Also called: NSA Mathematician, Codebreaker
Civilian mathematician who breaks codes and designs unbreakable ones for the National Security Agency.
NSA mathematicians work in secure buildings with no phones allowed, attacking puzzles that might take months, using number theory, statistics, and supercomputers. They also design encryption that protects U.S. communications. The NSA is often called the largest employer of mathematicians in the country.
Federal GS pay scale; figures based on BLS mathematicians with a federal-government adjustment.
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 minimum; most have a master's or PhD. U.S. citizenship and a Top Secret clearance with polygraph required.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Mathematics, Computer Science, Physics.
Growing faster than average. BLS projects strong growth for mathematicians and statisticians; NSA hiring is steady but tied to budgets.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI helps search for patterns and test attacks; deep mathematical insight on hard codes stays human.
Classes: AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science, Number theory / math club.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-2021.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.