What jobs can I do with a master’s degree in economics?–

The following are among the most popular jobs for economics masters: Economists. Financial Analysts. Budget Analysts. Personal Financial Advisors. Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists. Cost Estimators

Best Online Master’s in Economics

By Dr. James Barham and Dr. James Barham

Published: Nov 6, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in economics degree programs that have rich histories of hiring and producing influential economists. A great online master’s in economics can prepare you for a rewarding career and career advancement.

Top 10 Online Master's in Economics Degrees

Johns Hopkins University
Northeastern University
University of Missouri
University of Arizona
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Southern New Hampshire University
Manhattan College
Missouri State University
Northwood University
Youngstown State University

Johns Hopkins University
University of Arizona
University of Missouri
Northeastern University
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Manhattan College
University of Detroit Mercy
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Youngstown State University
Missouri State University

Southern New Hampshire University 96%
Missouri State University 93%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro 92%
West Texas A&M University 92%
University of Detroit Mercy 91%
University of Arizona 87%
University of Massachusetts Lowell 86%
Murray State University 84%
Manhattan College 82%
University of Houston–Victoria 82%

Southern New Hampshire University 22 to 1
Missouri State University 19 to 1
University of Missouri 18 to 1
Youngstown State University 18 to 1
Empire State University 17 to 1
University of North Carolina at Greensboro 17 to 1
West Texas A&M University 17 to 1
University of Massachusetts Lowell 17 to 1
University of Arizona 17 to 1
University of Houston–Victoria 16 to 1

Johns Hopkins University $60,480
Northeastern University $60,192
Manhattan College $48,658
Northwood University $31,600
University of Detroit Mercy $31,058
Utica University $24,308
Colorado Christian University $17,476
University of Massachusetts Lowell $15,462
Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
Park University $12,671

Johns Hopkins University $60,480
Northwood University $37,080
Northeastern University $26,715
Utica University $26,158
University of Detroit Mercy $21,626
Manhattan College $21,420
Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
Saginaw Valley State University $16,362
University of Massachusetts Lowell $14,956
Colorado Christian University $13,931

Saginaw Valley State University
Colorado Christian University
Utica University
Park University
University of Massachusetts Lowell
University of Houston–Victoria
West Texas A&M University
University of Detroit Mercy
Murray State University
Empire State University

University of Houston–Victoria
Colorado Christian University
Utica University
Empire State University
West Texas A&M University
Northwood University
Saginaw Valley State University
Park University
Murray State University
Southern New Hampshire University

Johns Hopkins University 7%
Northeastern University 7%
Saginaw Valley State University 76%
University of Missouri 79%
Northwood University 80%
Youngstown State University 81%
Utica University 81%
University of Houston–Victoria 82%
Manhattan College 82%
Murray State University 84%

Johns Hopkins University 6 to 1
Northwood University 8 to 1
University of Detroit Mercy 11 to 1
Manhattan College 11 to 1
Utica University 11 to 1
Park University 14 to 1
University of Houston–Victoria 16 to 1
Northeastern University 16 to 1
Murray State University 16 to 1
Saginaw Valley State University 16 to 1

University of North Carolina at Greensboro $4,422
University of Houston–Victoria $5,111
West Texas A&M University $6,372
Empire State University $7,070
Missouri State University $7,476
Murray State University $8,196
Youngstown State University $9,426
University of Missouri $10,452
University of Arizona $11,210
Saginaw Valley State University $11,565

West Texas A&M University $5,088
University of North Carolina at Greensboro $5,219
Missouri State University $5,994
Youngstown State University $6,494
University of Houston–Victoria $6,618
Park University $6,663
Murray State University $9,144
University of Missouri $10,447
Empire State University $11,310
University of Arizona $12,348

Table of Contents

An online master’s in economics is an excellent degree for those who wish to advance a career in banking, financial consulting, brokerage, financial analysis, and a host of other well-paying careers. As a master of economics, you could choose from an array of specializations, including global trade, financial market behavior, retail cost analysis, insurance risk assessment, and countless other areas. The best graduate schools for economics will have regional and programmatic accreditation, offer a full array of economics specializations, and give you the chance to conduct research alongside the most influential professors and classmates.

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s in Economics Programs

Students who wish to become economists, or leaders in areas such as financial consultation and investment advising, should consider earning this advanced degree. Opportunities such as policy analyst and data scientist are often reserved for those who have earned a master’s degree. If you plan to conduct research or teach at the post-secondary level, this advanced degree is widely seen as an important threshold on your path to a PhD.

The emphasis on academic credentials in economics is high. Your advanced degree will make you more appealing to employers and open the door to greater career advancement. You could also work in a wide variety of professional settings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, 23% of economists worked as researchers and analysts in the financial government, with an additional 9% working in government at the state level. 18% worked in scientific development and another 17% were working in management, scientific, and technical consulting services. Just 7% were employed in the areas of finance and insurance, suggesting that as a graduate with a master’s in economics, you have a lot of career options.

