Statisticians: Job Description
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.
What Do Statisticians Take On?
The core tasks performed by statisticians include:
- Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
- Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
- Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
- Determine whether statistical methods are appropriate, based on user needs or research questions of interest.
- Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data.
- Develop and test experimental designs, sampling techniques, and analytical methods.
- Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
- Present statistical and nonstatistical results, using charts, bullets, and graphs, in meetings or conferences to audiences such as clients, peers, and students.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective statisticians combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Statisticians Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Analytical Statistician
- Applied Scientist
- Applied Statistician
- Biometrician
- Clinical Analyst
- Data Analyst
- Data Analyst Specialist
- Data Analytics Specialist
Employment and Demand
The U.S. employs around 288,175 statisticians working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +6.6% over the projection horizon.
Statisticians Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $130,349 |
| Hourly median | $62.67 |
| 10th percentile | $90,377 |
| 25th percentile | $110,363 |
| 75th percentile | $150,334 |
| 90th percentile | $170,320 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Statisticians Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| New York | $150,240 |
| District of Columbia | $133,680 |
| Maryland | $128,940 |
| New Hampshire | $127,870 |
| California | $127,550 |
| Delaware | $126,640 |
| North Carolina | $122,630 |
| Illinois | $116,860 |
| Indiana | $113,030 |
| Georgia | $108,280 |
| Texas | $104,380 |
| Florida | $104,160 |
| Kentucky | $103,400 |
| Virginia | $101,900 |
| Washington | $101,890 |
| New Jersey | $99,510 |
| Massachusetts | $99,230 |
| Colorado | $97,310 |
| Michigan | $96,780 |
| Connecticut | $95,680 |
| Oregon | $93,620 |
| Kansas | $93,330 |
| Rhode Island | $91,680 |
| Arizona | $91,320 |
| Wisconsin | $88,910 |
| Tennessee | $88,760 |
| Utah | $88,060 |
| New Mexico | $86,310 |
| Iowa | $86,160 |
| Ohio | $84,130 |
| Alaska | $83,780 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,660 |
| Nebraska | $82,770 |
| Oklahoma | $81,180 |
| West Virginia | $80,580 |
| Minnesota | $80,140 |
| Montana | $79,100 |
| North Dakota | $78,800 |
| Hawaii | $76,810 |
| Vermont | $73,320 |
| Louisiana | $72,550 |
| Nevada | $71,250 |
| Alabama | $67,490 |
| Maine | $66,620 |
| South Carolina | $65,850 |
| Missouri | $64,460 |
| Mississippi | $59,980 |
| Puerto Rico | $48,210 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for statisticians shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $118,823 | 27.5% | 3.28 |
| Far Western US | $111,951 | 21.1% | 2.05 |
| Southeast | $101,801 | 17.2% | 0.98 |
| Great Lakes | $100,519 | 6.6% | 0.49 |
| Southwest | $98,220 | 6.8% | 0.78 |
| New England | $97,242 | 8.9% | 2.42 |
| Rocky Mountains | $96,371 | 3.3% | 1.59 |
| Plains States | $77,337 | 7.2% | 1.31 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $177,740 | 420 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $164,290 | |
| Ames, IA | IA | $150,000 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $149,400 | 830 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $140,610 | 1,260 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $136,670 | 100 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | NC | $136,340 | 330 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $133,240 | 3,490 |
Top Industries Employing Statisticians
The bulk of statisticians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9,920 | $106,470 |
| Educational Services | 3,790 | $81,810 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,530 | $99,540 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,430 | $117,400 |
| Finance and Insurance | 1,270 | $100,720 |
| Information | 750 | $99,380 |
| Manufacturing | 730 | $140,490 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 580 | $104,000 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Business intelligence and data analysis software: Apache Spark (hot technology)
- Object or component oriented development software: C++ (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: IBM DB2 (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: IBM SPSS Statistics (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for statisticians tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Sitting
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Telephone Conversations
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How to Become Statisticians
Entry-level statisticians positions require a doctoral or professional degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Extensive Preparation Needed (Job Zone 5), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Management Analysts (Supplemental)
- Financial Quantitative Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Computer and Information Research Scientists (Primary-Long)
- Database Architects (Supplemental)
- Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Mathematicians (Primary-Short)
- Operations Research Analysts (Primary-Long)
- Biostatisticians (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for statisticians commonly pursue programs in:
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
6 programs across 3 majors
Social Sciences
3 programs across 2 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-2041.00 (Statisticians).
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