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Economist / Policy Analyst

Stable

Finance

Analyses economic data and policy for Bank Negara, ministries, banks, think tanks and consultancies. A strong quantitative route for economics graduates, often with postgraduate study for senior roles.

EconomicsFinanceData Science

Picture the job

Where you'd usually workA data and analysis desk

  • Mostly indoors
  • Sitting for most of the day
  • Regular working hours

An illustration of a typical workplace, not a photo. The work-style notes come from US O*NET data, so read them as a guide.

Pay in the private market

Monthly pay from fresh grad to mid-career, from the salary guide cited on this page.

Entry

Private
RM3,000 – RM4,500

Mid-career

Private
RM6,000 – RM11,000

Government pay isn't shown: we haven't yet sourced the SSPA civil-service salary tables, and we won't estimate them.

Job demand outlook

Stable

Steady, reliable demand: a consistent number of openings.

Your readiness

How your current SPM subjects line up with this career.

Add your SPM grades to see how ready you are for this career.

Add my grades

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. Typical entry

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationMaster's degree
The full route to this careerThe steps from school, UPU programmes and sourced costs, read against your answers.

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years
Compare routes against your results and interests

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

Quick answers

How do you become an Economist / Policy Analyst in Malaysia?

Routes after SPM that lead here include Asasi / Foundation and Diploma.

What should I study to become an Economist / Policy Analyst?

Related fields of study: Economics, Finance and Data Science. SPM subjects that help most: Additional Mathematics, Mathematics, Principles of Accounting and Economics.

How much does an Economist / Policy Analyst earn in Malaysia?

Published figures put starting pay at RM3,000 – RM4,500 a month, and RM6,000 – RM11,000 with experience (source: JobStreet Salary Guide, Jan 2026).

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Study economic and statistical data in area of specialization, such as finance, labor, or agriculture.
  2. 2Compile, analyze, and report data to explain economic phenomena and forecast market trends, applying mathematical models and statistical techniques.
  3. 3Study the socioeconomic impacts of new public policies, such as proposed legislation, taxes, services, and regulations.
  4. 4Explain economic impact of policies to the public.
  5. 5Review documents written by others.
  6. 6Provide advice and consultation on economic relationships to businesses, public and private agencies, and other employers.
  7. 7Formulate recommendations, policies, or plans to solve economic problems or to interpret markets.
  8. 8Conduct research on economic issues, and disseminate research findings through technical reports or scientific articles in journals.
  9. 9Supervise research projects and students' study projects.
  10. 10Develop economic guidelines and standards, and prepare points of view used in forecasting trends and formulating economic policy.
  11. 11Teach theories, principles, and methods of economics.
  12. 12Testify at regulatory or legislative hearings concerning the estimated effects of changes in legislation or public policy, and present recommendations based on cost-benefit analyses.
  13. 13Provide litigation support, such as writing reports for expert testimony or testifying as an expert witness.
  14. 14Forecast production and consumption of renewable resources and supply, consumption, and depletion of non-renewable resources.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Economist
  • Economists
  • Tax Economist
  • Econometrician
  • Home Economist
  • Policy Advisor
  • Policy Officer
  • Labor Economist
  • Price Economist
  • Trade Economist

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
MathematicsDraws directly on Mathematics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Principles of AccountingDraws directly on Economics and Accounting — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Economics and Accounting — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Mathematics91%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • Economics and Accounting89%

    Principles of AccountingEconomics

  • English Language81%

    English

  • Computers and Electronics76%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Education and Training62%
  • Communications and Media55%

    EnglishBahasa Melayu

Skills to build

Attention to detailIntegrityCommunication

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Handling conflict situationsRarely
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentAlmost never
  • Time spent sittingAlmost all the time
  • Time spent standingA little

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Construct and manage economic datasets.
  • Present research at seminars and conferences.
  • Review documents written by others, such as referee reports.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points, not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

33%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023, already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.09%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job, and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

What beginner adverts asked for

We read 54 internship and fresh-graduate adverts in related fields (August 2026). A small sample from one job site, not every vacancy.

29 of 54 were internships

Allowance or pay, when stated

RM1,150 – RM3,450

26 of 54 adverts printed an amount: usually between RM1,150 and RM3,450 a month. Many print none.

Minimum CGPA asked

3.00 to 3.50

Stated in 6 adverts. Others did not state one.

SPM results asked

up to 5 As

1 advert asked for A grades at SPM, so some doors are partly decided before university.

Languages named

Mandarin, Bahasa Malaysia

An empty line means the adverts did not say, not that employers have no requirement. Check each employer's own advert before you plan around it.

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Economists

Source: JobStreet Salary Guide · as of Jan 2026

Check the salary figures yourself:JobStreet

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org