There are about 1500 colleges and universities in the United States, most of which seek people with a Ph.D. to fill faculty positions involving varied micstures of teaching and research responsibility. This job market has been tight in recent years, due in part to high Ph.D. production and to an influx of experienced mathematicians from the former Soviet Union. Those who go into graduate programs intending to teach at the college level need to acquire the broadest possible foundation in both theoretical and applied subjects, along with experience in communicating mathematics, in order to compete successfully in this market. The growth of microelectronics, computers, and other information-age technologies has produced a strong demand in the nonacademic world for mathematically trained persons who are willing to apply their skills to technical problems.
Employers are still reluctant to hire mathematicians whose interests are purely theoretical.