PlotFuture / Majors / 45.06

What can you do with a
Economics degree?

Economics is modest-paying, AI barely touches it, and you would have escape routes.

Is this major worth the money?

Real graduate earnings vs. the debt you'd carry — and how long it takes to pay off.

4.5 yrs

to pay back the degree

+$30k

earnings premium vs no degree

Median earnings

$75,362

Typical debt

$20,500

4-yr net cost

$78,496

Monthly loan payment

$233/mo

If you earn:

Where this major actually leads

9 careers it opens — bar color = AI risk, tag = how hard the path is.

Regulatory Affairs Managerscommon

AI risk 7 → 56 future · +4.5% demand

Statisticiansleap

AI risk 21 → 79 future · +8.5% demand

Data Scientistsleap

AI risk 46 → 75 future · +33.5% demand

Economistsstretch

AI risk 24 → 50 future · +1.2% demand

Economics Teachers, Postsecondaryleap

AI risk 0 → 48 future · +2.1% demand

Survey Researchersstretch

AI risk 43 → 62 future · -5.2% demand

Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialistsleap

AI risk 65 → 50 future · +6.7% demand

Social Science Research Assistantsleap

AI risk 44 → 67 future · +4.4% demand

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Educationleap

AI risk 29 → 33 future · -1.6% demand

● green = AI-safe · red = AI-exposed · click any career for the full breakdown

How this is built. We take every career this major leads to (CIP→SOC official crosswalk), then join each one's real salary (BLS/DOL), AI exposure (O*NET + model), demand growth, and skill-based escape routes. ROI from College Scorecard. Every figure here is joined from official sources, not estimated.