All careersEngineering & science

Statistician

$105,650
median / year
$64,000 – $174,050
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Design studies and analyze data using math to help organizations understand results and make decisions.

You may also see this posted as: Database Analyst, Mathematical Statistician, Statistical Analyst, Demographer, Education Research Analyst, Psychometric Consultant.

Where you work

Offices or remote; at a desk, most of the day in data.

The hours

Usually full-time; regular hours.

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • 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.

Good fit if you like…

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Realistic

working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world

O*NET job zone 5 of 5

Extensive preparation—often graduate education and significant experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailIntellectual CuriosityDependabilityAchievement Orientation

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

IBM SPSS StatisticsMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwarePythonRSAS

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$105,650
per year
Hourly median
$50.79
per hour
What most earn
$64,000–$174,050
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~2,000
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+8.5%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
29,030
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 1.3% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

Master's degree

Training path: Master's in statistics.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: None.

License or certification

No license required; advanced degrees are standard.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

Math skillsAnalytical thinkingProblem solvingCommunication

The honest take

The quieter, steadier sibling of data science.

Standard Occupational Classification 15-2041. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.