Do your kids ask you, “Why do I have to learn math? Am I even going to use it in real life?” If so, keep reading so you will be armed with an answer.
You probably know that careers in medicine and engineering require advanced math skills. Did you know that many other jobs also use math for everyday problem solving? Understanding the need for math in a variety careers will often motivate your child to study more, too.
These seven careers that use math skills may surprise you.
Attorney
Have a child that never stops negotiating? Perhaps they are a future lawyer. Attorneys use a logical step-by-step process to prove their cases in court which is very much like the steps used with geometric proofs. They also must be able to calculate percentages and statistics and use them to present and win their cases in court.
Geographer
Geographers will become increasingly needed as the growing population puts more demands on the earth. Geographers study the earth’s physical traits and environment, as well as the way humans interact with their habitats. Geographers use quantitative research to answer questions and solve problems. They also frequently work with tables, maps, and charts.
Animator
If your child likes art, a career in animation could be a great fit. Animators work to create films and videos for television, movies, and the internet. They use geometric equations to create frames of images, giving the illusion of movement. Animators also use linear algebra to create rotations and change the sizes of the images that we see.
Air Traffic Controller
Have child that thinks quickly and communicates effectively? They might make a great air traffic controller, a career that pays about $128,000 per year. https://www.faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/aviation_careers/ Air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe flow of air traffic to and from airports. They use math to calculate the speed, distance, and altitudes of planes in the air as well as those getting ready to take off. They must be able to do mental math very accurately and quickly, because a mistake can be deadly.
Urban Planner
If your child likes SimCity games, they would probably like becoming an urban planner. Urban planners use math to design cities and towns. Math is also used in the process of shaping public spaces, and mathematical statistics are used to predict the needs of a city’s future residents.
Musician
You don’t have to be the next Justin Bieber to make a career out of music. There are lots of career possibilities for kids who want to make a living in music. https://majoringinmusic.com/what-can-you-do-with-a-music-degree/ The system musicians use to read notes and rhythms is entirely based on math! Musicians use math in music theory to analyze chord progressions in a piece of music. Math is also crucial for measuring acoustics and volume and making sure that instruments balance together. Sound engineers use logarithms and algebra to measure and calculate sound volumes.
Political Scientist
If your child has opinions on current events or institutional policies (like if the school should be allowed to sell soda), they may be a future politician or political scientist. Political scientists study political ideas and political systems and trends. They use math and statistics to make predictions about people and their governmental needs, as well as to analyze voter tendencies and voter demographics.
Math skills are important for your child’s future career success. For a more complete list of careers using math read //weusemath.org/ Additionally, the jobs of tomorrow all call for STEAM. There are some excellent trade skill jobs as well -- in the top 3 fastest growing. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm"
Mathnasium of Littleton can help make these dreams a reality by developing and fostering confidence and competence in math. Give us a call today at 303-979-9077 so we can make sure your child's math skills will put them on the road to success.
You may also want to read:
Update 10-15-2020: A student who was using this article for her work found another resource she asked us to include here for others. https://online.maryville.edu/online-bachelors-degrees/mathematics/careers/.
Here ar some additional sources as well
American Mathematical Society, “What Do Mathematicians Do?”
Forbes, “Five Things You Need To Know About the Future of Math”
Maryville University, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
PayScale, Entry-Level Mathematician Salary
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mathematicians and Statisticians
Good luck!
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