Computer and Mathematical · Holland code ICA

Mathematicians

Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields. Solve problems in various fields using mathematical methods.

Also called: Computational Scientist, Cryptographer, Mathematician, Research Scientist, Agent-Based Modeler, Computational Mathematician, Cryptographic Vulnerability Analyst, Research Computing Specialist.

O*NET 15-2021.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $126,710; Middle half earn $88,570 to $157,020. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Doctoral Degree; 45% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 5 of 5; Extensive preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Mathematics5.0 / 5
Critical Thinking4.1 / 5
Reading Comprehension4.0 / 5
Active Learning4.0 / 5
Writing3.6 / 5
Science3.6 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mathematics4.8 / 5
Education and Training3.7 / 5
Computers and Electronics3.5 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Physics3.0 / 5
Engineering and Technology2.9 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic37
Investigative100
Artistic37
Social16
Enterprising2
Conventional67

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

astronomer · DE Astronom/Astronomin · FR astronome
cosmologist · DE Kosmologe/Kosmologin · FR cosmologiste
physicist · DE Physiker/Physikerin · FR physicien/physicienne
mathematician · DE Mathematiker/Mathematikerin · FR mathématicien/mathématicienne
statistician · DE Statistiker/Statistikerin · FR statisticien/statisticienne
biometrician · DE Biometriker/Biometrikerin · FR biométricien/biométricienne

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Occupational therapists (2222)56,000 employed
Podiatrists (2256)16,200 employed
Higher education teaching professionals (2311)258,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Professionals, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€61,714
Germany	€59,529
Ireland	€56,877
Austria	€55,374
Netherlands	€53,595
Sweden	€43,567
France	€41,515
Spain	€35,735
Italy	€33,649
Portugal	€26,072
Poland	€14,380

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the higher third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +1.47. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (15-2021).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test