Mathematicians
Conduct research in fundamental mathematics or in application of mathematical techniques to science, management, and other fields. Solve problems in various fields using mathematical methods.
2,030 people do this job in the US. $126,710 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 99%
- 1%
- 0%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 3%. Today's estimate: 4%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 12 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apply mathematical theories and techniques to the solution of practical problems in business, engineering, the sciences, or other fields.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 12% | 2.1 work days3.3 h to 2.1 work weeks | 1%Half by Nov 2028 | |
| Develop mathematical or statistical models of phenomena to be used for analysis or for computational simulation.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 12% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Develop computational methods for solving problems that occur in areas of science and engineering or that come from applications in business or industry.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 12% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Design, analyze, and decipher encryption systems designed to transmit military, political, financial, or law-enforcement-related information in code.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 12% | 1.7 work weeks1.7 work days to 1.6 work months | 0%Half by Oct 2029 | |
| Develop new principles and new relationships between existing mathematical principles to advance mathematical science.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 12% | 3.5 work weeks1.7 work days to 3.2 work months | 0%Half by Nov 2030 | |
| Conduct research to extend mathematical knowledge in traditional areas, such as algebra, geometry, probability, and logic.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 12% | 3.5 work weeks1.7 work days to 4 work months | 0%Half by Jan 2031 | |
| Assemble sets of assumptions, and explore the consequences of each set.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 8% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 4.2 work days | 6%Half by Jan 2028 | |
| Address the relationships of quantities, magnitudes, and forms through the use of numbers and symbols.Done daily by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 8% | 3.3 h50 min to 2.1 work days | 18%Half by Jul 2027 | |
| Perform computations and apply methods of numerical analysis to data.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 5% | 3.3 h1.3 h to 1.7 work days | 27%Half by Mar 2027 | |
| Disseminate research by writing reports, publishing papers, or presenting at professional conferences.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.1 work days3.3 h to 1.7 work weeks | 1%Half by Oct 2028 | |
| Maintain knowledge in the field by reading professional journals, talking with other mathematicians, and attending professional conferences.Done daily by most who do it. | 2% | 2.5 h50 min to 6.7 h | 46%Half by Oct 2026 | |
| Mentor others on mathematical techniques.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 0.9% | 50 min25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).