15 Series · SOC 15-2021
Mathematicians Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $126,710
- Median / year
- $195,190
- Top 10% earn
- -0.7%
- Growth '23–'33
- 2,030
- US workers
Mathematicians professionals earn a median $126,710/year ($60.92/hr) nationally. The salary ranges from $69,240 (10th percentile) to $195,190 (90th percentile). Employment is projected to decline0.7% from 2023 to 2033, declining. The highest-paying state is Washington at $162,280. Approximately 2,030 people work in this role across the U.S. Entry-level education: Master's degree. Workplace safety grade: A (Very Safe).
Mathematicians (SOC 15-2021) pays a national median of $126,710 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $69,240 at the 10th percentile to $195,190 at the 90th, with a mean of $129,260 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 2,030 Americans work in this occupation across 12 reporting states and 8 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -0.7% change in employment from 2023 to 2033, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 100 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Master's degree. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of A for this role, with a fatality rate of 0.3 per 100,000 and injury rate of 0.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Washington pays the highest state median at $162,280, which is +28% above the national figure. The top metro is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $185,520 — metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand.
Median Salary
$126,710
per year
Median Hourly
$60.92/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$129,260
average
Employment
2,030
jobs nationwide
Bar fills relative to a $200K reference ceiling. Marker shows the all-occupations US median for context — anything to the right of it earns above the typical American worker.
Job Outlook (2023–2033)
Projected Growth
-0.7%
Declining
Annual Openings
100
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Master's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2023–2033
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Very Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
0.3/100K
Injury Rate
0.2/100
Danger Index
1/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Mathematicians roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Mentor others on mathematical techniques.
- ▸ Maintain knowledge in the field by reading professional journals, talking with other mathematicians, and attending professional conferences.
- ▸ Develop new principles and new relationships between existing mathematical principles to advance mathematical science.
- ▸ Disseminate research by writing reports, publishing papers, or presenting at professional conferences.
- ▸ Assemble sets of assumptions, and explore the consequences of each set.
- ▸ Perform computations and apply methods of numerical analysis to data.
- ▸ Address the relationships of quantities, magnitudes, and forms through the use of numbers and symbols.
- ▸ Conduct research to extend mathematical knowledge in traditional areas, such as algebra, geometry, probability, and logic.
- ▸ Develop mathematical or statistical models of phenomena to be used for analysis or for computational simulation.
- ▸ Apply mathematical theories and techniques to the solution of practical problems in business, engineering, the sciences, or other fields.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$69,240
25th Percentile
$88,570
Median
$126,710
75th Percentile
$157,020
90th Percentile
$195,190
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 12 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $162,280 | +28% above national |
| 2 | Virginia | $148,030 | +17% above national |
| 3 | Maryland | $131,810 | +4% above national |
| 4 | Illinois | $130,970 | +3% above national |
| 5 | New York | $126,950 | same as national |
| 6 | California | $126,710 | same as national |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $109,260 | 14% below national |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $104,190 | 18% below national |
| 9 | Nevada | $102,890 | 19% below national |
| 10 | Indiana | $88,050 | 31% below national |
| 11 | Colorado | $86,020 | 32% below national |
| 12 | Michigan | $65,510 | 48% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 8 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $185,520 | +46% above national |
| 2 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $164,470 | +30% above national |
| 3 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $156,480 | +23% above national |
| 4 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $130,970 | +3% above national |
| 5 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $113,590 | 10% below national |
| 6 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $109,260 | 14% below national |
| 7 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $104,190 | 18% below national |
| 8 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $102,890 | 19% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 15 (computer and mathematical) with comparable pay and career paths.
Salary Guides
Primary source data
Frequently Asked Questions
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Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.