Day in the life
A Day in the Life of an Economics Professor
What economics professors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for an economics professor?
Teach principles of macroeconomics. From there, the day usually includes teach economics courses, analyze economic data, and conduct research. Teaching, research and service with flexible hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for an economics professor working full time.
- Teach principles of macroeconomics.
- Hold office hours.
- Run regressions on labor data.
- Present at a seminar.
- Teach econometrics.
- Referee a journal paper.
- Write a policy brief.
Where economics professors work
Faculty work in classrooms and offices at colleges and universities.
Hours and schedule
Teaching, research and service with flexible hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Teach economics courses
- Analyze economic data
- Conduct research
- Publish papers
- Advise students
- Advise policymakers
- Serve on committees
Tools you’ll use every day
- Stata and R
- Python
- Economic databases
- LaTeX
- Learning management systems
- Spreadsheets
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- High pay for academia
- Policy influence
- Research freedom
- Data-driven work
What’s hard
- Competitive job market
- Publication pressure
- Long Ph.D.
- Math-heavy
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love economics
- I enjoy data
- I like teaching
- I want policy impact
- I’m comfortable with math
- I’m willing to earn a doctorate
Not sure? Take the free Economics Professor fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Protect research data
- Follow research ethics
- Protect student privacy
- Follow campus safety