Social scientists and related occupations

Slower than average job growth is expected as firms increasingly employ workers to perform more specialized tasks with titles that reflect the specific duties of the job rather than the general title of economist.
Job seekers with a background in economics should have good opportunities, although some of these opportunities will be in related occupations.
Candidates who hold a master's or Ph.D. degree in economics will have the best employment prospects and advancement opportunities.
Quantitative skills are important in all economics specialties.

Market and survey researchers need at least a bachelor's degree, but a master's degree may be required for employment; continuing education also is important.
Employment is expected to grow faster than average.
Job opportunities should be best for those with a master's or Ph.D. degree in marketing or a related field and strong quantitative skills.

About 4 out of 10 psychologists are self-employed, compared with less than 1 out of 10 among all professional workers.
Most specialists, including clinical and counseling psychologists, need a doctoral degree; school psychologists need an educational specialist degree, and industrial-organizational psychologists need a master's degree.
Competition for admission to graduate psychology programs is keen.
Overall employment of psychologists is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2014.

Local governments employ 7 out of 10 urban and regional planners.
Most entry-level jobs require a master's degree; bachelor's degree holders may find some entry-level positions, but advancement opportunities are limited.
Most new jobs will be in affluent, rapidly growing urban and suburban communities.

About half worked for Federal, State, and local governments, mostly for the Federal Government.
The educational attainment of social scientists is among the highest of all occupations.
Anthropologists and archaeologists will experience average growth, but slower-than-average employment growth is expected for geographers, historians, political scientists, and sociologists because they enjoy fewer opportunities outside of government and academic settings.
Competition for jobs will remain keen for all specialties because many of these social scientists compete for jobs with other workers, such as psychologists, statisticians, and market and survey researchers.