Home › Trades › Economics

Economics

1 schools compared · Average earnings $70,785/yr

Quick Facts: Economics Training

Where it's offered

Economics programs are offered at 1 schools across 1 states. Most students attend a school within driving distance of home — use the state picker below to see programs near you.

Earnings expectations

Graduates earn approximately $70,785/year on average one year after completion, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and regional cost-of-living.

Apprenticeship pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 2 registered apprenticeship pathways related to Economics — earn-while-you-learn alternatives to traditional schooling. See apprenticeship.gov for the federal registry.

Program quality benchmark

Across the 1 schools we analyze, the average TradeSchoolOutlook Score is 58/100. Higher-scoring programs combine strong graduate earnings, manageable cost, and strong job-market demand — see the leaderboard further down for the highest-rated options.

What Economics Graduates Do

You might start your career as a market research analyst, diving into consumer data with tools like SPSS and Tableau to build reports that explain why people buy what they buy. Another common path is data science, where you’ll use Python or R to clean messy datasets and build predictive models for everything from financial risk to customer behavior.

Read more

As you gain experience, you can advance to senior analyst or lead data scientist roles, managing larger projects and mentoring junior team members. Initial salaries are solid, but with experience, you can move into high-earning management positions, directing strategy for a whole department, or become a specialized consultant. Demand is particularly strong in data-focused roles, with data science projected to grow exceptionally fast.

It’s true that AI and software are automating routine data analysis. This frees you up to focus on the human side: asking the right strategic questions, interpreting complex results, and communicating your findings to decision-makers. The most successful professionals are those who master the tools but also excel at explaining the "why" behind the numbers.

Closely-related paths include Political Science, Social Sciences, and Sociology, which share overlapping job markets and training components.

Schools Offering
1
Avg Grad Earnings
$70,785/yr
Avg TradeSchoolOutlook Score
58/100
Apprenticeship Paths
2
View pathways ↓

Registered Apprenticeship Pathways

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes 2 registered apprenticeship occupations related to Economics. Apprenticeships let you earn while you learn — most have zero tuition costs and pay wages from day one.

Apprenticeship Training Hours Type Salary RangeSalary Growth
Data Scientist
RAPIDS 2079CB 		Competency Competency $83K – $112,590 – $156K 33.5%
Health Information Management Privacy And Security Officer
RAPIDS 2073CB 		Competency Competency $100K – $136,550 – $179K 4.5%

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Partners Information Database (RAPIDS). Wages and job growth from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 projections.

Find Economics Programs in Your State

Trade and community college programs are local decisions — most students pick a school within driving distance. Economics is offered at 1 schools across 1 states. Click your state to see all trade programs offered locally.

North Carolina (1)

Top Economics Programs Nationally

For context, here are the highest-scoring Economics programs in the country. Most students attend a school within 60 miles of home, so your state list above is usually more actionable — but these are the benchmarks others compete against.

1 schools ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click any row for full earnings projections and career analysis.

# School Score Earnings ROI
1 Davidson College
Davidson, NC		 69
60–72		 $70,785/yr 19.6x

Highest Earning Economics Programs

Schools where Economics graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings Score
Davidson College $70,785/yr 69

Best ROI for Economics

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Economics.

School ROI Multiple Earnings Score
Davidson College 19.6x $70,785/yr 69

Related Majors

Explore similar fields of study.

Sociology Political Science Psychology Biology English

Considering a 4-Year Degree?

Compare the trade route with a bachelor's degree. See how Economics degree programs stack up on earnings and ROI.

Compare Economics degree programs on DegreeOutlook →

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the typical salary after a Economics program?
Across 1 schools, Economics graduates earn an average of $70,785 per year in their first year after completing the program. Earnings range from $70,785 to $70,785 depending on the school.
How safe is Economics from automation and AI?
Our analysis rates Economics as "Exposed" for automation risk. With 41% of tasks requiring physical presence or manual skill, a moderate share of the work in this trade remains beyond AI's reach.
What's the top-ranked school for Economics?
Davidson College leads all 1 programs with a TradeSchoolOutlook Score of 69/100. Graduates earn $70,785/yr — the ranking weighs earnings, ROI, AI resilience, and job market size equally.
What's the ROI on a Economics program?
The average 10-year earnings multiple is 19.6x tuition. This is a strong return on investment. The spread between the best and worst programs is wide, so individual school selection has a major impact.
Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, and DOL RAPIDS. Methodology & sources →