A math major prepares you for many interesting, important, satisfying, well-paid jobs. Here is some evidence:

• Why Do Math has a number of high level specific examples showing that math solves important and interesting problems. Dr. Math’s Why Study Math gives a lower level answer to this question.
• When Will I Use Math shows how important math is in every type of training.
• Exploring a Career With Numbers describes some careers available to math and related majors.
• Forbes Magazine rated mathematician as the Best Job of 2014, with tenured university professor, statistician, and actuary as the next three best.
• The Wall Street Journal’s 2009 Career Journal rated mathematician, actuary, and statistician as the three best jobs.
• Why Major in Math gives detailed statistics to show that math majors do well on entrance exams, have high salaries, and have high job satisfaction.
• The Mathematical Association of America’s Mathematics Careers gives further information about careers, as well as a link to books on math careers. Career Profiles gives specific examples.
• The SIAM Careers in Math gives an overview of different careers available with a math major.

Math majors are successful in many career paths in addition to teacher, professor, or actuary. Here are a few examples:

• Christine Fox has a BS in math and MS applied math from George Mason University. She is a presidentially-appointed assistant to the Sec. of Defense. See articles about her in the Washington Post and Mason Gazette. She was the inspiration for a character in Top Gun.
• Carson Chow is a PhD mathematician working at NIH to solve the obesity epidemic, as described in A Mathematical Challenge to Obesity, New York Times, May 14, 2012.
• Jill Mesirov is a PhD mathematician who is associate director at the MIT/Harvard Broad Institute. She uses mathematics to study biology, including work on cures for cancer.
• DJ Patil is a PhD mathematician who is currently the Data Scientist in Residence at Greylock Partners. Here is a video of him telling the business community about mathematical chaos in the video Living in a Chaotic World.
• Lynn Laverty Elsenhans has a BA in applied math. She is now the CEO of Sunoco Logistics Partners.
• Alan Merten, president of George Mason University 1996-2012, has an undergraduate degree in math from the University of Wisconsin.
• David Dinkins, mayor of New York 1990-1993, has an undergraduate degree in math from Howard University.
• Jerry McNerney, US Congressman 2013-present, has a PhD in math from University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
• Steven Strogatz is a professor of mathematics at Cornell University, but he also writes a column in the New York Times Opinionator section.
• Manil Suri is a professor of mathematics at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, but he is also a bestselling novelist. He wrote an interesting column in the New York Times called How to Fall in Love with Math.