All You Need To Know About A Statistician Career
You think about becoming a statistician but are not entirely sure whether you should pursue this career or not?
Great! Stick with me since I will show you everything you need to know about being a statistician in the following chapters.
Not only will you learn how much you can make as a statistician, but you will also get lots of information on job security, future outlook, work-life balance, educational requirements, duties, job satisfaction and much more.
You will also find an FAQ section at the end of this article where I answer the most common questions about working as a statistician for you.
After reading this article, you will have a much better idea of whether you still want to become a statistician or rather want to go for a different career instead.
Without further ado, let’s get right into it!
Table of Contents
What does a Statistician do?
Statisticians work with complex mathematical models in various different sectors, including banking, risk management, financial markets, engineering and much more.
Statisticians collect, process, analyze and clean up data to present it in the most helpful manner for decision-makers and senior management.
They also analyze trends and try to figure out patterns that the company they work for can use to its advantage.
Responsibilities & Duties of a Statistician
- Collecting data
- Cleaning up data
- Processing data
- Setting up complex statistical models
- Feeding statistical models with lots of data
- Expanding mathematical models
- Making predictions about the future based on current data
- Presenting data in a way non-statisticians understand
- Identifying complex relationships and patterns
- Giving advice to the senior management
- Collaboration with various different departments
What a Typical Day of a Statistician looks like?
Statisticians usually start their workday between 7 and 9 a.m.
The first thing they do when they get to their workplace is checking and answering their emails.
After doing some organizational work and having a look at their schedule, statisticians collect, process and clean up data all day long to find patterns and insights that could be helpful for strategic business development in the long run.
Statisticians also have to talk to many different departments to get the data they need to be able to feed their models.
Thus, not only should you have excellent analytical skills, but you should have good people skills so that you get all the information you need from various stakeholders and are also able to communicate your results to senior management in a proper manner.
After working in this style for many hours, most statisticians finish their workday between 4 and 6 p.m.
Statistician Salary 2023
Statistician salary brackets 2023
| Salary Brackets | Salary (per year) | Salary (per hour) |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10 % | > $148,000 | > $73.91 |
| Top 25 % | $123,000 – $137,000 | $61.48 – $68.42 |
| Bottom 25 % | $81,000 – $88,000 | $40.41 – $43.97 |
| Bottom 10 % | $67,000 – $76,000 | $33.45 – $37.89 |
| Range | $67,000 – $162,000 | $33.45 – $80.93 |
| Average (Mean) | $109,000 | $54.46 |
| Median | $98,000 | $48.94 |
Statistician salary 2023 by expert level
| Level of Experience | Salary (per year) | Salary (per hour) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $67,000 – $82,000 | $33.45 – $40.94 |
| Junior | $78,000 – $94,000 | $38.97 – $46.89 |
| Professional | $89,000 – $103,000 | $44.47 – $51.48 |
| Senior Professional | $101,000 – $117,000 | $50.42 – $58.46 |
| Expert | $115,000 – $136,000 | $57.39 – $67.92 |
| Top Expert | $132,000 – $162,000 | $65.88 – $80.93 |
Statistician salary by state 2023 (average)
| State | Salary (per year) | Salary (per hour) |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $97,200 | $48.58 |
| Alaska | $99,800 | $49.87 |
| Arizona | $103,300 | $51.63 |
| Arkansas | $95,900 | $47.92 |
| California | $113,100 | $56.55 |
| Colorado | $102,600 | $51.28 |
| Connecticut | $105,200 | $52.57 |
| Delaware | $101,800 | $50.89 |
| District of Columbia | $107,300 | $53.62 |
