Thinking about switching from Accounting to Economics - advice please

Colleges and Universities A-Z Michigan State University
1

I’m currently a sophomore in accounting but I am much more interested in economics. Looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and some other research I have done seems to indicate the job market for someone with a bachelors in economics is not as good as someone with a bachelors in accounting.

So a couple questions I had for anyone with a degree in economics or knowledge in that area is:

  1. Is the job market for someone with a bachelors in economics still decent compared to most bachelors degrees?
  2. Does the job market greatly depend upon which college an economics degree was earned at or is it roughly the same across the board?
  3. What are the most common types of jobs that people with a bachelors in economics end up doing?
  4. Does a graduate degree in economics significantly change the potential job market?

My dream job would be working for the Federal Reserve or somehow helping to construct potential economic plans that end up being pitched to influential politicians in the US. But I’m afraid that mostly Ivy League graduates would get those positions and I might end up stuck at a low-paying job that has little do to with economics.

2

A lot of Econ majors do end up in other jobs in business, but they aren’t always low paying. You should start hustling for internships for next summer to work toward what you want to do. Even if you don’t end up with an Econ internship, do something business related.

Look at job listings with the Fed and US government agencies to get an idea what qualifications are needed (can help answer the grad school question).