Home Economist

Print

Work Tasks

• Work to improve the quality of family life
• Give advice on what foods to eat, how to run a home, interior decorating, and restaurant management
• Work in classrooms, stores, community centers, homes, labs, offices, colleges, and universities
• Work with problems like poor housing, food shortages, energy use, population growth, and environmental problems
• Work for news organizations, interior design firms, marketing and advertising agencies, the government, schools, and human service organizations
• Work with kitchen equipment, food, budgets, menus, purchasing and accounting forms, lab equipment, home furnishings, fabrics, and fashion items

Salary, Size & Growth

• $51,000 average per year ($24.50 per hour)
• A small occupation (10,700 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow slowly (0.1% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: A 4-year degree in home economics
• Employers Prefer: A master's or Ph.D. degree is required for some positions in research, supervision, specialties in nutrition, and teaching at the college level.
• Certification/Licensing: Home economics teachers must be certified, and dietetic positions require registration and licensing.