 According to the United States Department of Labor, there were about 15,000 non-academic economists in the United States in 2008, with a median salary of roughly $83,000 the top ten percent earning more than $147,040 annually.Nearly 135 colleges and universities grant around 900 new Ph.D.s every year.Incomes are highest for those in the private sector, followed by the federal government, with academia paying the lowest incomes.