The 6 Best Jobs for Analytical Thinkers

If you love working with numbers, consider becoming an actuary. Actuaries help companies avoid, identify, and manage financial risks in their organizations. These well-paid financial experts mostly work in the insurance industry where financial risk is high with regard to issuing policies.

An actuary’s duties vary by sector but typically include analyzing financial, budgetary, or insurance claim data through statistical analysis, financial forecasting, scenario modeling, risk assessment, regression analysis, and other statistical methods. Their overall goal is to identify key issues, analyze trends, and predict future financial events.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects a strong 18% growth rate for actuaries between 2019 and 2029. This demand for actuaries is projected to stem from the growing volume of financial data available to businesses, as well as the continual changes in government regulations in sectors like business, healthcare, and insurance.

Actuaries make a median annual income of $108,350, with the highest 10% earning more than $193,600 per year.

A bachelor’s degree in mathematics, statistics, actuarial science, economics, finance, or risk management is generally required to land a position as an actuary. Actuaries should have a solid background in calculus, statistics, economics, algebra, probability, finance, and computer programming.

Most employers require applicants to be certified or in the process of certification by either the Society of Actuaries or the Casualty Actuarial Society. Certification candidates must meet experience requirements and pass multiple exams to achieve associate and fellowship certification levels.

Economists have been around for centuries, but it wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution and the publication of Scottish economist Adam Smith’s “The Wealth of Nations” that people began to think of economics as we do today. In his iconic book, Smith proposed that a nation’s wealth should be measured by the total of its production and commerce rather than by its stores of gold and silver.

An economist is a great career choice for analytical thinkers who like to crunch numbers and look at the big picture. Economists study and analyze economic processes, including the availability of and access to resources and the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. They collect and analyze data, research and monitor trends, and develop economic forecasts for industries like manufacturing, banking, international trade, insurance, education, and agriculture.

Economists can work in the public sector (where work mostly centers on government policy), the private sector (where work is done on behalf of a company), and academia (where work focuses on research and education). These professionals usually specialize in a particular field, such as finance, agriculture, health, labor, or international trade.

Economists can expect high employment, with 14% job growth projected through 2029. This growth will most likely come from the continued expansion of the global economy. Independent research and consulting firms are expected to drive the bulk of the demand for this occupation.

The median annual wage for economists is $105,020.

A master’s degree or Ph.D. in economics is required for most high-paying economist jobs. A bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, statistics, or a related field is sufficient for some entry-level positions and for entrance into a master’s in economics program.

Software is everywhere: It drives our smartphones, our cars, our computers, our homes, our dating apps, our banking transactions, and even our grocery store purchases. If we didn’t have software developers to design and build software, the technical world as we know it wouldn’t exist.

Skilled software developers are in high demand and will continue to be in demand due to the industry’s emphasis on innovation. These coding wizards are the creators of operating systems, programs, applications, and other types of computer software that run our economy and make our lives both easier and more entertaining.

Software developers collaborate with programmers, software testers, and technical writers to analyze user needs, map out designs, build diagrams and models, and create flowcharts. They’re also called upon to improve existing software with patches, upgrades, and updates, and to make sure everything is functioning as designed.

The software development space can be confusing, especially when it comes to specializations. Although the industry is constantly evolving — with new positions and specialty areas being introduced every few years — most developers concentrate on front-end development, back-end development, full-stack development, smartphones, gaming, or applications development.

According to the BLS, jobs for software developers are projected to grow 22% between 2019 and 2029. There are currently about 1.5 million software developer jobs in the U.S. Society’s increasing reliance on technology, especially within the mobile applications and electronics development spaces, is expected to contribute to this occupation’s demand.

Software developers earn a median annual pay of $107,510, with 1 in 10 making over $164,590 per year.

Most software developer positions require a bachelor’s degree in computer science or software engineering. Some companies and organizations may accept entry-level candidates with just an associate degree.

Another top career choice for analytical minds is accounting. Accountants are highly regarded, well-paid financial professionals, utilized by nearly every business and taxpayer throughout the country. The two main types of accountants are public accountants and private accountants.

Public accountants work for a wide range of companies and individuals who need help with the planning and preparation of taxes and other financial documents. These accountants typically work independently or at an accounting firm, where they can eventually become a senior or managing partner. Public accountants are usually busiest around tax season.

By contrast, private, or corporate, accountants are employed by a single company where they analyze and prepare financial reports specifically for that business. These individuals can work their way up the corporate ladder to the position of chief financial officer.

Private accountants may specialize in a particular industry, such as e-commerce, sports, education, personal finance, international trade, or automotive. These accountants are busiest at the end of each fiscal quarter.

The employment outlook for accountants is solid, with job growth projected at 4% through 2029, in line with the average for all jobs. Today, there are over 1.4 million accountants in the U.S.

Demand for accountants will remain steady as long as the U.S. Tax Code remains hazy. The growth of the global economy, along with the confusing individualized state and county sales tax laws for online retailers, will likely contribute to this job’s growth. While automation has replaced certain jobs, it’s opened up more roles for advisory services, including accounting.

Accountants earn a median annual income of $71,550.

Accountants must have a strong attention to detail, solid math and analytical skills, computer literacy, and business acumen. Employers normally require job candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance. A master’s degree in accounting or business administration with a concentration in accounting may be preferred.

Career advancement will likely depend on your education and professional certification status. To become a certified public accountant, you must pass an exam and meet state licensing requirements.

Chemical engineering is an exciting field that deals with the production and manufacturing of products. In other words, these professionals help transform raw materials into useful products through chemical processing.

Chemical engineers work in a variety of industries — such as oil and gas, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, automotive, military, and electronics — to develop industrial and manufacturing processes, create new products, improve materials, and design new technologies.

Work is often conducted in laboratories or in the field. Chemical engineers’ duties include designing processes and equipment, researching chemical properties, conducting experiments, establishing safety procedures, troubleshooting problems, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, running tests, and analyzing data.

The BLS projects that jobs for chemical engineers will grow 4% — about as fast as average — through 2029. There are currently an estimated 32,600 chemical engineer jobs. Alternative fuel sourcing and advancements in biotechnology will contribute to this job’s increased demand.

The median wage for chemical engineers is $108,770 per year.

A bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, or a related STEM field is typically required by employers. Chemical engineers must have a solid understanding of math, chemistry, physics, and biology.

Technical writers are responsible for writing and editing instructional or technical documents, such as programming manuals, user manuals, service manuals, operational specifications, and other materials that provide product details and instructions.

It’s imperative that technical writers become experts on the product(s) they write about. This includes understanding the technical specifications, product functionality, and user interfaces. They must also be able to convey a significant amount of technical information in a way that’s easy for all users to understand.

Technical writers typically write for a variety of audiences and work in cooperation with multiple departments, like engineering, product development, and product management. Oftentimes, the work of a technical writer can be done remotely.

In addition to being a skilled writer, technical writers should know the basics of graphic design, as the use of graphics is an essential part of creating technical documentation. They should also have superior communication, problem-solving, research, and time-management skills.

Technical writers can look forward to 7% employment growth between 2019 and 2029, according to the BLS. Increased demand for technical writers is expected to come from technological advancements. As the products we make become more sophisticated, society will start to develop a greater reliance on technical manuals and the people who write them.

Technical writers make a median salary of $72,850, with 10% of these professionals bringing in more than $117,250 annually.

Employers usually prefer or require technical writing candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in technical communication, journalism, English, or engineering. Job-seekers with a communication-related degree and a deep knowledge of a technical field often receive first consideration for entry-level positions. The degree type and level of education required for a technical writing position varies by industry.