Statisticians

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.

Most important skills

Mathematics
Reading Comprehension
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Speaking
Complex Problem Solving
Writing
Active Learning

Key knowledge

Mathematics
Computers and Electronics
English Language
Education and Training
Administration and Management
Customer and Personal Service
Biology
Administrative

What the work involves

Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
Process large amounts of data for statistical modeling and graphic analysis, using computers.
Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data.
Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
Evaluate sources of information to determine any limitations, in terms of reliability or usability.
Plan data collection methods for specific projects, and determine the types and sizes of sample groups to be used.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Investigative, Conventional, Realistic.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Master's Degree (61.9% of respondents)
Related experience: None (28.6%)
On-the-job training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months (30%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Statisticians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Very low	Lower on contact with others than 97% of occupations compared	29% of surveyed respondents chose “Occasional contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Very low	Lower on dealing with the public than 88% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important”
Teamwork	High	Higher on teamwork than 63% of occupations compared	53% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important”
Freedom to make decisions	Moderate	Higher on freedom to make decisions than 56% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom”
Time pressure	Very low	Lower on time pressure than 87% of occupations compared	62% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Conflict situations	Low	Lower on conflict situations than 73% of occupations compared	43% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Very low	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 85% of occupations compared	55% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	Low	Lower on consequence of error than 73% of occupations compared	35% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: very low
Conflict situations: low
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
Consequence of error: low

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions