Careers in Statistics

The world is becoming more and more quantitative and data focused. Many professions depend on numerical measurements to make decisions in the face of uncertainty. Statisticians use quantitative abilities, statistical knowledge, and communication skills to work on many challenging problems, such as:

     Estimating the safety and studying the economics of nuclear power plants and alternative energy sources (at a utility company, research laboratory, the Nuclear Regulatory commission, or the Department of Energy)

       Evaluating the environmental impact of air, water, and soil pollutants (at a research laboratory, commercial environmental clean-up firm, or the Environmental Protection Agency)

       Designing and analyzing studies to determine if new drugs and medical devices are safe and effective (at a pharmaceutical company, medical research center, or the Food and Drug Administration)

       Estimating the unemployment rate  

       Analyzing consumer demand for products and services (at a consumer marketing firm, corporation, or consulting firm)

       Designing studies for and analyzing data from agricultural experiments to increase productivity and yield (at an agricultural college or agribusiness corporation)

Helping scientists and future scientists collect and analyze data to create information and develop new statistical methodology (at a university statistics, mathematics, biostatistics, business, ecology, or psychology department

Job Characteristics

       Use data to solve problems in a wide variety of fields

       Apply mathematical and statistical knowledge to social, economic, medical, political, and ecological problems

       Work individually and/or as part of an interdisciplinary team

       Travel to consult with other professionals or to attend conferences, seminars, and continuing education activities

       Advance the frontiers of statistics, mathematics, and probability through education and research

If you enjoy any of these, a career in statistics may be right for you!