National Wages

• The median annual income across the United States for mathematicians all all levels of experience, education and specialization, such as cryptology, was $99,380 as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the average annual wage was $100,260. The top 10 percent of U.S.-based mathematicians earned $153,620 or more per year, while the bottom 10 percent earned annual wages of $52,850 or less. The bureau reported that as of March 2009, the average annual salary of a cryptanalyst working for the federal government was $101,645, a bit higher than the national average annual wage for mathematicians
  
  

Geographic Location

• Cryptologists may work in a variety of geographic locations, and their wages may be impacted by the local economy. According to the Salary Expert website, as of June 2011, the average annual income for cryptologists who worked in Los Angeles, California, was $190,1641 while their counterparts in Manhattan, New York, earned average annual wages of $145,037. Cryptologists who worked in the nation's capital earned average annual wages of $211,973, while those who worked in Houston, Texas, earned average salaries of $128,323 per year.
  
  

Employment Type

• The federal government employed approximately 36 percent of all mathematicians in the United States as of May 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The mean annual income for mathematicians who worked for the federal government was $106,950. According to the National Security Agency, entry level annual wages for cryptologists starting with them ranged from $42,209 to $56,375, depending on the cryptologist's area of expertise. The U.S. military trains both enlisted and officers in the field of cryptology. Wages for military cryptologists are based on pay grade and time in service. A cryptology naval officer with a pay grade of O-3 with four years of service would earn a base pay of $4,883 per month. An enlisted naval cryptology seaman with a pay grade of E-5 with three years of service would earn a base pay of $2,305 per month as of the 2010 fiscal year.
  
  

Employment Considerations

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates growth in new job opportunities for mathematicians to reach 22 percent between 2008 and 2018. Competition for these jobs should be intense, and candidates who hold a doctorate and have expertise in such fields as computer technology or engineering should have the greatest employment opportunities. Civilian cryptology candidates with prior military experience are given preferential consideration by such federal agencies as the National Security Administration. Cryptology candidates for military service must be a U.S. citizen, be eligible for a Top Secret security clearance, and have the ability to learn foreign languages as demonstrated by scoring at least 100 on the Defense Language Aptitude Battery exam.