| Florida | $102,200 | $51.08 |
| Georgia | $93,700 | $46.84 |
| Guam | $91,400 | $45.67 |
| Hawaii | $102,800 | $51.38 |
| Idaho | $95,500 | $47.74 |
| Illinois | $94,200 | $47.09 |
| Indiana | $98,700 | $49.33 |
| Iowa | $92,300 | $46.12 |
| Kansas | $94,600 | $47.27 |
| Kentucky | $97,200 | $48.59 |
| Louisiana | $103,700 | $51.82 |
| Maine | $104,400 | $52.18 |
| Maryland | $108,600 | $54.29 |
| Massachusetts | $107,900 | $53.93 |
| Michigan | $94,300 | $47.14 |
| Minnesota | $93,800 | $46.88 |
| Mississippi | $91,100 | $45.53 |
| Missouri | $90,700 | $45.32 |
| Montana | $94,800 | $47.38 |
| Nebraska | $93,600 | $46.79 |
| Nevada | $92,900 | $46.41 |
| New Hampshire | $96,800 | $48.37 |
| New Jersey | $102,500 | $51.24 |
| New Mexico | $89,900 | $44.93 |
| New York | $115,200 | $57.58 |
| North Carolina | $96,300 | $48.13 |
| North Dakota | $94,700 | $47.34 |
| Ohio | $98,100 | $49.03 |
| Oklahoma | $95,200 | $47.57 |
| Oregon | $92,800 | $46.38 |
| Pennsylvania | $99,600 | $49.79 |
| Rhode Island | $97,500 | $48.73 |
| South Carolina | $92,100 | $46.04 |
| South Dakota | $90,800 | $45.37 |
| Tennessee | $93,700 | $46.83 |
| Texas | $94,100 | $47.04 |
| Utah | $98,700 | $49.33 |
| Vermont | $99,200 | $49.58 |
| Virginia | $94,600 | $47.29 |
| Washington | $103,300 | $51.63 |
| West Virginia | $97,100 | $48.52 |
| Wisconsin | $95,600 | $47.78 |
| Wyoming | $92,200 | $46.09 |
Job Security of Statisticians
Statisticians enjoy pretty high job security since they are in high demand and there is a lack of qualified statisticians in many regions of our data-driven world.
Thus, as a statistician, you will almost have freedom of choice regarding whom you want to work for and don’t have to worry about becoming unemployed at all.
Future Outlook of Statisticians
Not only current job prospects are great, but also the future outlook for statisticians is excellent since our reliance on data-driven decisions will increase in the future and statisticians will therefore have pretty safe jobs for many years or even decades to come without having to worry about getting unemployed anytime soon.
Working Hours of Statisticians
Most statisticians start their workday between 7 and 9 a.m. and finish their workday between 4 and 6 p.m.
Thus, as a statistician, you will have more than enough time to meet up with your favorite people after work or to spend on your hobbies while many other people like investment bankers often have to work long hours and don’t have enough time for their loved ones and their private lives in general.
Job Satisfaction of Statisticians
Most statisticians are pretty happy with their jobs since they can make really good money while they have good job security and also have enough time for their loved ones.
Promotion Opportunities of Statisticians
Statisticians have pretty decent promotion opportunities.
If you are willing to work hard, you might be able to get into a leading position in your company within just a couple of years and may get lots of personnel and budget responsibility over time.
Career Levels of Statisticians
- Statistician intern
- Junior statistician
- Senior statistician
- Senior statistician with personnel and/or budget responsibility
- Manager of a statistician department
- Manager of a statistics company
- Owner of a data-processing company
Fields and Types of Statisticians
- Statisticians working in the corporate world
- Statisticians working for public institutions
- Statisticians focused on financial markets
- Statisticians focused on the production sector
- Statisticians with expertise in retirement politics
- Statisticians for military purposes
- Statisticians focused on the advertising industry
- Statisticians working as consultants
- Statisticians working in the education sector
Educational Requirements for Statisticians
Statisticians need at least a bachelor’s degree in statistics, mathematics, physics or a related field.
Even better would be a master’s or doctor’s degree and this means that you will have to spend many years in college before you are able to make good money in the statistics industry.
