Statisticians
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.
- Median pay
- $105,650
- Doing it now
- 31,300
- By 2035
- Up 11%
- Usually needs
- Master's degree
a year
across the country
1,900 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
- Process large amounts of data for statistical modeling and graphic analysis, using computers.
- Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
- Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
- Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data.
- Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
- Evaluate sources of information to determine any limitations, in terms of reliability or usability.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- MathematicsSee 1,228 colleges that teach it
- EconomicsSee 807 colleges that teach it
- Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsSee 365 colleges that teach it
- Social Sciences, GeneralSee 348 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Analytical and curious
Organised and precise
Helping and teaching
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $105,650 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.