How To Become A Statistician

A statistician looks beyond the numbers and actually draw meaningful conclusions from the data gathered. You will come up with surveys, polls and experiments to collect the data you need. Depending on the kind of survey you need to conduct, you will make the decision on how many respondents you need to include in your sample as well as the demographics that will comprise it. When the survey has been done, you will analyze the numbers with the help of computer software and will present the data to the intended audience in the form of graphs, tables and reports.

As a statistician, you will get to use your skills in many different fields. You can work for the federal government where you will measure various rates that have an impact on the nation, such as unemployment and wage rates. You can also be hired by companies in the healthcare industry. If you work in a bio-pharmaceutical firm, you could be asked to come up with studies that determine the efficacy of a particular medicine. You could also work for manufacturing firms where your task will be to come up with experiments that would test the performance of the item being manufactured.

To succeed as a statistician, you need to have excellent math skills. You need to be comfortable with statistics, algebra and calculus since you will rely on these in making your calculations. Of course, being good at computation alone won’t cut it. You also need to be a critical thinker because you need to look at the reasons behind the numbers and if the data reveals that there are problems, you need to be able to provide solutions for them. Since you will be writing your findings in the form of reports and presenting them to an audience, you will need to possess good writing and speaking skills as well.

Why Become A Statistician

A career as a statistician is very fulfilling for the individuals who want to combine their passion for gathering data and performing mathematical computations with analytics and problem solving. On the practical side, this career is also worth going into because statisticians receive above-average pay. Moreover, the profession is also expected to have an excellent job outlook in the next few years.

Statistician Work Environment

Statisticians work fulltime. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, many statisticians work for the federal government. The rest are distributed in companies operating in the finance and insurance industry, educational services, state and local governments and healthcare and social assistance firms. Those who work for the federal government are typically found in the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Agricultural Statistics Office.

Statistician Salary

The Occupational Employment and Wages report of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the mean annual wage of statisticians is $83,310. Those who work for the federal government receive the highest pay. This is followed by statisticians in the finance and insurance, educational services and healthcare and social assistance sectors.

Average Statistician Annual Salary

$88,980

The average annual salary for statisticians is $88,980 a year. Salaries start at $50,660 a year and go up to $133,720 a year.

Average Statistician Hourly Wage

$42.78

The average hourly wage for a statistician is $42.78. Hourly wages are between $24.36 and $64.29 an hour.

Stats were based out of 36,540 employed statisticians in the United States.

Highest Paying States For Statisticians

1. New Jersey $54.82 / hr $114,020 / yr
2. Connecticut $52.49 / hr $109,180 / yr
3. District of Columbia $51.02 / hr $106,110 / yr
4. Maryland $49.23 / hr $102,410 / yr
5. North Carolina $48.85 / hr $101,610 / yr

Top Paying Cities For Statisticians

1. Bridgeport, CT $67.55 / hr$140,490 / yr
2. San Francisco, CA $58.56 / hr$121,800 / yr
3. Newark, NJ $57.36 / hr$119,310 / yr
4. Silver Spring, MD $54.48 / hr$113,320 / yr
5. Raleigh, NC $54.26 / hr$112,860 / yr

Data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Statistician Career Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed a very rosy job outlook for statisticians. In the period covering 2012 to 2022, the employment rate is projected to rise 27 percent which is faster than the national average for all job types. The demand will come from the fact that more businesses are relying on statistical analysis to make better decisions related to the industries where they operate in.

Statistician Degree

The entry point for a career as a statistician is a bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics or related fields. However, this is only good for entry level positions. In order for them to design their work, they need to obtain a master’s degree. A doctoral degree is needed for statisticians who wish to do their own research or hold teaching positions in colleges and universities.