College & Workforce Readiness

These 3 Fast-Growing Careers Require Strong Math Skills. Students Should Know About Them

By Sarah D. Sparks — August 16, 2023 1 min read
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Did you know that strong math skills could help land your students one of these high-demand careers?

In a recent TikTok video, Education Week Assistant Editor Sarah D. Sparks, unpacks three of the careers with the highest growth potential that require strong math skills.

Data and statistics have become one of the most sought-after skills for new employers across many different jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Sheri Johnson, a math teacher at the independent Mount Vernon School in Sandy Springs, Ga., noted that if schools begin to introduce data and statistics in elementary school, then students are likely to get earlier exposure to the kinds of jobs that use data, writes Sparks in “Good-Paying Careers in Data Are Booming. But Schools Aren’t Teaching It.” Schools across Georgia are expanding K-12 data and statistics standards starting this fall.

Here’s a look at the three jobs in data that have high median salaries.

Statisticians and data scientists rank among the fastest-growing jobs, harnessing math to solve intricate problems and extract valuable insights.

Actuaries predict uncertainties’ economic impacts, statisticians collaborate on complex challenges, and data scientists uncover meaningful data trends.

With growth projections of 21 percent, 31 percent, and 36 percent respectively, these careers offer median annual salaries ranging from $95,000 to $106,000.

Watch the video to learn more.

@edweek Strong math skills can potentially help you land one of these three in-demand jobs. #teachertok #math #actuary #statistics #datascience ♬ original sound - Education Week

Read about more statistics careers and the fastest growing occupations here. To dive deeper into employers’ increasingly urgent calls for workers with data skills, and ways teachers can integrate more data science into math across K-12 grades, explore the Miscalcuating Math project.

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