How to become a Statistician
- Inform yourself about the advantages and disadvantages of being a statistician
- Finish high school with decent grades
- Apply for your favorite statistics degrees and start college education
- Apply for an internship in the statistics department of local companies
- Make a good impression during your internship and work hard
- Stay in touch with your statistician colleagues
- Finish your degree with decent grades
- Apply for jobs as a statistician
- Master the job interview
- Sign your labor contract
Character Traits you need as a Statistician
- You should be passionate about working with numbers
- Persistence helps you solve complex mathematical problems
- Ability to focus on your work without getting distracted
- Attention to detail helps you present data in the best possible manner
- You should be willing to work on your skills on a regular basis
- Ability to deal with critical feedback in a proper manner
- You should not get discouraged by drawbacks
- Ability to work on your own
- Patience helps you succeed in the long run
Statistician Skills
Hard Skills for Statisticians
- Strong analytical skills
- Talent for working with numbers
- You should have a high IQ
- Strong logic reasoning skills
- Excellent knowledge of how to use statistical models
- Knowledge of problems and limitations related to the use of statistical models
- Good knowledge of how to use statistical software
- Digital skills help you find solutions to complex problems
- Excellent problem-solving skills
Soft Skills for Statisticians
- Good communication skills help you present your results
- Attention to detail helps you avoid making mistakes
- You should be friendly to work well with many different departments
- You should be a good listener
- You should never expect to be the smartest person the room
- Passion for improving your skills in the field of statistics
- Time management skills help you get things done
- People skills help you lead a team of statisticians
- Willingness to stress your brain on a daily basis
Exit Options for Statisticians
Statisticians have pretty good exit options.
In case you don’t want to work as a statistician anymore, you can still become a consultant, investment banker, financial analyst or digital marketer.
Statistician – Similar Careers
- Mathematician
- Physicist
- Professor
- Data scientist
- Digital marketer
- Market researcher
- Economist
- Business analyst
- Software engineer
- Investment banker
- Consultant
- Financial analyst
Statistician Career FAQs
Is working as a statistician physically demanding?
Working as a statistician is not physically demanding since you will do classical office work with a computer all day long and don’t have to lift heavy stuff as construction workers or carpenters have to do on a regular basis.
Is working as a statistician mentally demanding?
Being a statistician is heavily mentally demanding since you will work with complex mathematical models all day long and really have to stress your brain to get the best possible predictions from your data and to avoid common mistakes that could mess up the whole result.
Is it dangerous to work as a statistician?
Working as a statistician is not dangerous at all since you will spend your workday in a pretty safe office environment and your risk of suffering from serious accidents or other incidents at work will be pretty low compared to police officers or garbage collectors who are at much greater risk of losing their lives at work on a daily basis.
How long do statisticians stay in their jobs?
Statisticians work in this field for many years or even decades since they are able to make really good money from what they are doing while they still have decent work-life balance and also don’t suffer from high levels of stress at work.
Consequently, their incentive to quit their careers is pretty low.
Is it easy for statisticians to find a new job?
Since statisticians are in high demand right now, it is pretty easy for statisticians to find a new job in our data-driven world and this will likely be the case for many years to come since our world gets increasingly technologized and will rely on data even more in the near future.
Is it hard to switch from being a statistician to another field of work?
Once you don’t want to work as a statistician anymore, you will also have many other options.
For instance, many statisticians work as consultants, investment bankers, financial analysts or sometimes also as professors.
Thus, as a statistician, many doors will open for you and you will have a vast range of jobs to choose from.
Do statisticians have a high social status?
Statisticians have a pretty decent social status. However, you will still not get the same high level of admiration compared to doctors or nurse practitioners who can really save the lives of many people on a daily basis.
Can you help out your family and friends as a statistician?
While you will get pretty good at working with numbers and solving complex statistical problems, you will also be pretty specialized and will not be able to provide that much value to your loved ones compared to plumbers, roofers or other craftsmen who can fix and install many things around the home.
Can statisticians work remotely?
Statisticians are able to work remotely at least part of their workweek.
Some statisticians are also able to entirely work from home and don’t even have to show up in the office anymore since they can use our modern technologies to do their work remotely and use video calls instead of meeting up with colleagues in person to present their results.
Is it easy to find a partner as a statistician?
It is pretty easy for statisticians to find a partner for a long-term relationship since statisticians are able to make good money while they also enjoy pretty high job security and also have enough time to spend with their loved ones.
Consequently, they are considered excellent providers and have an easy time in the dating market.
