Every student has his or her favorite and least favorite subjects. To some degree, there’s a lot to be said for powering through, making the most of a bad situation, and challenging yourself to expand your horizons. But at the end of the day, everyone simply does not enjoy the same things. If your least favorite subject is math, you might fear that you face an unpleasant choice: Go into a math-heavy field anyway, because that’s where the good careers are, and suffer. Or, choose a math-free path, and get stuck in a low-paying field.
Luckily, those aren’t your only two options! There are plenty of good careers that don’t require heavy amounts of math.
The Occupational Information Network from the US Department of Labor compiles detailed information on hundreds of occupations, and includes criteria like average pay and even an index regarding the importance of math within that job field. If you comb through the index you will find plenty of occupations with a low “math index”. The following is a sampling of job titles that carry a low math index, but are listed with average pay over $70,000 per year.
- Ship engineer
- Technical directors or managers
- Post-secondary history teacher
- Post-secondary sociology teacher
- Post-secondary ethnic and cultural studies teacher
- Post-secondary political science teacher
- Post-secondary law teacher
- Stage, motion picture, television, or radio director
- Transportation vehicle, equipment, and systems manager
- Ship, boat, and barge mate
- Dental hygienist
- Clinical psychologist
- Acupuncturist
- Power plant operator
- Elevator installer/repairer
- Occupational therapist
- Compliance manager
- Judges and magistrates
Keep in mind, of course, this these occupations are just a sampling from hundreds. The point is that, no, you don’t need to suffer through years of intensive math classes if math simply isn’t your thing.
On the other hand, yes math does carry some importance, particularly with regard to standardized exams which do matter in the college admissions process. We urge you to “power through” your high school math classes, obtain extra tutoring if necessary, and get those test scores up as high as possible. Later, in college, you can opt for a career path that better suits your likes and dislikes. Focus on that goal, and give us a call if you need help preparing for exams.