machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” - Elbert Hubbard
”To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.” - Pearl S. Buck
“One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.” - Bertrand Russell
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” - Thomas A. Edison
“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” - Theodore Roosevelt
“Going to work for a large company is like getting on a train. Are you going sixty miles an hour or is the train going sixty miles an hour and you’re just sitting still?” - J. Paul Getty
“The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.” - Robert Frost
“So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” - Peter Drucker
”Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.” - James M. Barrie
”I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.” - Thomas Jefferson
“Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” - David Rockefeller
Research biostatisticians FACTS:
Summary, What Research biostatisticians do, Work Environment, How to become one, Pay, Job Outlook, Similar Occupations and Contacts for More Information.
Statisticians
Summary
Statisticians design surveys, experiments, and opinion polls to collect data.
Quick Facts: Statisticians
2010 Median Pay $72,830 per year
$35.02 per hour
Entry-Level Education Master’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation None
On-the-job Training None
Number of Jobs, 2010 25,100
Job Outlook, 2010-20 14% (About as fast as average)
Employment Change, 2010-20 3,500
What Statisticians Do
Statisticians use mathematical techniques to analyze and interpret data and draw conclusions.
Work Environment
Although statisticians work mostly in offices, they may travel in order to supervise surveys or gather data. Sometimes they must work overtime to meet deadlines. About one-third of statisticians work for government; many others work for private businesses.
How to Become a Statistician
A bachelor’s degree in statistics is sufficient for many entry-level jobs. However, most statisticians pursue further education and earn a master’s degree in statistics, mathematics, or survey methodology. Research and academic jobs generally require a Ph.D.
Pay
The median annual wage of statisticians was $72,830 in May 2010.
Job Outlook
Employment of statisticians is expected to increase by 14 percent from 2010 to 2020, as fast as the average for all occupations. Job prospects will be very good.
Similar Occupations
Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of statisticians with similar occupations.
O*NET
O*NET provides comprehensive information on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
Contacts for More Information
Learn more about statisticians by contacting these additional resources.
What Statisticians Do
Statisticians must develop techniques to overcome problems in data collection and analysis.
Statisticians use mathematical techniques to analyze and interpret data and draw conclusions. Many economic, social, political, and military decisions rely on the work of statisticians.
Duties
Statisticians typically do the following:
Determine the questions or problems to be addressed
Decide what data are needed to answer the questions or problems
Determine methods for finding or collecting data
Design surveys or experiments or opinion polls to collect data
Collect data or train others to do so
Analyze and interpret data
Report conclusions from their analyses
Statisticians design surveys, experiments, and opinion polls to collect data. Some surveys, such as the U.S. census, include data from nearly everyone. For most surveys and opinion polls, however, statisticians use sampling to collect data from some people in a particular group. Statisticians determine the type and size of the sample to be surveyed or polled.
Statisticians develop survey questionnaires or reporting forms for collecting the data they need. They also often write instructions for workers who collect and tabulate the data. Surveys may be mailed, conducted over the phone, or collected online or through some other means. Statisticians analyze the data that are collected. In their analyses, statisticians calculate averages, reliability, and other specifics of the data. They also choose and conduct tests to find out the data’s reliability and validity.
Statisticians explain the limitations of the data to prevent inaccurate conclusions from being drawn, and they identify trends and relationships. Statisticians use computers with specialized statistical software to analyze data. Some statisticians help to create new statistical software packages to analyze data more accurately and efficiently.
Statisticians write reports to explain their findings and the data’s limitations. They may present their reports to other team members and to clients with tables, charts, and graphs. Statisticians also recommend how to improve the design of future surveys or experiments.
Statisticians work in many fields, such as education, marketing, psychology,