Do statisticians have to work on weekends?
Statisticians don’t have to work on weekends but can rather use their weekends for making nice trips with their families or just to relax in their garden.
Do statisticians have to work on holidays?
Statisticians don’t have to work on holidays.
Instead, you can spend those days with your family or use them for your favorite hobbies.
Do statisticians have to work at nighttime?
Statisticians don’t have to work at nighttime but will rather come home from work relatively early.
Thus, statisticians have enough time to spend with their favorite people in the evening while singers and train drivers often have to work exotic hours and don’t have this luxury.
Do you have to travel as a statistician?
There is no need to travel for statisticians since you will be able to do part or even all of your work remotely and while many other people will be away for business trips quite often, you as a statistician will be able to spend your leisure at home with your loved ones.
Are statistician pensions good?
Thanks to the good money statisticians are able to make during their active careers, they are also able to save enough money for retirement and receive pretty decent pensions so that they don’t get into financial trouble once they get older and quit their careers.
Are statistician salaries going up?
Statistician salaries have been going up significantly over the past years and this trend will likely continue in the future since they are in high demand in various industries and can therefore demand pretty high wages for their expertise.
Can you have a positive impact on society as a statistician?
While statisticians can provide lots of value for the companies they work for, their positive impact will be rather limited since statisticians will mainly care about making private companies competitive and will not care about the overall well-being of society that much.
How long does it take to become a statistician?
Since you need to get at least a bachelor’s degree, you will have to spend many years in college while bakers and many other people are able to start their careers right after finishing high school.
Is it difficult to become a statistician?
Since you will need to get a fancy statistics degree or a demanding degree in a related field, it is pretty tough to become a statistician and you should be willing to spend lots of time on your education so that you don’t give up somewhere along the way.
Do you need to be smart to work as a statistician?
You should have a pretty decent IQ if you want to become a statistician since you will work on complex problems all day long and if you are not smart enough, you would just not get happy in this environment in the long run.
Do statisticians have a good work-life balance?
Statisticians have pretty good work-life balance since they don’t have to work in the evening or at nighttime and also have free weekends and holidays.
Consequently, they have more than enough time to spend with their families while they can still make pretty good money at the same time.
Do statisticians have to work many extra hours?
Statisticians don’t have to work much overtime since they mostly work on problems that are not time-critical and will therefore just quit their workday when their shift is over and continue working the next morning.
How to maximize your chances of becoming a statistician?
The more time you spend on your education and the harder you study, the more likely it will be to pass all the exams to get your degree and to finally be able to work in the statistics department of big corporations.
Can statisticians work part-time?
Statisticians can work part-time as well as full-time.
However, most statisticians still work full-time since they want to make really good money and also want to get promoted as soon as possible which is often hard if you just work part-time.
Do statisticians work indoors or outdoors?
Statisticians work indoors and don’t have to worry about adverse weather conditions outdoors while fallers, farmers and other people who work outdoors have to worry about those things on a regular basis.
What does the workplace of a statistician look like?
Statisticians work in a classical office environment.
Thus, you will do most of your work with a computer and can use modern technologies to make your life at work as simple as possible.
Do you have to look good for working as a statistician?
Your looks don’t matter for your success as a statistician.
What’s much more important than looking good is that you have excellent problem-solving capabilities and also a talent and passion for working with numbers.
Is a statistician career beneficial for your private life?
Working as a statistician can be great for your private life since you will be able to make good money while you will still have enough time to spend with your family and you will therefore be able to manage your private and your professional life in a proper manner and your partner will not have any incentive to cheat on you.
Do you need a college degree for becoming a statistician?
You need at least a bachelor’s degree in statistics or a related field to work as a statistician.
Even better would be a master’s degree or doctor’s degree, especially if you aspire to a fancy career and want to climb the corporate ladder as soon as possible.
Do you need to be certified to work as a statistician?
Apart from your college degree, you don’t have to get additional certifications to succeed as a statistician.
Instead, it is much more important to get practical experience as soon as possible so that you can provide real value for the company you work for.
How much does it cost to become a statistician?
