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
- +4.1%
- 2024→2025
- $195,190
- Top 10% earn
- -0.7%
- Growth '24–'34
- 2,030
- Estimated US jobs
Mathematicians earn a median of $126,710 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $126,710, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $69,240 (10th percentile) to $195,190 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 2,030 estimated jobs in covered establishments. The highest published state median in this ranking is Washington ($162,280).
The pay verdict
Mathematicians earn a median of $126,710, putting them among the better-paid US occupations and higher than 92% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Computer and Mathematical, it ranks #7 of 21 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 0.7% by 2034.
- $126,710
- Median annual wage
- Top 8%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #7 of 21
- in Computer and Mathematical
- 2.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Washington at $162,280. Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
Observed pay change
What changed, BLS OEWS 2019–2025
- The published national median for Mathematicians moved from $105,030 in May 2019 to $126,710 in May 2025 (+20.6%).
- Across the 749 occupations priced in both releases under SOC-2018, the median occupation changed +24.5%.
- Mathematicians sits -3.8 pp near that median, nominal dollars, no price deflator applied.
Mathematicians (SOC 15-2021) has a national median of $126,710 per year in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025 release. The published 10th-to-90th-percentile boundaries run from $69,240 to $195,190, and the published mean is $129,260. Those summary statistics describe the estimated distribution; their difference alone does not identify its cause. OEWS estimates 2,030 jobs in covered establishments nationally. WageDex has published rows for 12 state or territory areas and 8 metropolitan or nonmetropolitan wage areas. The published national median moved from $121,680 in the May 2024 OEWS release to $126,710 in May 2025, a rise of $5,030 (+4.1%). This is a change between two BLS survey estimates, not an inflation-adjusted same-worker pay raise.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -0.7% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which we classify as declining relative to the all-occupations baseline of 3.1%. About 100 openings are projected per year from growth, occupational transfers, and labor-force exits. BLS assigns Master's degree as typical education needed for entry. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific fatality and injury rate for this role in the current release. The safety panel below shows its broad Computer and Mathematical Occupations SOC-group context and is not an occupation-level measurement or ranking.
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 highest published metropolitan-area median in this ranking is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $185,520. The observed difference does not identify its cause. Pair the national median with the state and metropolitan-area rows below while keeping the geography and statistic consistent. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses, but not employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, or nonproduction bonuses. See our methodology for the sourcing and calculation details.
Median Salary
$126,710
per year
Median Hourly
$60.92/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$129,260
average
Employment
2,030
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Mathematicians pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$126,710 Top 8% higher than 92% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Read the chart as text · as of May 2025
| Band | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| $0–$20,000 | 0 US occupations | 0% |
| $20,000–$40,000 | 98 US occupations | 12% |
| $40,000–$60,000 | 298 US occupations | 36% |
| $60,000–$80,000 | 209 US occupations | 25% |
| $80,000–$100,000 | 82 US occupations | 10% |
| $100,000–$120,000 | 58 US occupations | 7% |
| $120,000–$140,000 (this entry) | 32 US occupations | 4% |
| $140,000–$160,000 | 14 US occupations | 2% |
| $160,000–$180,000 | 9 US occupations | 1% |
| $180,000 and above | 25 US occupations | 3% |
$126,710 · 92nd percentile of 825 US occupations
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 15-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Mathematicians; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Read the chart as text
- Software Developers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 15.8%, Median annual wage $135980
- Computer User Suppor…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -3.7%, Median annual wage $61860
- Computer Systems Ana…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $105850
- Computer Occupations…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.2%, Median annual wage $116580
- Network and Computer…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -4.2%, Median annual wage $99130
- Data Scientists: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 33.5%, Median annual wage $120230
- Information Security…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 28.5%, Median annual wage $129180
- Software Quality Ass…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 10%, Median annual wage $104300
- Computer Network Arc…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 11.9%, Median annual wage $134050
- Computer Network Sup…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 1.8%, Median annual wage $76220
- Web and Digital Inte…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7%, Median annual wage $104000
- Operations Research …: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 21.5%, Median annual wage $88940
- Computer Programmers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -6%, Median annual wage $100390
- Web Developers: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 7.5%, Median annual wage $92650
- Database Administrat…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.7%, Median annual wage $104620
- Database Architects: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.7%, Median annual wage $139500
- Computer and Informa…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 19.7%, Median annual wage $140300
- Statisticians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 8.5%, Median annual wage $105650
- Actuaries: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 21.8%, Median annual wage $130000
- Mathematical Science…: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) 4%, Median annual wage $81490
- Mathematicians: Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) -0.7%, Median annual wage $126710
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-0.7%
Declining
Annual Openings
100
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Master's degree
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Computer and Mathematical Occupations context
Broad SOC context, not an occupation grade
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
Mathematicians pay history, 2015–2025
Published national median across 11 BLS OEWS releases. Nominal dollars, not inflation-adjusted.
