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Occupation Profile
Statisticians

What do they do?

Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
Typical interests of people in this field:
Conventional, Investigative

What does this information tell me?

This description can give you a quick overview of what you might do if you worked in this job.

“Typical interests of people in this field” shows the main types of interests related to this occupation, based on categories from the Interest Assessment. You’ll see one, two, or three “interest types” that are strongest for the occupation.

You can read more about these interest types and learn more about your own interests by taking the Interest Assessment.

You can use this information to see if this career might be a good match for what you are interested in and like to do. 

What is the source of this information?

The occupation description and the related interests come from O*NET OnLine’s Occupation Information.

Also known as

  • Demographer
  • Mathematical Statistician
  • Psychometric Consultant
  • Quantitative Methodologist
  • Research Scientist
  • Researcher
  • Statistical Analyst
  • Statistical Consultant
  • Statistical Reporting Analyst
  • Statistician

What does this information tell me?

This is a list of other names for the occupation you selected. Sometimes different employers, industries, or parts of the country use different names for the same career.

You can use these names as substitutes for the career name when you’re looking for more information online or searching for job postings.

What is the source of this information?

These alternate titles come from O*NET OnLine’s Occupation Information.

Career video

Transcript:Whether they’re revolutionizing baseball, winning big on Wall Street, or predicting healthcare trends, statisticians know how to turn data into useful information and tools. Statisticians design surveys and experiments to collect data and create models and algorithms that turn numbers into understandable concepts, identifiable trends and patterns, or conclusions. Startups looking to expand quickly, and well-established businesses alike need the help of statisticians to make decisions. Though they work in many fields, there are some common statistician specializations: Government statisticians monitor wages, the unemployment rate, and other important socioeconomic indicators. They analyze data and shed light on trends in the economy, the environment, pollution, and many other national and global arenas. Biostatisticians predominantly work in the healthcare industry. They may design drug studies or study how diseases spread. Clinical data managers collect data from medical research projects, analyze it for trends, and ensure that it’s kept secure and reported accurately. Corporate research and development also employs many statisticians. They may design experiments and analyze experimental data for product testing or to help inform marketing strategies for consumer goods. Most statisticians need at least a master’s degree in statistics, math, or a related field, although some entry-level jobs are available for those with a bachelor’s degree.
View transcript

What does this information tell me?

This career video gives more information about the career you selected.

You can view the complete video script by clicking “View Transcript” above.

This video is one of hundreds of downloadable career videos in CareerOneStop’s Video Library.

What is the source of this information?

These career videos were produced by CareerOneStop (newer videos) or by a national video consortium, which includes many state workforce agencies. Data and information the videos are from the Occupational Outlook Handbook and O*NET OnLine’s Occupation Information.

How much does it pay?

Hourly wages for Statisticians in United States


Wage Chart for Occupation
$37.57 $64.88


Wage Chart legend for lowest 25 percent
  One out of four earn less than $37.57
Wage Chart legend for middle 50 percent
  Half earn between $37.57 and $64.88
Wage Chart legend for highest 25 percent
  One out of four earn more than $64.88



What does this information tell me?

This chart shows you a range of how much most workers in this occupation earn per hour, in the location that you selected.

The lower rate on the left shows what 25 percent of all workers in this field earn less than, and 75 percent earn more than. If you are just starting out, you can assume you might make closer to this amount than the higher amount, although this is not necessarily a “starting wage.” Often workers with more experience and training earn wages at the higher end.

You can learn more about wages for this and other occupations by clicking “See more wages” above.

What is the source of this information?

The wage information comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Program, a semi-annual survey that provides wage and employment statistics for the nation, each state, and sub-state regions.

Will there be jobs?

Image. Employment outlook for this occupation
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.

This occupation is:
  • Expected to grow much faster than average


What does this information tell me?

Outlook information can tell you whether a career is expected to be in demand in the future—that is, whether there are likely to be job openings if you choose this career. Please note that this does not account for the impacts of the current pandemic. Many occupations are likely to have very different outlooks due to the rapidly changing economy. When new outlook information is developed, it will be reflected here.

Careers can have one of three outlooks:

  • A Bright outlook means new job opportunities are very likely in the future
  • An Average outlook means that a small number of new job opportunities are likely in the future (less than an 8 percent increase)
  • A Below average outlook means new job opportunities are less likely in the future

You can also view local job listings in this field by clicking "Find job openings" above. This can help you see if local businesses are hiring—another way of looking at demand.

What is the source of this information?

This information comes from O*NET Bright Outlook occupations and My Next Move career outlook designations (based on Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2022-32). It is only available at a national level, so even if you selected a state, you’ll only see this information for the whole country.

How much education do you need?

Typical education needed for entry: Master's degree
Chart. Percent of workers in this field by education level attained

What does this information tell me?

There are two pieces of information here:

  • The first sentence tells you the typical level of education that you would need to start in this career. You can use this to see if you have, or want to get, the education level usually needed for this career.
  • The chart shows you the range of education levels that people who currently work in this field have. You can use this to see if you fit in this range.

Note that these two may be different since the chart includes ALL people who work in this field and not just those getting started.

For example, sometimes career requirements change. People already in the field may not be required to have the higher level of education that new workers need.

You can search for programs that lead to the education needed for this career in your local area, by clicking “Find local training” above.

What is the source of this information?

These data come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, Education and training assignments by detailed occupation, 2022; and Educational attainment for workers 25 years and older by detailed occupation, 2018-19.

What you might do in a day
  • Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
  • Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
  • Determine appropriate methods for data analysis.
  • Evaluate data quality.
  • Prepare data for analysis.
  • Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
  • Determine whether statistical methods are appropriate, based on user needs or research questions of interest.
  • Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
  • Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data.
  • Present statistical and nonstatistical results, using charts, bullets, and graphs, in meetings or conferences to audiences such as clients, peers, and students.

What does this information tell me?

This is a list of typical tasks that people in this career might do on the job.  You can use this list to get an idea of whether this career might be a good fit for you.

Click on “More tasks” to see more detailed examples of activities for this career.

You can also use this list to help you prepare for a job interview. Or, if you’ve already held a job like this, you can copy these tasks to use on your resume.

What is the source of this information?

This information comes from O*NET OnLine's Occupation Information. The first five items on the list are O*NET’s Detailed Work Activities. The second five, shown after you click “More tasks,” are O*NET‘s Tasks.