Since you need to get a college degree, you also have to spend lots of time and money on education to be able to work as a statistician and you should make sure that you want to work in this field for many years to make it worth the initial investment.
Is being a statistician a good career?
Working as a statistician can be considered a good career since you will be able to make good money while you come home from work relatively early and will have enough time to spend with your loved ones or on your favorite hobbies.
Is it easy to start your own business as a statistician?
It is also pretty easy for you to start your own business as a statistician since you can build statistics software or other digital products that you can sell or you can also consult other businesses on how to increase their revenue using statistical insights.
Opportunities are almost endless and a statistician career can be great for you in case you want to work self-employed and start your own business sooner or later.
Can statisticians teach themselves?
Since the field of statistics is pretty complex, you need to spend many years in college and you will not be able to teach yourself all the things you need to succeed as a statistician.
Also companies will require you to get at least a bachelor’s degree and teaching yourself will therefore just not be enough to start a career in this field.
Do statisticians make good money?
Statisticians are able to make good money from what they are doing.
However, while they are able to afford a pretty decent lifestyle, they will often still not make as much as judges or dentists.
Is it ever too late to become a statistician?
Since you will have to spend many years on education, you should become a statistician at a rather early age to make it worth the initial investment in terms of time and money, even though there are no age limitations and you can theoretically become a statistician at almost any age.
Do statisticians have to quit their careers early?
Statisticians don’t have to quit their careers early most of the time since they don’t have to work in a hard physical manner and their risk of suffering from serious health problems related to their work will be pretty low.
What is the hardest thing about working as a statistician?
The hardest part about being a statistician is that you have to stress your brain quite a lot to process and analyze large amounts of data and you will often come home tired from work and your brain will just need some rest.
Can you provide for your family by working as a statistician?
Thanks to the good money you can make as a statistician, you will also have an easy time providing for your family and your spouse will be able to stay at home and care for the kids while you can make enough money to provide for your whole family.
Will statisticians suffer from old-age poverty?
Most statisticians don’t suffer from old-age poverty since they make pretty good money during their active careers and can therefore save and invest enough money which they can use later on once they quit their jobs and retire.
Can statisticians retire early?
Even though statisticians are able to make decent money, most of them are still not able to retire early and have to work until they reach official retirement age.
Do statisticians get a fixed or variable salary?
While you will mainly get a fixed salary at entry-level, the variable fraction of your salary will increase significantly once you get personnel or budget responsibility.
Can you get rich as a statistician?
While you can make pretty good money as a statistician, it is still pretty hard for employed statisticians to get rich.
Thus, if you want to make as much money as possible, you should start your own business.
Do statisticians need a second job?
Due to the good money statisticians are able to make from their jobs, they make more than enough money to pay their bills and don’t need to work a second job.
Do you get continuous training as a statistician?
You will get continuous training as a statistician since our data-driven world changes quite rapidly and if you don’t get additional education, you will no longer be able to stay competitive in what you are doing in the long run.
Do you get sick pay as a statistician?
Most statisticians also get sick pay and don’t have to worry about financial problems in case they get sick and are not able to work anymore since they are often covered by their employer or insurance products.
Do statisticians have a high level of responsibility?
While mistakes of statisticians may lead to significant financial damage, statisticians still don’t have the same high level of responsibility compared to doctors whose mistakes may take away the lives of many people.
Can statisticians work abroad?
Statisticians are needed all over the world.
However, working conditions and salaries might be quite different in foreign countries from what you are used to at home and before you migrate to a foreign country, you should inform yourself in this regard to avoid any unpleasant surprises.
Is it stressful to work as a statistician?
Being a statistician is not that stressful since you will not have to deal with lots of time pressure and will be able to do your work in a rather relaxed manner.
Is it boring to work as a statistician?
Working as a statistician never gets boring since you will have to use your brain quite a lot to solve complex problems and you will often also run into unexpected issues that you need to solve and there will just not be any time to feel bored at work.
Is being a statistician hard?
While working as a statistician can be mentally tough, you will still not have to work with your hands in a heavy physical manner and will be at lower risk of suffering from physical health problems related to your job compared to craftsmen who have to lift heavy stuff on a regular basis.
