Social and religious professionals

How to become an Economist

Official title: Economists

Also called: Econometrician, Economic adviser, Economic analyst, Economist, Labour economist

Economists conduct research, monitor data, analyse information and prepare reports and plans to resolve economic and business problems and develop models to analyse, explain and forecast economic behaviour and patterns. They provide advice to business, interest groups and governments to formulate solutions to present or projected economic and business problems.

Main tasks

Forecasting changes in the economic environment for short-term budgeting, long-term planning and investment evaluation
Formulating recommendations, policies and plans for the economy, corporate strategies and investment, and undertaking feasibility studies for projects
Monitoring economic data to assess the effectiveness, and advise on the appropriateness, of monetary and fiscal policies
Forecasting production and consumption of specific products and services based on records of past production and consumption and general economic and industry-specific conditions
Preparing forecasts of income and expenditure, interest rates and exchange rates
Analysing factors that determine labour force participation, employment, wages, unemployment and other labour market outcomes
Applying mathematical formulae and statistical techniques to test economic theories and devise solutions to economic problems
Compiling, analysing and interpreting economic data using economic theory and a variety of statistical and other techniques
Evaluating the outcome of political decisions concerning public economy and finances, and advising on economic policy and possible courses of action in the light of past, present and projected economic factors and trends
Preparing scholarly papers and reports

Ways in

University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 33 universities in Hong Kong

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: HK$48,000 a month
About 1,542,900 people in 2025, and about 1,639,100 projected by 2028. (+6.2%)
Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.

Questions people ask

How do I become an Economist?

Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees.

Do you need a degree to become an Economist?

Usually. 85% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Economist?

Generative AI could change many tasks in this job, which usually reshapes the work more than it replaces it, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Census and Statistics Department (2021 Population Census): 2021 Population Census, Interactive Data Dissemination Service: working population by occupation (38 groups) and sex, age, education, income; median income and field of education (9 groups) (2021 Population Census), retrieved 4 October 2026
Census and Statistics Department (General Household Survey): Median monthly employment earnings by occupation (9 groups), excluding foreign domestic helpers (Table 210-06317A); employed persons by occupation, age and sex (210-06307A) and by industry (210-06308A) (2025 annual (series to 2026-07)), retrieved 4 October 2026
Labour and Welfare Bureau; tables published by C&SD: Mid-term Update of Manpower Projection to 2028: supplementary statistical tables (5 occupation groups, 17 selected industries) (2025 to 2028 (published 2026-09)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026