Economist
Also known as: Economic Analyst, Economic Researcher, Policy Analyst
Analyze data on production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services to advise businesses and governments on economic policy.
Salary Range
The highest-paid specialization or seniority level for economists.
About 1 in 500 reaches this level
About 17,600 economists in the US; Chief Economist roles at major banks, hedge funds, or Federal Reserve paying $400K+ total comp exist at maybe 30-40 firms.
Salary data based on 2025 BLS, Glassdoor, and industry reports. Actual compensation varies by location, experience, and employer.
How to Become One
This career typically requires a master's degree. Here are the top colleges for it:
AI Risk Assessment
Economists face significant AI headwinds as a desk-bound, analytical profession. BLS projects only 1% growth from 2024-2034 — well below the 3% average — with just 900 annual openings across 17,600 total positions. Anthropic's Economic Index found that for every 10 percentage point increase in AI task coverage, BLS growth projections drop 0.6 percentage points — and analytical professions like economics sit squarely in the highest-exposure categories. When ChatGPT entered a blind economics forecasting competition in 2025, it outperformed half the human contestants. Senior economists who interpret AI outputs remain essential, but the entry pipeline through analytical grunt work is narrowing rapidly.
Ratings reflect a 10-year outlook based on 2025-2026 research, weighted toward entry-level impact. Individual outcomes will vary.
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