Read the chart as text
| Period | National median |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $111,110 |
| 2016 | $105,810 |
| 2017 | $103,010 |
| 2018 | $101,900 |
| 2019 | $105,030 |
| 2020 | $110,860 |
| 2021 | $108,100 |
| 2022 | $112,110 |
| 2023 | $116,440 |
| 2024 | $121,680 |
| 2025 | $126,710 |
2015 median
$111,110
2025 median
$126,710
2019–2025 change (same SOC)
+$21,680 (+20.6%)
Avg/year (same SOC)
+3.2%
| Release | Median | Change | Estimated jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2015 | $111,110 | First banked release | 3,170 |
| May 2016 | $105,810 | -4.8% | 2,730 |
| May 2017 | $103,010 | -2.6% | 2,730 |
| May 2018 | $101,900 | -1.1% | 2,580 |
| May 2019 | $105,030 | Classification break | 2,630 |
| May 2020 | $110,860 | +5.6% | 2,460 |
| May 2021 | $108,100 | -2.5% | 1,770 |
| May 2022 | $112,110 | +3.7% | 2,070 |
| May 2023 | $116,440 | +3.9% | 2,220 |
| May 2024 | $121,680 | +4.5% | 2,220 |
| May 2025 | $126,710 | +4.1% | 2,030 |
Across the 11 releases WageDex holds for this occupation, the published national median went from $111,110 in May 2015 to $126,710 in May 2025. Within the SOC-2018 classification (2019–2025), the like-for-like change averages +3.2% per year in nominal terms. Within the same SOC classification, estimated employment went from 2,630 in May 2019 to 2,030 in May 2025.
Each figure is a separate BLS survey estimate, so a change between releases reflects the estimated occupation-wide median in each year. It is not the raise any individual worker received, and it is not adjusted for inflation. Years where BLS did not publish an annual median for this occupation are omitted rather than filled in. This span also crosses a classification change: releases before May 2019 use the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification and later releases use the 2018 SOC, so figures either side of that boundary are not strictly like-for-like. Headline change rates on this page use only the same-classification subset.
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 |
Same SOC major group
Other detailed occupations in SOC major group 15 (Computer and Mathematical Occupations) - category peers, not a pay match.
Actuaries
SOC 15-2011
Computer Network Architects
SOC 15-1241
Computer Network Support Specialists
SOC 15-1231
Computer Occupations, All Other
SOC 15-1299
Computer Programmers
SOC 15-1251
Showing 5 of 20 detailed occupations BLS assigns to this SOC major group.
Nationwide occupations with similar pay or employment scale
Two OEWS peer sets outside this SOC major group (Computer and Mathematical Occupations). Same-category cards above stay inside the group; these neighborhoods are cross-group nearest neighbors on national median pay ($126,710 here) and reported employment (2,030 jobs here).
Similar median pay
Nearest other detailed occupations by BLS OEWS national median annual wage.
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (floor 1,000 national jobs), distinct from the pay column.
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS national median annual wage and reported employment. Employment peers exclude occupations already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do Mathematicians make? ▼
Where does Mathematicians pay rank nationally? ▼
What state pays Mathematicians the most? ▼
What education do Mathematicians need? ▼
Does BLS publish a safety rate for Mathematicians? ▼
Is Mathematicians a good career? ▼
How does Mathematicians pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Mathematicians? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Mathematicians pay figures in a real decision
- The 75th-percentile wage is about $157,020/year. Treat it as the upper-quartile market boundary, not an automatic target for experience alone; role scope, location, industry, credentials, performance, and employer context still need separate evidence. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Washington leads at $162,280/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Occupation wages use BLS OEWS May 2025; outlook uses BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety, skills, knowledge, and task panels identify their BLS or O*NET sources in context. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.