Whether they’re revolutionizing baseball, winning big on Wall Street, or predicting healthcare trends, statisticians know how to turn data into useful information and tools. Statisticians design surveys and experiments to collect data and create models and algorithms that turn numbers into understandable concepts, identifiable trends and patterns, or conclusions. Startups looking to expand quickly, and well-established businesses alike need the help of statisticians to make decisions. Though they work in many fields, there are some common statistician specializations: Government statisticians monitor wages, the unemployment rate, and other important socioeconomic indicators. They analyze data and shed light on trends in the economy, the environment, pollution, and many other national and global arenas. Biostatisticians predominantly work in the healthcare industry. They may design drug studies or study how diseases spread. Clinical data managers collect data from medical research projects, analyze it for trends, and ensure that it’s kept secure and reported accurately. Corporate research and development also employs many statisticians. They may design experiments and analyze experimental data for product testing or to help inform marketing strategies for consumer goods. Most statisticians need at least a master’s degree in statistics, math, or a related field, although some entry-level jobs are available for those with a bachelor’s degree.
What they do:
Conduct research using bioinformatics theory and methods in areas such as pharmaceuticals, medical technology, biotechnology, computational biology, proteomics, computer information science, biology and medical informatics. May design databases and develop algorithms for processing and analyzing genomic information, or other biological information.
On the job, you would:
Develop new software applications or customize existing applications to meet specific scientific project needs.
Communicate research results through conference presentations, scientific publications, or project reports.
Create novel computational approaches and analytical tools as required by research goals.
Math and Science
biology
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
Arts and Humanities
English language
Education and Training
teaching and course design
Basic Skills
reading work related information
thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
People and Technology Systems
thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one
figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it
Verbal
communicate by writing
read and understand what is written
Ideas and Logic
make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
notice when problems happen
Math
choose the right type of math to solve a problem
add, subtract, multiply, or divide
Memory
remember words, numbers, pictures, or steps
People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
Analytical Thinking
Attention to Detail
Persistence
Dependability
Integrity
Independence
You might use software like this on the job:
Analytical or scientific software
IBM SPSS Statistics
The MathWorks MATLAB
Presentation software
Microsoft PowerPoint
Object or component oriented development software
jQuery
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS
bachelor's degree or post-doctoral training usually needed
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