Statisticians

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$104,110 Median Wage (2023)
2,300 Projected job openings (2023-2033)
11.8% Projected growth (2023-2033)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

  • Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
  • Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
  • Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
  • Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: Master's Degree

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Detailed Work Activities

  • Present research results to others.
  • Prepare analytical reports.
  • Design software applications.
  • Evaluate technical data to determine effect on designs or plans.
  • Determine appropriate methods for data analysis.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

  • Report results of statistical analyses in peer-reviewed papers and technical manuals.
  • 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.
  • Design research projects that apply valid scientific techniques, and use information obtained from baselines or historical data to structure uncompromised and efficient analyses.
  • Adapt statistical methods to solve specific problems in many fields, such as economics, biology, and engineering.
  • Evaluate sources of information to determine any limitations, in terms of reliability or usability.
  • Process large amounts of data for statistical modeling and graphic analysis, using computers.
  • Develop software applications or programming for statistical modeling and graphic analysis.
  • Plan data collection methods for specific projects, and determine the types and sizes of sample groups to be used.
  • Apply sampling techniques, or use complete enumeration bases to determine and define groups to be surveyed.
  • Examine theories, such as those of probability and inference, to discover mathematical bases for new or improved methods of obtaining and evaluating numerical data.
  • Supervise and provide instructions for workers collecting and tabulating data.
  • Prepare and structure data warehouses for storing data.

Work Styles

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self-Control

Stress Tolerance

Adaptability/Flexibility

Dependability

Attention to Detail

Integrity

Independence

Innovation

Analytical Thinking

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 28.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.