9 Careers & Jobs with a Maths Degree

31/08/2023 / Maths Tutoring

9 Careers & Jobs with a Maths Degree 

Given Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s 2023 announcement that the UK would place more emphasis on maths education, mathematics is a hot topic at the moment.  

If you’re currently in secondary school or the parent of a student who is, you might be wondering – is it better to focus more on maths in secondary and even tertiary education? What could a mathematics degree at university lead to? 

If so, we have answers. In this blog post, we’ll explore what a mathematics degree involves and the range of jobs with a maths degree requirement that are available. 

What should I know about getting a maths degree? 

In the 2021-22 academic year, 48,530 students in the UK enrolled in university on a mathematics course. That’s under 2% of all university students – but perhaps this proportion will change in the future if maths is emphasised more in secondary education. 

What are the requirements for enrolling on a mathematics degree? 

Usually, you’ll need three A-Levels, including mathematics. The grades required depend on the university, but most often AAB is required. You may also want to take further mathematics at A-level. You’ll also need at least five GCSEs, including maths, English and science.  

When you write your personal statement, you’ll also want to explain why you love maths and how your passion for maths extends beyond schoolwork. 

What if I know I want to study beyond the undergraduate level? 

In this case, a MMAth degree might be right for you. A MMAth or master of mathematics degree allows you to earn an integrated master’s degree by adding one year of master’s level study to three years of undergraduate study. 

Hire a private online mathematics tutor > 

9 great jobs and careers with a maths degree 

So, what can you do with a maths degree once you’ve got it? The career possibilities go far beyond what you’d think. Here are just nine of the options available… 

1. Secondary school maths teacher 

In any list of jobs with a maths degree, secondary or tertiary maths education will likely be at the top – for good reason. 

You might find maths teaching enjoyable if you love maths and are also a people person, since teaching involves more interpersonal interactions than many other maths careers. Another appealing point about teaching maths at the secondary level is that there will always be a need for maths teachers in high school. If you want to be a maths professor in higher education, then of course you’ll have to pursue degrees beyond a bachelor’s.  

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for a secondary school teacher is £28,000. 

2. Economist 

What is economics about? Not just the economy – economists actually study a vast range of topics, including health and education. For example, the World Bank employs economists who study topics including climate and human welfare around the world. 

If economics piques your interest, you can always study an economics and maths joint degree, such as a Maths and Economics BSc. This could be a great asset, as it provides more abstract or pure maths on the mathematics side while involving applied, more practical maths on the economics side, making you well-rounded and a good candidate for many economics positions. 

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for an economist is £28,000. 

3. Data scientist 

If you aren’t intimidated by handling heaps of numbers and you’re good with computers, data science might be a good route for you. 

Data scientists look at data in a wide range of sectors, including the government, business and academics. That means a data science career gives you lots of flexibility to explore different routes and industries. 

You may want to also learn some coding, such as SQL or Python. 

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for a data scientist is £30,000. 

4. Market research data analyst 

Yes, a maths degree can even cross over into the world of marketing. As a market research data analyst, you would analyse the findings of market researchers, using statistical methods to come to conclusions about what marketing departments should or shouldn’t do. 

Statistics pairs well with mathematics for this career. You could try going for a BA or BSc in Mathematics and Statistics. 

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for a market research data analyst is £22,000. 

5. Bank manager 

Here’s another option for a job with a maths degree that also lets you use your social and people skills as you manage bank employees as well as bank operations. For this position, you’d likely need to go through a management training scheme to become a trainee manager.  

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for a bank manager is £24,000. 

6. IT systems analyst or database administrator 

Because IT is so important in the working world now, there is a wealth of IT-related jobs on offer. 

To work with users at an IT help desk, a degree in computer science might be more helpful, but higher levels of IT have more to do with looking at numbers and trends and are well suited to a maths degree – especially if you can get a BSc in Maths, Operational Research and Statistics or a MORSE (Maths, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics) degree. For example, an IT systems analyst might look at the “big picture” of IT systems throughout a large organisation.  

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for an IT systems analyst is £28,000. For a database administrator, another option, the average starting salary is £24,000. 

7. Research administration 

Just take a look through the job listings for any major university and you’ll see that research and research management are vast areas of employment. While most principal investigators on research projects have degrees in areas like science, many other positions on research projects just need a good head for numbers, whether that relates to calculating expenditures on a grant or tracking achievements against targets.  

Jobs in this area include research administrator, project officer, financial analyst for a research project, grants administrator and more.  

According to Glassdoor.com, the average salary for a research administrator in the UK is £28,694. 

8. Insurance 

You might not think of insurance first when you consider jobs with a maths degree. But since insurance involves calculating likelihoods and risks, it’s actually all about maths. 

After your maths degree, you might have to enter a training scheme with an insurance company to learn the ins and outs of the trade. Then you might aim to be an insurance account manager, insurance underwriter, insurance risk surveyor or insurance loss adjuster. 

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for an insurance underwriter is £18,000, while the average starting salary for an insurance account manager is also £18,000. 

9. Business operations and management 

This is another career category that you wouldn’t immediately associate with maths. However, the quantitative skills and reasoning you’d learn with a maths degree could put you in good stead for a number of careers related to business operations, far beyond the accountancy side. 

For example, a business analyst would help businesses to solve problems, while a business project manager does exactly what it sounds like – manages people and tasks within a project to keep everything on track. 

According to the UK national careers service, the average starting salary for a business analyst is £22,000, while the average starting salary for a business project manager is £28,000. 

Get help with maths at any stage with Principal Tutors 

A maths degree can stand you in good stead for many careers because it shows that you’ve worked hard at a subject many people find challenging. You have the ability to handle numbers without losing your cool, you understand statistics and risk, and you have attention to detail. These are all highly desirable qualities for employees. 

If you’re thinking about pursuing jobs with a maths degree, you’ll want to achieve your best at GCSE and A level to ensure you get the best university placement possible. So whether you’re in the middle of your A levels course, about to start, or working on your GCSEs and just thinking ahead, it’s always the right time to seek a little more help in mathematics from a private maths tutor. 

At Principal Tutors, every one of our tutors is a qualified teacher experienced in the UK curriculum, so you’re getting maths instruction from someone who knows the subject inside and out. We also focus on strong tutor-student matching to ensure you get the tutor who’s just the right fit for your needs, abilities and learning style. 

What’s more, our online tuition gives you the option to record each session for later reference, so you’ll have great resources to look back on whenever you’re revising. 

To chat more about how Principal Tutors can help cultivate your love of maths so that you’ll thrive in university and beyond, get in touch with our expert team at 0800 772 0974. Alternatively, you can reach out through our online form if you’d like to get started looking for a tutor right away.