | Bachelor's degree | CEI |
| Financial Managers | 4% | $166,570 | +9.7% | Bachelor's degree | EC |
| Accountants And Auditors | 3% | $83,680 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree | CEI |
| Software Developers | 3% | $135,980 | +10.2% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 3% | $105,850 | +7.9% | Bachelor's degree | IC |
| Personal Financial Advisors | 2% | $105,070 | +1.4% | Bachelor's degree | ECS |
These 8 jobs account for 30% of employed graduates: people with this degree spread across many kinds of work.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, bachelor's as highest degree, employed); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35; O*NET 31.0 interest codes (R realistic, I investigative, A artistic, S social, E enterprising, C conventional).
Economics earnings by state
Two views of pay: recent graduates of the state's colleges four years out (College Scorecard), and everyone ages 25-34 living in the state with this field of degree (Census). States show a figure only with at least 3 colleges or 100 survey respondents.
| State | Graduates, 4 yrs (colleges) | Ages 25-34 (respondents) |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $78,485 (3) | $67,211 (112) |
| California | $82,697 (39) | $89,493 (1,825) |
| Colorado | $74,264 (8) | $91,372 (287) |
| Connecticut | $81,881 (12) | $78,710 (166) |
| District of Columbia | $91,962 (5) | $110,971 (128) |
| Florida | $74,056 (9) | $75,128 (383) |
| Georgia | $79,456 (7) | $81,140 (171) |
| Illinois | $74,714 (12) | $92,873 (424) |
| Indiana | $85,284 (8) | — |
| Iowa | $76,746 (5) | — |
| Kentucky | $68,532 (3) | — |
| Maine | $107,186 (4) | — |
| Maryland | $76,509 (7) | $83,958 (183) |
| Massachusetts | $90,878 (24) | $95,459 (489) |
| Michigan | $69,884 (11) | $74,113 (165) |
| Minnesota | $85,593 (11) | $81,140 (119) |
| Missouri | $69,359 (5) | — |
| New Hampshire | $85,612 (4) | — |
| New Jersey | $75,195 (13) | $89,205 (414) |
| New York | $83,649 (35) | $109,982 (1,136) |
| North Carolina | $69,296 (9) | $78,204 (218) |
| Ohio | $79,310 (13) | $81,220 (141) |
| Oregon | $75,482 (7) | $83,789 (123) |
| Pennsylvania | $81,228 (31) | $81,140 (234) |
| Rhode Island | $86,408 (4) | — |
| Tennessee | $82,950 (5) | — |
| Texas | $76,842 (14) | $78,710 (588) |
| Utah | $85,136 (3) | $77,561 (106) |
| Vermont | $82,447 (3) | — |
| Virginia | $86,681 (13) | $89,375 (297) |
| Washington | $77,572 (10) | $89,375 (251) |
| Wisconsin | $70,386 (12) | — |
College Scorecard field of study (median of each college's graduates); Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata; EducationGuide calculations.
Colleges where economics graduates earn the most
In the states we cover so far (Florida, Virginia, California): 22 in Florida, 26 in Virginia, 55 in California offer this major. Open a college to see cost to finish and payback for your income.
| # | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claremont McKenna CollegeCA | $146,524 | $12,000 |
| 2 | University of California-BerkeleyCA | $135,050 | $13,000 |
| 3 | Santa Clara UniversityCA | $121,307 | $19,500 |
| 4 | Washington and Lee UniversityVA | $115,837 | $23,399 |
| 5 | Stanford UniversityCA | $112,700 | $12,500 |
| 6 | University of VirginiaVA | $110,773 | $19,000 |
| 7 | William & MaryVA | $105,467 | $19,678 |
| 8 | Pepperdine UniversityCA | $104,943 | $24,250 |
| 9 | Occidental CollegeCA | $103,164 | $25,590 |
| 10 | University of RichmondVA | $100,608 | $23,000 |
| 11 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA | $98,927 | $18,500 |
| 12 | University of California-Santa BarbaraCA | $98,178 | $13,516 |
College Scorecard field of study. Colleges meeting our core-data standard; online campuses left out.
Related degrees
Economics degree questions
How much do Economics graduates make?
Economics graduates earn a median $79,489 four years after finishing, across 368 U.S. colleges that report it (the middle half of colleges: $69,884 to $92,453; College Scorecard, graduates who received federal aid). Among all workers ages 25-34 whose bachelor's degree is in economics, the median is $85,541 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is a Economics degree worth it?
At ages 25-34, people with a bachelor's in economics earn a median $85,541: $23,492 more than all bachelor's degree holders ($62,049) and $49,903 more than high school graduates ($35,638). EducationGuide calculation from Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers not in school.
What jobs do Economics graduates get?
Among employed 25-34-year-olds whose bachelor's is in economics, the most common jobs are other managers (6%), management analysts (4%), financial and investment analysts (4%).
How much do Economics graduates earn in Florida?
Across 9 Florida colleges reporting, Economics graduates earn a median $74,056 four years after graduating; at ages 25-34, Floridians with this field of degree earn $75,128.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey microdata; Bureau of Labor Statistics; O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all degrees
Cite this: “Economics degree: salary, jobs and colleges,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/degrees/economics.