Careers in Mathematics: How Math Can Be Useful

Houston, TX

By: Oluchi Victoria Nnadi

11/8/2023

It’s that time of the day. The one that some people dread the most: math class. An absolute snooze fest: it’s a class flooded with content that makes no sense, a teacher who doesn’t even bother to teach, and an army of know-it-all’s blabbering about their perfect scores. For a variety of reasons, many people think that math sucks.

Even so, what many people don’t think about is the success it can bring. If you break through the ice and swim around deep below the surface you might catch a glimpse of the true importance of math and how its many career paths can lead someone to not only become a richer, but also a smarter and happier person. Math can be useful in a variety of areas; even if math isn’t the main point of the job, chances are there are some applications. For example, math is used in accounting, finance, physics, computer programming, and many other fields. But remember: math is not just used in our careers; it plays a crucial role in various aspects of our lives. From budgeting expenses to navigating routes, math is a tool that empowers us to make informed decisions and solve real-world problems. With that being said, here are three amazing careers that put math on a pedestal.

One of the most popular math related fields is accounting and financial planning. Most accounting and financial planning jobs are generally quite stable; in these careers, employees look at financial records and plan for the future. Individuals and businesses constantly generate financial data that requires analysis and management. Math is really important because when accountants and financial planners aren’t meeting with new clients they spend the bulk of the day crunching numbers, looking at graphs, and analyzing patterns. Accuracy is very important in these jobs because one mistake could destroy someone’s future or an entire company.

Another career that is heavily influenced by math, is practically any job title ending in physicist. From astrophysicist to nuclear physicist all the way to quantum physicist all of these job titles have strong ties to math. These jobs usually require much higher levels of math and very logically gifted brains. Physicists are always experimenting and working to discover new things about our world. Math plays a huge role in their experiments as they often need to measure substances, use mathematical formulas to calculate quantities, and display their results with graphs and other mathematical expressions.

The last major math related career is computer programming/software engineering. Computer programmers/software engineers write and revise code for software and other digital applications. They need to use math to accomplish these tasks because coding often involves mathematical processes like functions and just numbers in general. In addition, the analysis skills learned in math and science classes will help people with these jobs analyze/evaluate their code and find the most efficient route to accomplish their tasks.

By learning math, you are learning how to think analytically, solve problems creatively, and make informed decisions. And even if math isn't the main focus of your career, you will need to have at least some math skills if you want to stay afloat. Here are some words from Rehan, a student at Country High School, “even [a]s a musician, math [will be] intrinsically related to my passion. As a sailor, math [will be] intertwined with the workings of my boat. As a human, math [will be] the building block for all that functions.” Rehan's words serve as a reminder that math is a versatile tool that can be applied to a wide range of careers and personal pursuits. So, don't shy away from math; embrace it as a fundamental skill that can open doors to success.

Sources:

The Learning Network. “What Students Are Saying about the Value of Math.” The New York Times, The New York Times Company, 10 Nov. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/11/10/learning/what-students-are-saying-about-the-value-of-math.html.

“Careers with Math: 13 Great Job Opportunities You Should Consider.” Western Governors University, Western Governors University, 21 June 2023, www.wgu.edu/blog/careers-math-great-job-opportunities-should-consider2306.html#openSubscriberModal.

Mesrobian, Carrie. “Jobs That Use Math: 10 Appealing Options for Number Crunchers.” Rasmussen University, Rasmussen College, 7 Feb. 2011, www.rasmussen.edu/student-experience/college-life/jobs-that-use-math/.

(All photos are from Adobe Stock)