A statistician is a person who works with
theoretical
A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...
or applied
statistics
Statistics (from German language, German: ''wikt:Statistik#German, Statistik'', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of ...
. The profession exists in both the
private
Private or privates may refer to:
Music
* " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation''
* Private (band), a Denmark-based band
* "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...
and
public sector
The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, infra ...
s.
It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects, and statisticians may work as employees or as
statistical consultant
A methodological advisor or statistical consultant provides methodological and statistical advice and guidance to clients interested in making decisions regarding the design of studies, the collection and analysis of data, and the presentation an ...
s.
Nature of the work
According to the United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a unit of the United States Department of Labor. It is the principal fact-finding agency for the U.S. government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics and serves as a principal agency of t ...
, as of 2014, 26,970 jobs were classified as ''statistician'' in the United States. Of these people, approximately 30 percent worked for governments (federal, state, or local).
As of October 2021, the median pay for statisticians in the United States was $92,270.
Additionally, there is a substantial number of people who use statistics and data analysis in their work but have job titles other than ''statistician'', such as
actuaries
An actuary is a business professional who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. The name of the corresponding field is actuarial science. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require asset man ...
,
applied mathematicians,
economist
An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics.
The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this ...
s, data scientists, data analysts (predictive analytics),
financial analyst
A financial analyst is a professional, undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job.
The role may specifically be titled securities analyst, research analyst, equity analyst, investment analyst, ...
s,
psychometrician
Psychometrics is a field of study within psychology concerned with the theory and technique of measurement. Psychometrics generally refers to specialized fields within psychology and education devoted to testing, measurement, assessment, and ...
s,
sociologists,
epidemiologist
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and risk factor, determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decision ...
s, and
quantitative psychologists
Quantitative may refer to:
* Quantitative research, scientific investigation of quantitative properties
* Quantitative analysis (disambiguation)
* Quantitative verse, a metrical system in poetry
* Statistics, also known as quantitative analysis ...
. Statisticians are included with the
profession
A profession is a field of work that has been successfully ''professionalized''. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, '' professionals'', who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are accepted by ...
s in various national and international occupational classifications.
In many countries, including the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, employment in the field requires either a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in statistics or a related field or a
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
.
According to one industry professional, "Typical work includes collaborating with
scientists
A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences.
In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosophica ...
, providing mathematical modeling, simulations, designing randomized experiments and randomized sampling plans, analyzing experimental or survey results, and forecasting future events (such as sales of a product)."
According to the BLS, "Overall employment is projected to grow 33% from 2016 to 2026, much faster than average for all occupations. Businesses will need these workers to analyze the increasing volume of digital and electronic data." In October 2021, the CNBC rated it the fastest growing job in science and technology of the next decade, with a projected growth rate of 35.40%.
See also
*
List of statisticians
This list of statisticians lists people who have made notable contributions to the theories or application of statistics, or to the related fields of probability or machine learning. Also included are actuaries and demographers.
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A
* ...
*
History of statistics
Statistics, in the modern sense of the word, began evolving in the 18th century in response to the novel needs of industrializing sovereign states.
In early times, the meaning was restricted to information about states, particularly demographics ...
*
Data science
Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract or extrapolate knowledge and insights from noisy, structured and unstructured data, and apply knowledge from data across a br ...
References
External links
Statistician entry, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsCareers Center, American Statistical AssociationCareers information, Royal Statistical Society (UK)
* ttp://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/15-2041.00 Listings of nature of work etc - O*NET
{{Authority control
Statistics profession and organizations
Statistician
A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors.
It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects, and statisticians may wor ...