Also called: Codebreaker, Cryptologic Mathematician
Uses advanced math and computing to break codes and protect U.S. communications.
Cryptanalysts at the National Security Agency, the largest employer of mathematicians in the U.S., study encryption systems looking for weaknesses. They write code, prove theorems, and sometimes work on problems that stay classified for decades.
Federal GS or agency pay scale; DC-area locality pay is higher.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Master's degree, about 6 years after high school. Bachelor's in math or computer science; many have master's or PhDs.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering.
Growing about average. Approximate; mathematicians overall growing.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI and new computing speed code analysis; top math talent is still scarce, but routine analysis gets automated.
Classes: AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, Math team.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-2021.
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