Mathematicians

ANZSCO ID 224112

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
560
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
86%
Female Share
23%
Average age
36

Summary

Mathematicians develop and apply mathematical principles and techniques to solve problems in all areas of science, engineering, technology, social sciences, business, industry and commerce.

Specialisations: Operations Research Analyst.

A bachelor degree in mathematical science is needed to work as a Mathematician. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Tasks

  • Formulates mathematical models to simulate processes.

  • Applies models to experimental observations, and adjusts and recasts the models.

  • Uses numerical analysis methods to develop algorithms and perform computations.

  • Liaises with management and clients to determine the subject or area to be surveyed or examined.

  • Specifies the data to be collected, and the methodology to be used in collection and analysis.

  • Evaluates and describes the reliability and utility of source information.

  • Analyses and interprets data, and produces relevant statistics to describe and infer particular trends and patterns.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
Interests
  • Analytical
  • Creative
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Actuaries, Mathematicians and Statisticians, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 86% of people employed as Mathematicians work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 20 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 43 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Financial and Insurance Services
32.1%
2
Education and Training
23.4%
3
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
16.7%
4
Public Administration and Safety
10.3%
5
Other industries
12.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

42.5% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

24.4% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

11.6% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

9.4% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

4.7% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.7% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

6.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Mathematicians All Jobs Average
NSW 42.5 31.6
VIC 24.4 25.6
QLD 11.6 20.0
SA 9.4 7.0
WA 4.7 10.8
TAS 0.7 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 6.7 1.9


  • Around 91% of Mathematicians live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
36
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
23%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Mathematicians is 36 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.

    Females make up 23% of the workforce. This is 25 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Mathematicians All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 6.6 9.3
25-34 38.5 22.9
35-44 28.1 22.0
45-54 17.6 21.6
55-59 4.1 9.0
60-64 2.7 6.0
65 and Over 2.5 4.2
Median Age 36 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A bachelor degree in mathematical science is needed to work as a Mathematician. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Mathematicians All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 67.9 10.1
Bachelor degree 29.7 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 0.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 0.6 21.1
Year 12 1.9 18.1
Year 11 0.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 0.0 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Actuaries, Mathematicians and Statisticians who have strong attention to detail, can communicate clearly and can work well in a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 87%

    Mathematics

    Using maths to solve problems.

  • 75%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 71%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 71%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 66%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 66%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 64%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 61%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 61%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 59%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 57%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 50%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 50%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 48%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 41%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 39%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 37%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 37%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 29%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 97%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 81%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 68%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 67%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 64%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 61%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 50%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 43%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 42%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 40%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 37%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 35%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 33%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 32%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 32%

    Biology

    Plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, how they rely on and work with each other and the environment.

  • 29%

    Foreign language

    Foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

  • 27%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 24%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 21%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 21%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 86%

    Mathematics

    Choose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.

  • 75%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 75%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 75%

    Working with numbers

    Add, subtract, multiply, or divide.

  • 73%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 71%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 71%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 70%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 68%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 68%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 66%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 55%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 55%

    Speed of recognition

    Quickly make sense of and organize things you can see like letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 54%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 54%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 45%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 43%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 43%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 39%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 86%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 86%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 85%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 82%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 80%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 80%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 79%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 78%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 73%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 73%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 71%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 71%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 70%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 67%

    Giving expert advice

    Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.

  • 67%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 63%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 60%

    Coming up with systems and processes

    Deciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.

  • 59%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 57%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 46%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 67%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 57%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 24%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 24%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 81%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 76%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 33%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 29%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 97%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 93%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 91%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 89%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 88%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 83%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 82%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 78%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 76%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 72%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

  • 70%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 67%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 58%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 58%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 58%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 54%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 53%

    Public speaking

    Talk to a group of people.

  • 52%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 51%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 50%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 15-2021.00 - Mathematicians.


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