sports: any field that requires collection and analysis of large amounts of data. In particular, government, health, and manufacturing employ many statisticians:
Government. Nearly every agency in the federal government employs statisticians. Some government statisticians develop and analyze surveys that measure unemployment, wages, and other estimates of jobs and workers. Other statisticians help to figure out the average level of pesticides in drinking water, the number of endangered species living in a particular area, or the number of people who have a certain disease, for example. At national defense agencies, statisticians use computer programs to test the likely outcomes of different defense strategies.
Health. Statisticians known as biostatisticians or biometricians work in pharmaceutical companies, public health, and medicine. They design studies that test whether drugs successfully treat diseases or conditions. They also work for hospitals and public health agencies, where they help identify the sources of outbreaks of illnesses in humans and animals.
Manufacturing. Statisticians design experiments for product testing and development. For instance, they help to design experiments to see how car engines perform when exposed to extreme weather conditions. Statisticians also contribute to the design of marketing strategies and prices for final goods.
Work Environment
Statisticians, like many other professionals, do most of their work on a computer in an office setting.
Statisticians held about 25,100 jobs in 2010. About a third of statisticians work for government, mostly at the federal level. Most federal statisticians are employed at the Bureau of the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the National Agricultural Statistical Service, or the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many statisticians hired by the federal government are known as mathematical statisticians. These workers develop advanced statistical models for several purposes, such as filling in gaps from nonresponses to surveys.
Many statisticians work for private businesses, such as pharmaceutical and insurance companies, and often work in teams with other professionals. For example, in pharmaceutical companies, statisticians may work with scientists to test drugs for government approval. In insurance companies, they may work with actuaries to calculate the risks of insuring different situations. Because statisticians in business provide advice on research projects or oversee the gathering of data, they travel occasionally for face-to-face meetings with team members.
The following tabulation includes selected industries which employed statisticians in 2010:
Federal government, excluding postal service 20%
Scientific research and development services 12
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private 9
State government, excluding education and hospitals 8
Insurance carriers 7
Work Schedules
Statisticians generally work full time. Overtime may be needed to meet deadlines.
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.
Education
Many colleges and universities offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs in statistics. A bachelor’s degree in statistics is not needed to enter a graduate program, although significant training in mathematics is essential. Required subjects for a bachelor’s degree in statistics include differential and integral calculus, statistical methods, mathematical modeling, and probability theory.
Because statisticians use and write computer programs for many calculations, a strong background in computer science is helpful. Training in engineering or physical science is useful for statisticians working in manufacturing on quality control or productivity improvement. A background in biology, chemistry, or health sciences is useful for work involving testing pharmaceutical or agricultural products.
Important Qualities
Critical-thinking skills. Statisticians use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Problem-solving skills. Statisticians must develop techniques to overcome problems in data collection and analysis, such as high nonresponse rates, so that they can draw meaningful conclusions.
Speaking skills. Because statisticians often work in teams, they must be able to orally communicate statistical information and ideas so that others will understand.
Writing skills. Good writing skills are important for statisticians because they need to explain technical matters to persons without their level of statistical expertise.
Advancement
Opportunities for promotion are greater for people with master’s degrees or Ph.D.s. Statisticians with a master’s degree or a Ph.D. usually can design their own work. They may develop new statistical methods. They may become independent consultants.
Pay
Statisticians
Median annual wages, May 2010
Computer and Mathematical Occupations
$73,720
Statisticians
$72,830
Total, All Occupations
$33,840
All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
The median annual wage of statisticians was $72,830 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,090 and the top 10 percent earned more than $119,100.
In March 2011, the average annual salary in the federal government was $95,695 for statisticians and $108,868 for mathematical statisticians.
As shown in the tabulation below, statisticians working for the federal government had the highest median annual wage in May 2010:
Federal government, excluding postal service $94,970
Scientific research and development services 83,140
Insurance carriers 66,050
Colleges, universities, and professional schools;
state, local, and private 65,020
State government, excluding education and hospitals 45,370
Statisticians generally work full time. Overtime may be needed to meet
