Careers For Aspiring Mathematicians

Mathematics is essential to our daily transactions and applications. All through the years, dedicated mathematicians have made notable contributions to society, by solving problems in diverse fields, including medicine, economics, computer science, psychology, social science, management, physics and engineering.

Mathematicians And How They Fare

Those who adhere to the Pythagoras path, use a combination of computing techniques, computer technology, mathematical theories and algorithms to solve engineering, economic, business and physics problems. Many students pursue higher degrees in general mathematics to become full-fledged mathematicians and then go on to teach. However, these days applied math is becoming a subject of choice for most students. Those with a Bachelor's or Master's Degree have excellent employment opportunities in specific fields, involving research. Math majors, in applied and general mathematics do extremely well in their chosen careers.

According to a survey, in 2004, mathematicians were successfully employed in nearly 2,500 positions. In addition, over 20,000 mathematicians held faculty positions in universities and colleges.

Careers For The Math Savvy

Those who have a penchant for the subject can pursue careers in areas like engineering and construction, planning and surveying, research and development, pharmacology and medicine, finance and insurance and any related field of science. Mathematics is often a combination subject. It is taken up with another subject. A successful combination can result in the following options:

-If you are good at math and love geography, you can pursue a career in community development, transportation planning, code enforcement, economic development, natural resources, historic preservation, urban design, parks and recreation and housing.
-If you specialize in math and biology, you can be a microbiologist, physiologist, marine biologist, medical practitioner, zoologist, botanist, ecologist and biotechnologist.
-If math and biology are your chosen subjects, you can pursue a career as a hydrologist, sedimentologist, glacial geologist, volcanologist, paleomagnetist, petroleum geologist, environmental scientist, engineering geologist, paleontologist, geochemist, geomagnetist and seismologist.
-If you have excellent math abilities and also enjoy computer science, then you can probably pursue a career as a network systems analyst, computer scientist, computer programmer, database administrator, telecommunications specialist, software engineer or a programmer analyst.
-When you combine math with art, you can be a part of an exciting profession, like a commercial and industrial designer, landscape architect, archivist, architect, graphic designer, drafter and interior designer.
-Mixing math with business gives you interesting professions such as estimator, broker, financial analyst, ratings analyst, actuary, statistician, accountant and auditor, financial advisor and financial planner to consider.

Many mathematicians work for state governments, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturing, software publishers and aerospace.

By and large, mathematics affects most of what we do in life. It is the foundation for most other subjects and it is fascinating in its own realm. With the consistent technological advancements, applications and career opportunities in mathematics are expanding.