Career outlook for
Figures and forecasts for roles at the same level, which require similar skills and qualifications.
Average UK salary
£61,880
Currently employed in Scotland
3,700
Five year job forecast
+5.26%
"LMI for All" supplies our salary and employment status information. "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures.
What's it like?
You would help governments to develop policies and businesses to plan financial strategies for the future.
You’d do research and analyse statistics. You’d look at issues like how much people earn, how much things cost and how people spend their money.
You’d apply economic theory to come up with ideas about what’s happening in the economy and what it might mean for the future. You’d explain your ideas clearly and simply to people with less technical knowledge than you.
You could work for a government department, a business, a bank or another organisation.
You would:
- Research information from computer databases, websites, journals and newspapers
- Look at past and present economic issues and trends
- Create mathematical models to predict future developments
- Analyse statistics
- Produce reports
- Present findings to your employer or client
- Write reports for the media
- Examine the effectiveness of current policies
- Advise on the potential economic impact of policies and ideas
If you work in a university you may also teach students as well as doing research.
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
Travel
UK employment status
Full-time
86%
Part-time
8%
Self employed
5%
Create a qualification route
We’ve found some examples of the qualifications that could help you get this job.
Discover my routeTop skills
Here are some of the skills needed for this job. Sign in to see how your skills match up.
- Time management
- Developing a plan
- Attention to detail
- Analysing
- Verbal communication
- Written communication
- Cooperating
- Social conscience
- Researching
- Working with numbers
Build your skills
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Entry requirements for courses can change. Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you’ll need.
Qualifications
You would need a first or second class honours degree (SCQF 10). Some employers require postgraduate qualification (SCQF 11).
Though you can apply for this job with any degree, courses with a numerate, finance and/or business focus and with units in economics or development studies can be particularly helpful.
To enter an economics degree requires National 5 qualifications and Highers at BBBC or above or a relevant HNC/HND.
To enter a finance/economics postgraduate qualification usually requires a degree in a related discipline at 2:1 or above and/or relevant work-based experience.
Useful subjects
- English (required by most employers and courses)
- Maths (required by most employers and courses)
- Accounts
- Economics
- Statistics
- ICT subjects
- Business
- Social subjects
You will also need
Once in the job you may find it useful to join a professional body such as the Royal Economic Society or the Society of Business Economists.
Related industries
