I like math and I like the work that economists do but I am wondering what real world applications an economics degree would have and the likelihood of getting a job after college.
Economics is probably the most job-friendly non-STEM degree out there.
Banking and consulting tend to be the “dream” jobs that econ majors recruit for, but all sorts of businesses–including major corporations in a range of industries–also hire econ grads for a variety of positions. Entry-level jobs tend to have “analyst” in the title: investment banking analyst, marketing analyst, etc.
First-year IB analysts at major banks often clear in excess of $120k (salary plus bonus). That’s not bad for a 22-year-old.
As @MrSamford2014 stated, Econ was my sons major who graduated in 2016 and he was fortunate enough to get a job similar to what was stated above. Of course, where that degree comes from is very important. Most LACs do not have traditional Finance or Business degress so Econ is the major of choice at those type of schools.
Doing lots of math and statistics with your economics (i.e. significantly more than typical undergraduate economics majors require) could help if you want to go into quantitative finance or PhD study in economics.
https://www.econ.berkeley.edu/undergrad/current/preparing-for-grad-school