Are statisticians at risk of burnout?
Statisticians are not at great risk of burnout or other mental problems.
Even though they have to work on complex statistical problems quite often, they also don’t have to work under lots of time pressure and can spend their workdays in a rather relaxed manner.
Is there a dress code for statisticians?
You don’t have to comply with a fixed dress code as a statistician.
Since you will be able to work from home quite often, you can wear whatever you feel most comfortable with.
What kind of statisticians are paid the most?
The more experience you have in processing and analyzing large amounts of data, the more value you will be able to provide to companies in our data-driven world and the more money you can make as a statistician in the long run.
What percentage of statisticians are women?
While around 34% of all statisticians are women, 66% are men.
This doesn’t mean that women have worse chances to find a job in this field. It just means that more men than women want to work with numbers on average.
Do I need a mentor to succeed as a statistician?
You don’t need a mentor for succeeding as a statistician.
What’s much more important is that you are willing to work hard on your skills so that you can stay up-to-date with latest developments to stay successful and happy with what you are doing in the long run.
Do statisticians have a high life expectancy?
Statisticians have pretty high life expectancy since they don’t have to work in a risky environment and don’t suffer from serious accidents at work that often.
They also make good money and can afford the best medical treatment in case of emergency.
Do statisticians suffer from sleeping problems?
Since statisticians don’t have to work in the late evening or at nighttime, they are not at great risk of suffering from sleeping problems since they can maintain a healthy sleeping pattern.
What states are best for working as a statistician?
The best states for working as a statistician are California and New York since many big corporations are located in those areas and many tech companies pay pretty high wages for statisticians.
Who do statisticians work with?
Statisticians often work on their own quite a lot.
However, they also need good teamworking skills since they often have to collect data from different departments.
Is working as a statistician cool?
Being a statistician is considered fairly cool by the general public.
However, you should still not care about what’s cool but rather choose your career according to what’s best for yourself in the long run.
Can you start a side hustle as a statistician?
It is pretty easy for statisticians to start a side hustle since their excellent knowledge of processing and analyzing data provides lots of value to the general public and statisticians can therefore make money on the side in various different ways, e.g. by building tools, selling market reports, etc.
Do you have to be creative as a statistician?
You don’t need to be overly creative as a statistician.
What’s much more important is that you have excellent knowledge of how to process and analyze data in a proper manner since you will do many things over and over again.
Do statisticians suffer from being overweight?
Since statisticians work in classical office environments, they don’t burn lots of calories at work and are therefore at great risk of suffering from being overweight in the long run.
How employable are statisticians?
Statisticians are pretty employable and in high demand right now since our world becomes increasingly data-driven and you can provide lots of value to companies as a statistician and don’t have to worry about losing your job anytime soon.
Are statisticians happy with their jobs?
Most statisticians are pretty happy with their jobs since they can make good money while they still don’t have to deal with lots of stress and also have enough time to spend with their families.
Is working as a statistician exciting?
Working as a statistician is not that exciting since you will work in a classical office job and will also develop a certain routine rather quickly.
Can you have a positive impact on our environment as a statistician?
Since statisticians mainly care about processing data, they will not have the power to protect our environment in the private sector since they mainly focus on profit maximization instead of what’s best for society.
What are the pros and cons of working as a statistician?
If you still consider becoming a statistician, you should also have a look at additional pros and cons of a statistician career.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistician
Interviews and own research.
About the author
My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people about the different career paths that are possible in our current state of the world. In my opinion, people often make the mistake to choose their profession solely based on how much money they can earn from it instead of doing what makes them really happy.
This is quite sad and I just want to give people a more objective picture of how a fulfilling career could look like. I did the same when I started working in consulting after finishing my Master’s degree in Economics. However, I’ve quit pretty soon after that since I haven’t found true meaning in my job.
Now I can do what I really love to do and I want to enable as many other people as well to go this exciting path towards happiness instead of money.
I conducted various interviews with employees to give you a good impression of what working in different fields will look like and that you can make the best possible decision regarding your future career choice.
Wanna support my blog? Share it!
