The Three R’s are basic skills taught throughout school. They are Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic. While only one of them begins with an “R” we will cover each one and how it can relate to your college and career goals. This is an old fashioned phrase that we will put a new twist on for CAA blog readers. We hope you ARE checking back each month for a new post with new insights!
The last of our series is about arithmetic, otherwise known as math. I have worked as a coach for many years and I still hear students complain about their math classes all the time. It is a challenge for many of us. Questions come like, “Why should I care about math?” and “When am I ever going to use this?” Many jobs require you to use math every single day. For others, the skills you learn from math can make a difference in your career. Here are four examples of careers that use math in different ways.
Mechanical Engineer – This is one of the broadest engineering disciplines. It can cover so many different tasks in engineering from design, to development, to problem solving when equipment breaks. To do any kind of engineering, a person will need to be proficient in math. On average mechanical engineers make around $88,000 annually and enjoy a job growth rate of about 5% a year. While the job growth rate may be lower than the national average, the skills you need for this career are transferrable to others if needed.
Architect – In this career you will use math to help design structures that are sturdy and reliable. While you can dream big about what you will create, it is necessary to have the proficiency with numbers to know if it will work. For a career as an architect you will need to go to college, gain experience, and pass a test called the Architect Registration Exam. Be ready to work hard and be on your game to achieve this career. If you succeed you will have an $83,000 salary on average and a steady growth rate in your career field.
Therapist – This is one that you may not think of at all! However, taking an interest in math can lead to learning more about how to analyze data, solve problems, and even think creatively. All of these things may be needed to be a successful mental health counselor, marriage and family therapist, or psychiatrist. If you work on your own you may even need your math skills with marketing, budgeting, and collecting payments from clients as well as insurance companies. An average salary for a marriage and family therapist is $54,000 a year and you will need at least a master’s degree. This is a career expected to grow about 14% over the next decade.
Hydrologist - Environmental related careers will be more and more important in our society in the future. As a hydrologist you will study the movement, distribution, and other properties of water. You will analyze data about how these influence the surrounding environment. This means important planning to help with floods, water conservation, and how water will impact the soil. Your math skills are put to good use to benefit the livelihood of the community. You may not be recognized on a daily basis for your work but your success will impact many. For this career you will most likely need a master’s degree, but there are some jobs that only require a bachelor’s. The average salary is $83,000 a year and the career is expected to grow by almost 7% over the next several years.
Do you want to learn more about career options? While CAA has its own career information, we also recommend that anyone use the sites https://www.onetonline.org/ and https://www.bls.gov/ooh/ to learn more. We have referenced each of these as we shared statistics on these particular careers. Your CAA coaches are available to talk about your career goals, their stats, and your plan to pursue that career path.
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