Mathematics: Career areas

A 2012 HESA survey of 2011 graduates indicates that a little under half of mathematics students entered full or part-time work within six months. A further 14.3% were combining work with further study, often for finance-related examinations.

The areas of work chosen were wide ranging, with around 40% of students working in business, finance and associate professional roles, 6% working as commercial, industrial and public sector managers and 7.8% as IT professionals. Just over 7% are working as education professionals, with the remaining majority being split between retail, catering, waiting and bar staff and other clerical and secretarial occupations.

Where are the jobs?

There is a demand for mathematicians and statisticians across a very wide range of sectors. With a mathematics degree it is possible to find a career in the petroleum and nuclear industries, in medicine, many forms of engineering and many varied government departments. The Institute of Mathematics and its Applications  has a careers leaflet giving details of 10 sectors and 72 job titles, plus example employers.

Those who have specialised in statistics can find work in the Government Statistical Service (GSS) , the National Health Service (NHS) (see NHS Careers ), local councils, pharmaceutical industry, insurance companies, market research and marketing companies, banks, accountancy firms, universities, colleges and schools. There are also opportunities for employment with publicly funded research institutes or government agencies including the:

• Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)  
• Medical Research Council (MRC)  
• Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)  
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)  
• Countryside Council for Wales (CCW)  

For an insight into some of the relevant employment sectors, see:

• accountancy, banking and finance 
• business, consulting and management
• public sector

For further information on possibilities in other employment areas, see job sectors. 

Statistics are collected every year to show what HE students do immediately after graduation. These can be a useful guide but, in reality, because the data is collected within six months of graduation, many graduates are travelling, waiting to start a course, paying off debts, getting work experience or still deciding what they want to do. For further information about some of the areas of employment commonly entered by graduates of any degree discipline, check out What Do Graduates Do?  and your degree...what next?