Occupation salary profile

Economists

SOC 19-3011 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

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).

National median · BLS
$124,720
▲ +8.04% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$133,286
▲ +10.31% YoY · 744 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$142,130
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
17,790
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Economists

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 744 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$67,360$82,000
25th$89,330$99,269
Median (50th)$124,720$133,286
75th$174,720$180,000
90th — top pay$238,060$230,000
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $133,286 for Economists — 6.9% above the BLS national median of $124,720.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Economists

BLS projects employment of economists to grow 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 1,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
18,600 → 19,500
+900 jobs
Projected change
+4.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
1,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Master's degree
No related experience required
Self-employed
0.3% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 5)
Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a master's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $133,286
Change vs prior year +10.31%
After inflation (CPI-U) +6.96%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level I 235 31.6% $82,083 $92,500 $109,884
Level II 250 33.6% $115,000 $140,000 $170,000
Level III 141 19% $158,009 $170,056 $190,000
Level IV 98 13.2% $188,500 $228,391 $250,000
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Economists

The 12 most-filed job titles inside SOC 19-3011, from 744 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Economist 136 18.28% $134,540 $156,700 $185,000 -5.03%
Analyst generic 67 9.01% $92,500 $102,803 $110,000 +3.65%
Associate generic 61 8.2% $170,000 $200,000 $230,000 +11.11%
Research Associate 26 3.49% $100,000 $114,366 $160,000 +25.68%
Economic Research Analyst 16 2.15% $111,500 $112,000 $125,000 +18.65%
Associate, Competition 16 2.15% $98,750 $210,000 $221,250 +110%
Research Analyst 14 1.88% $103,164 $120,570 $127,719 +16.87%
Revenue Science Analyst 12 1.61% $92,930 $95,650 $99,519 +15.3%
Research Economist 12 1.61% $123,884 $136,032 $165,485 +61.94%
Vice President generic 10 1.34% $200,200 $235,000 $296,250 —
Consultant generic 10 1.34% $104,750 $110,000 $133,750 —
Revenue Science Advisor 10 1.34% $107,706 $114,932 $121,641 +13.91%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Economists

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking4.1
  • Mathematics4.1
  • Reading Comprehension4.1
  • Active Listening4.0
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.0
  • Speaking4.0
  • Writing4.0
  • Active Learning3.8
  • Complex Problem Solving3.8
  • Instructing3.3
Top knowledge areas
  • Mathematics4.5
  • Economics and Accounting4.5
  • English Language4.0
  • Computers and Electronics3.8
  • Education and Training3.1
  • Communications and Media2.8
  • Law and Government2.7
  • Administration and Management2.6
Software and technology used
Microsoft AccessMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft Power BIMicrosoft PowerPointPythonRSASStructured query language SQLTableauStataCorp StataStatistical softwareC++IBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft Visual BasicMicrosoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What economists do

  • Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
  • Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
  • Study the socioeconomic impacts of new public policies, such as proposed legislation, taxes, services, and regulations.
  • Explain economic impact of policies to the public.
  • Review documents written by others.
  • Provide advice and consultation on economic relationships to businesses, public and private agencies, and other employers.
  • Formulate recommendations, policies, or plans to solve economic problems or to interpret markets.
  • Supervise research projects and students' study projects.
Also called
Economic AnalystEconomic ConsultantEconomistForensic EconomistEconomic AdvisorEconomic Development SpecialistProject EconomistResearch EconomistRevenue Research AnalystTax Economist
Specialties within this occupation
  • Environmental Economists
More job titles for this occupation (38)
Agricultural EconomistBusiness EconomistConsultant EconomistEcological EconomistEconometricianEconomic DeveloperEconomic Development ManagerEconomic Research AnalystEconomic SpecialistEnergy EconomistEnvironment and Natural Resources Economics ResearcherEnvironmental EconomistEnvironmental Protection EconomistFinancial EconomistFiscal EconomistForecast AnalystForest EconomistHealth Economics ConsultantHealth EconomistHealthcare Economics AnalystHealthcare Economics ConsultantHome EconomistIndustrial EconomistInternational Trade SpecialistLabor EconomistMarine Resource EconomistMedical Economics AnalystMedical Economics ConsultantNatural Resource EconomistNatural Resource SpecialistPolicy AdvisorPolicy OfficerPrice EconomistResearch AnalystResource EconomistResource Planning AnalystSocial EconomistTrade Economist

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.