Careers in Statistics
After I get a degree in statistics, what can I do?
A degree in Statistics opens up a broad range of employment opportunities. Statisticians are needed in almost any field and for example find work at numerous government agencies (e.g. U.S. census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Labor), in business and industry (e.g. Boeing Aircraft, Ford Motor Company), at financial institutions such as banks and insurance companies, or at health care and environmental institutions (e.g. the Mayo Clinic). A more complete list of potential employers is provided below.
The nature of a Statistician’s work is quite versatile and involves on one hand planning and designing studies, as well as data collection and data management. On the other hand application of appropriate statistical methods in the data analysis step, the interpretation and presentation of final study results are an as crucial and important part. Statisticians often hold a consulting position and are an essential part of an interdisciplinary team helping to bridge interdisciplinary applications of statistical methods in areas such as product quality control, engineering, biology, medical and pharmaceutical research, economics, market research, accounting or computer and data processing services. If you are interested in more information further insight in the field of Statistics and its use can be found on the following sites:
- American Statistical Association (a flyer given out by the ASA)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook