The local economy is based primarily on farming, whilst services are provided by a mobile Post Office van, village shop, the Rothie Inn hotel and barber, which has just recently closed down.

From the mid 20th century until its closure in 2004, the village was also home to one of the most well-known agricultural equipment manufacturers in the UK at the time - Fraser Brothers, which then became Fraser Agricultural (Rothienorman) Ltd. Fraser produced everything from linkboxes, feed mixers, grain bruisers & ring feeders to bale, dump, silage & grain trailers, muck spreaders (both barrel and latterly rear discharge) and vacuum slurry tankers, all in a wide range of sizes.

In its final few years, the company became part of the SBF group who then started producing Grays of Fetterangus equipment at the factory.

The group survives today as Sellars Agricultural Ltd. providing sales, service and parts for Claas among other suppliers such as Stewart trailers of Inverurie.

Rothie Rovers play at Forgue Road in the village and joined the North Region Junior Football Association in 2020.