Statisticians: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Computer and Mathematical · SOC 15-2041 · O*NET 15-2041.00
Develop or apply mathematical or statistical theory and methods to collect, organize, interpret, and summarize numerical data to provide usable information. May specialize in fields such as biostatistics, agricultural statistics, business statistics, or economic statistics. Includes mathematical and survey statisticians.
Statisticians fall under the Computer and Mathematical category in the U.S. occupational classification. Statisticians earn a median salary of $103,300 per year, ranking in the top 11% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +8.5% job growth through 2034, projected to grow faster than the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What parents should know about statisticians right now
If your teen loves math, spots patterns everywhere, and enjoys turning messy data into clear answers, statistics is one of the most durable quantitative careers you can point them toward. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, statisticians earned a median wage of $103,300 in May 2024, with the lowest tenth earning about $60,390 and the top tenth earning roughly $170,700, so the ceiling is high for those who keep building skills. Employment for the occupation is projected to grow about 8.5 percent, faster than the average for all jobs, driven by wider use of statistical analysis across business, healthcare, and public policy. This is a degree-heavy path rather than a licensed one. There is no state license or mandatory exam, but a bachelor's in statistics or math is the foundation, and a master's is the credential most employers treat as typical entry. The one recognized professional stamp is voluntary accreditation from the American Statistical Association, moving from GStat once the advanced degree is earned to PStat after five years of documented experience. On the future, families sometimes worry AI will erase analytical jobs, but the evidence points the other way. The World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report 2025 projects that by 2030 AI and related technologies will create about 170 million new roles while displacing about 92 million, a net gain near 78 million, with growth concentrated in exactly the analyst, oversight, and model-validation work statisticians do. Their core skills of experimental design, inference, and uncertainty quantification are the human judgment AI still needs. For high school preparation, have your teen take the most rigorous math sequence available, including calculus, plus AP Statistics, and add a computer science course so they arrive comfortable with coding in Python or R. Science and social science classes that involve data collection, along with a research project or science fair, help them practice reasoning from real numbers.
What do statisticians earn?
The median annual wage for statisticians is $103,300. That puts statisticians at #89 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. Pay at this level is well above the U.S. median household income, signaling sustained demand and meaningful credential requirements. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $60,390 |
| 25th percentile | $79,210 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $103,300 |
| 75th percentile | $137,610 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $170,700 |
| Median hourly wage | $49.66/hr |
Is statisticians a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for statisticians is +8.5%, projected to grow faster than the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 32K positions in 2024 to 34K in 2034, a net change of 2K. Faster-than-average growth means hiring is consistently outpacing the labor market overall. New entrants generally find their first roles faster than peers in stable fields.
What do statisticians do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working statisticians, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Analyze and interpret statistical data to identify significant differences in relationships among sources of information.
- 2.Evaluate the statistical methods and procedures used to obtain data to ensure validity, applicability, efficiency, and accuracy.
- 3.Report results of statistical analyses, including information in the form of graphs, charts, and tables.
- 4.Determine whether statistical methods are appropriate, based on user needs or research questions of interest.
- 5.Prepare data for processing by organizing information, checking for inaccuracies, and adjusting and weighting the raw data.
- 6.Develop and test experimental designs, sampling techniques, and analytical methods.
- 7.Identify relationships and trends in data, as well as any factors that could affect the results of research.
- 8.Present statistical and nonstatistical results, using charts, bullets, and graphs, in meetings or conferences to audiences such as clients, peers, and students.
Top skills for statisticians
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become statistician?
The standard path into statisticians begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
How to become statistician: step by step
The typical education and licensing pathway from high school into this profession. Total time to entry is about 5.5 to 10+ years. Steps marked optional are common for advancement but not required to start.
- 1
Bachelor's degree in statistics, mathematics, or a related quantitative field
~4 yearsThe foundation. A bachelor's qualifies graduates for some entry-level statistical and analyst roles but is generally below the BLS typical-entry bar for the occupation. No exam or license is required.
- •Complete a BS or BA in statistics, mathematics, or a closely related quantitative field
- •Core coursework: calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, abstract algebra, and probability
- •Add a domain field such as computer science, biology, or economics
- 2
Master's degree (BLS-typical entry credential)
~2 yearsThe degree BLS lists as typical entry education. A master's qualifies the person for the majority of statistician roles in industry, government, and research, and makes them eligible for the ASA's entry-level accreditation. No exam or license is required.
- •Complete an MS or MA in statistics, applied statistics, biostatistics, or data science
- •Programs commonly pair statistical theory with a domain such as health/biology (pharma) or computer science (tech)
- 3
ASA GStat (Graduate Statistician) accreditation
Optional~0.1 yearsOptional voluntary entry accreditation from the American Statistical Association. Granted for seven years, it serves as a waypoint credential for those who have the education but not yet the five years of experience required for PStat.
- •ASA membership
- •An advanced degree (master's or doctorate) in statistics from an accredited university
- •Signed adherence to the ASA Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice
- •Portfolio/document-based review, no exam
- 4
Professional experience + ASA PStat (Professional Statistician) accreditation
Optional~5 yearsOptional senior voluntary accreditation from the American Statistical Association, earned after 5+ years of documented professional experience beyond the advanced degree. Portfolio-based, renewed every five years. Not legally required to practice.
- •Advanced degree in statistics or a related quantitative field
- •Five years of documented professional statistical experience
- •Evidence of professional competence: 2 to 5 pieces of written work (technical reports, refereed publications, or work extracts), at least 2 from the last 3 years
- •Supporting reference letters and proof of continuing professional development
- •Portfolio-based review by the American Statistical Association, not an exam
- •Renew every 5 years with ongoing continuing professional development (about 60 hours/year)
- 5
Doctorate (PhD) in statistics or biostatistics
Optional~5 yearsOptional. Required for university faculty, senior research, and some advanced government or industry R&D roles. Takes roughly 3 to 5 years beyond the master's. BLS notes a master's or doctoral degree may be needed for advancement.
- •Complete a PhD in statistics or biostatistics
- •Conduct and defend original research
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about statisticians
What is the median salary for statisticians?
The median annual salary for statisticians is $103,300 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is statisticians a growing career?
BLS projects +8.5% growth for statisticians from 2024 through 2034, which is fast growth projected to grow faster than the US average.
What education does my child need to become statistician?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to statisticians?
Related occupations within the Computer and Mathematical category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.