Question

Why do mathematicians make less money than physicians or surgeons or pharmacists or nurses?

Answer 1

Unless they put that math knowledge to use and work the market/casino

Answer 2

What is a "mathematician" anyway? People usually apply their knowledge of mathematics to something, be it encryption or protein folding or whatever. If you were just a pure mathematician like Euler... well who paid him? Who pays guys like Godel or Guass? I think mostly just universities right?

Answer 3

universities are just cheap, too. they pay the medical faculty much more than their fields medalists.

Answer 4

Unless you're contracted to work out some problem for the government or an institution don't see how you get paid as a "mathematician" besides teaching.

Answer 5

james - i looked at the 'should we teach math in schools video' - it was tremendous - though not for real, i hope!! ' i don't believe in math' says miss alabama!!

Answer 6

ty ag

Answer 7

A. I doubt this is true in general (less than nurses? less than internists?)
B. Even if it is, there will always be mathematicians who earn more, because all of these incomes have distributions. (I know several mathematicians who earn $1,000,000-10,000,000/year.
C. Even if all that is true, why is someone's income an important intrinsic measure?
D. ...because income has nothing to do with intrinsic worth and just about everything to do with supply and demand.

@jimmy: I know, hilarious! :-)