Statistician

A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe some events in the world and spot patterns within them. The field shares much common history with social science, but often with a greater view on complex mathematical methods. Statisticians commonly have higher college degrees or other credentials as proof that they are qualified for the job.

It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects. The applications are varied. Statisticians apply their knowledge to production, research, finance, medicine, insurance, census-taking, government, etc. They often are employed to support managerial decisions or to supervise quality control in manufacturing.

Nature of the work

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2008, there were 22,600 jobs listed as statistician in the United States. Of these people, approximately 30% worked for governments (federal, state, or local). Additionally, there are substantial numbers of persons who use statistics in their work but have job titles other than statistician. The job of statistician is considered a profession. Most statisticians work in offices and have regular working hours and can therefore be considered to be white-collar workers. A lower number of statisticians are self-employed as statistical consultants.

Most employment as a statistician requires a minimum of a masters degree in statistics or a related field. Many professional statisticians have a PhD.

History

Civilizations have used the work of statisticians for thousands of years. Statistics was employed in ancient Egypt in censuses of population and cattle. Typical work might involve developing a model and sampling plans, analyzing survey results, or making agricultural or econometric forecasts.

Related pages

• Statistical Process Control

Other websites

• Statistician entry, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Archived 2006-08-05 at the Wayback Machine
• Careers Center, American Statistical Association Archived 2016-07-24 at the Wayback Machine
• Careers information, Royal Statistical Society (UK) Archived 2010-08-28 at the Wayback Machine
• Listing of tasks and duties - The International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO)
• Listings of nature of work etc - O*NET