You now have the choice to pursue a master’s in economics online from top-notch colleges and universities. For many, the flexibliilty of online degree programs mean the have the opportunity to get a degree when previously it may have been difficult or nearly impossible.

Some master’s in economics degree programs may require you to complete a Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Scoring requirements will vary from one economics master’s program to the next.

If no GRE is required, the primary requirement for gaining eligibility into an economics master’s program is completion of a bachelor’s degree from a properly accredited undergraduate school. While programmatic accreditation is not specifically required in this field, most regionally accredited graduate schools will require that your bachelor’s degree be granted by a regionally accredited college or university.

Direct any further questions to a representative from your intended program including inquiries about application requirements, work experience, academic performance thresholds, referrals, and prerequisite courses. If you’re still working on building your qualifications, check out our look at the economics major to find out how you can get an undergraduate degree in economics.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of job opportunities for economists is expected to grow at a robust rate of 14% by 2029. Depending on what you choose to do within the field, your economics degree could also lead to well above-average pay. The BLS reports that financial analysts earned a median salary of $81,590 in 2019, while personal financial advisors earned $87,850, and economists pulled in $105,020.

The following are among the most popular jobs for economics masters:

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s in economics.

How do we determine the best online economics master's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Ranking: Best Online Masters’s in Economics Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with Economics Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

Economics

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $13,155
Avg. Expenses*: $18,637
Avg. Starting Salary*: $72,076
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $87,240
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 5 years
Job Growth: 2.32%
Number of Jobs: 2,376,200
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Economists	6.25%	$108,366
Managers, All Other	3.35%	$106,040
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary	4.05%	$104,688
Data Scientists	35.11%	$91,799
Statisticians	31.83%	$90,928
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1.03%	$61,619
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	13.42%	$61,603
Survey Researchers	-4.55%	$60,589
Social Science Research Assistants	4.65%	$50,585

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$53,242	$90,147	$141,124

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 Alabama	13% higher than average	$102,252
#3 Illinois	7% higher than average	$101,612
#4 Virginia	5% higher than average	$99,747
#5 New York	5% higher than average	$108,048
#6 Texas	10% higher than average	$92,580
#7 Missouri	16% higher than average	$86,725
#8 Georgia	13% higher than average	$89,071
#9 Michigan	15% higher than average	$84,835
#10 Delaware	2% higher than average	$102,197
#11 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$117,704
#12 Kansas	9% higher than average	$89,496
#13 Ohio	14% higher than average	$83,492
#14 Idaho	7% higher than average	$88,925
#15 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$81,902
#16 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$107,237
#17 Iowa	9% higher than average	$85,817
#18 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$77,325
#19 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$89,292
#20 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$82,690
#21 Colorado	3% higher than average	$96,350
#22 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$88,921
#23 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$114,844
#24 Indiana	11% higher than average	$81,713
#25 Montana	3% higher than average	$88,046
#26 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$102,597
#27 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$76,326
#28 Arizona	5% higher than average	$86,068
#29 California	26% higher than average	$113,615
#30 Oregon	11% higher than average	$99,294
#31 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$77,660
#32 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$81,600
#33 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$75,966
#34 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$77,857
#35 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$81,661
#36 North Dakota	average	$87,397
#37 Maryland	18% higher than average	$102,496
#38 Washington	7% higher than average	$92,911
#39 Utah	4% higher than average	$83,173
#40 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$77,263
#41 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$79,107
#42 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$82,164
#43 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$77,460
#44 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$97,523
#45 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$76,637
#46 Maine	9% higher than average	$87,776
#47 Alaska	23% higher than average	$98,887
#48 Florida	6% higher than average	$74,877
#49 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$118,012
#50 Vermont	13% higher than average	$79,056
#51 Nevada	5% higher than average	$70,228
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$85,620

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Economists	$108,366
Managers, All Other	$106,040
Economics Teachers, Postsecondary	$104,688
Data Scientists	$91,799
Statisticians	$90,928
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$61,619
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	$61,603
Survey Researchers	$60,589
Social Science Research Assistants	$50,585

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Online Master’s in Economics

Top 10 Online Master's in Economics Degrees

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s in Economics Programs

What can I do with a master’s degree in economics?

Why get a master’s degree in economics?

How do I get into a master’s degree program in economics?

Is it worth getting an online master’s degree in economics?

What jobs can I do with a master’s degree in economics?

Ranking: Best Online Masters’s in Economics Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Johns Hopkins University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Northeastern University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at University of Missouri

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at University of Arizona

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Southern New Hampshire University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Manhattan College

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Missouri State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Northwood University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Youngstown State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Empire State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Murray State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at University of Detroit Mercy

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at West Texas A&M University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at University of Houston–Victoria

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at University of Massachusetts Lowell

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Park University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Utica University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Colorado Christian University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Economics degree at Saginaw Valley State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for Students with Economics Degree

Economics

Degree Level: Master's

Career Salaries

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

What are the disadvantages of online classes?+

What are the advantages of online classes?+

Resources for Prospective Grad Students