Statistician job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 5 of 5

extensive preparation

Typical entry education

Master's degree

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$105,650

BLS May 2025

1. Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information. importance 4.7 of 5
2. Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Determine whether statistical methods are appropriate, based on user needs or research questions of interest. importance 4.5 of 5
5. Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data. importance 4.5 of 5
6. Develop and test experimental designs, sampling techniques, and analytical methods. importance 4.4 of 5
7. Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Present statistical and nonstatistical results, using charts, bullets, and graphs, in meetings or conferences to audiences such as clients, peers, and students. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Design research projects that apply valid scientific techniques, and use information obtained from baselines or historical data to structure uncompromised and efficient analyses. importance 4.3 of 5
10. Adapt statistical methods to solve specific problems in many fields, such as economics, biology, and engineering. importance 4.2 of 5
11. Evaluate sources of information to determine any limitations, in terms of reliability or usability. importance 4.1 of 5
12. Process large amounts of data for statistical modeling and graphic analysis, using computers. importance 4.0 of 5
13. Develop software applications or programming for statistical modeling and graphic analysis. importance 3.9 of 5
14. Report results of statistical analyses in peer-reviewed papers and technical manuals. importance 3.9 of 5
15. Plan data collection methods for specific projects, and determine the types and sizes of sample groups to be used. importance 3.8 of 5
16. Apply sampling techniques, or use complete enumeration bases to determine and define groups to be surveyed. importance 3.8 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Analyzing Data or Information, Working with Computers, Processing Information, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others and Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Prepare and structure data warehouses for storing data.

Knowledge areas: Mathematics, Computers and Electronics and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: IBM SPSS Statistics, SAS, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Python, R. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a master's degree as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists no typical on-the-job training once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 5 of 5 (extensive preparation). Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a statistician.

Most O*NET's occupation experts for this occupation (62%) name a master's degree as the education the job requires.

Job title: Statistician
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Statistician to develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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.
- Develop and test experimental designs, sampling techniques, and analytical methods.
- Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
- Present statistical and nonstatistical results, using charts, bullets, and graphs, in meetings or conferences to audiences such as clients, peers, and students.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a master's degree as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in mathematics, reading comprehension and critical thinking
- Working knowledge of Mathematics and Computers and Electronics
- [Software your team uses, e.g. IBM SPSS Statistics or SAS]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $105,650 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $50.79. BLS estimates about 29,030 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of statisticians to grow 11.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,900 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full statistician salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real statistician posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only statistician work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (mathematics and reading comprehension); statistician interview questions turns them into practice questions.