As you are probably aware, STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. If you have studied the former three fields, there are many career opportunities to choose from. But while math is the foundation of every STEM subject from bioengineering to coding, it’s a little more difficult to pinpoint careers that require a degree in mathematics, specifically. Believing we can’t be the only ones with this question, and knowing there are math lovers and parents of math lovers among us, we put together a list of some of the best STEM careers for serious math lovers. By looking at factors such as the 10-year growth rate we have pinpointed fields that will surely have openings in the future. We’ve also highlighted the male to female ratio and racial diversity within the given careers paths. Finally, we’ve pointed out the egregious pay gaps between men and women so that women know what they’re getting into (and how much to ask for).

(Data updated in April 2023)

Actuary¹

• Pay Gap
• • $33,000
• Male/Female Ratio
• • 35% Female

• 10 Year Growth Rate
• • 17%

• Racial Diversity
• • 76% White

An actuary is a mathematical professional who looks at risks and their financial consequences. They use financial theory, statistics and math to study uncertain futures. They usually work in the insurance field but there is a big need for them in government, banking, healthcare, and various types of consulting firms, businesses and unions. Actuaries are responsible for designing plans that mitigate risk or control the impact of potential losses such as loss of income, unsuccessful financial transactions, loss of life or injury. They also assist with implementing these plans, from financing to operations, so this career path requires a strong understanding of business as well.

Market Research Analyst²

• Pay Gap
• • $30,000

• Male/Female Ratio
• • 60% Female

• 10-year projected job growth
• • 17%

• Racial Diversity
• • 72% White

This job requires individuals to analyze marketing and sales trends in order to forecast potential sales for a service or product – what people want, who will buy them, and at what price. They measure the effectiveness of current marketing strategies and gather data about consumers, competitors, as well as market conditions. Additionally, they have to be able to communicate this information in a way that is understandable to those who don’t have a background in the field. This requires someone who has a background in math, but also someone with great communication skills.

Financial Analyst³

• Pay Gap
• • $45,000

• Male/Female ratio

• 10-year projected job growth
• • 6%

• Racial Diversity
• • 66% White

A financial analyst looks at financial conditions on both a macro and micro economic level and uses their knowledge of business to make predictions about the strengths and weaknesses of a company’s potential financial decisions. Some of the more common roles an analyst is given is to recommend what moves a company should or shouldn’t make when it comes to buying and selling stocks or help analyze the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Companies heavily rely on financial analysts to make sure that a company’s growth is not only stable but increasing. While the salary is high at an average of $115,000 a year, it has the biggest pay gap of all the careers on this list.

Technical Writer⁴

• Pay Gap
• • $5,000

• Male/Female Ratio
• • 56% Female

• 10-year projected job growth
• • 7%

• Racial Diversity
• • 79% White

Technical writers rely on both English and Math skills in order to translate complicated processes in a way the average person can understand them. For example, if a paper is published about the discovery of an exoplanet, which took a complicated series of equations to find, it’s a technical writer’s job to explain how the equations worked to determine that the planet exists. They also talk to engineers and scientists and work to manage the information flow between project teams so that everyone is on the same page.

Key Takeaways:

• These careers require great math and communication skills, and the ability to effectively collaborate with other key stakeholders.
• These careers often additionally require a sound understanding of business, a strong understanding of human behavior, and the ability to use software databases.
• There is a lot of forecasted growth in fields that require mathematical acumen.
• Even in fields where women have a majority of representation, there are still monumental wage gaps.
• There is a serious lack of racial and ethnic diversity in math fields.

Just as math is at the core of any STEM career, diversity and equality are at the heart of Women & Hi Tech’s mission. Because many of these roles are vital to how any organization functions and grows, it’s imperative that we encourage young women who love math to pursue these types of careers; there is certainly a lot of opportunity and math majors have some of the highest levels of job satisfaction! To find out about more great opportunities in math-related fields, the Association for Women in Mathematics has some great resources. Also, if you’re interested in learning more about math careers, this article features nearly 25 more careers that math lovers can consider.

¹https://datausa.io/profile/soc/actuaries

²https://datausa.io/profile/soc/market-research-analysts-marketing-specialists

³https://datausa.io/profile/soc/financial-analysts

⁴https://datausa.io/profile/soc/technical-writers