StatisticiansStatisticiansin the in the

Federal Federal GovernmentGovernment

Prepared by:Prepared by:Ron Fecso, Chief Statistician, NSF/SRSRon Fecso, Chief Statistician, NSF/SRSTiffany Olson, JPSM Intern, NSF/SRSTiffany Olson, JPSM Intern, NSF/SRS

Presented at Careers in Statistic Panel for Teachers in High Schools and Two Year Colleges at the Presented at Careers in Statistic Panel for Teachers in High Schools and Two Year Colleges at the Joint Statistical Meeting 2006Joint Statistical Meeting 2006

Why statistics?Why statistics?

Versatile Versatile Statistician consistently ranks as Statistician consistently ranks as

one of the nation’s best jobsone of the nation’s best jobs Great compensationGreat compensation

Why work as a statistician Why work as a statistician for the federal government?for the federal government?

The federal government employs 20% of the The federal government employs 20% of the approximately 19,000 statisticians in the approximately 19,000 statisticians in the United States.United States.

Data collected and analyzed by statisticians in Data collected and analyzed by statisticians in the federal government are used to make the federal government are used to make important policy decisions.important policy decisions.

Statisticians are employed in nearly every Statisticians are employed in nearly every federal agency, offering a large variety of federal agency, offering a large variety of opportunities.opportunities.

The federal government employs statisticians The federal government employs statisticians with bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees.with bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees.

What can you do as a What can you do as a statistician for the federal statistician for the federal

government?government? Survey design and methodologySurvey design and methodology Field work and data analysisField work and data analysis Clinical trial analysisClinical trial analysis Reliability and quality controlReliability and quality control

There are also many positions that use There are also many positions that use statisticsstatistics

but have a title other than “statistician” andbut have a title other than “statistician” anddon’t necessarily require a degree in statistics.don’t necessarily require a degree in statistics.

Where can you work Where can you work in the federal in the federal government?government?

U.S. Food and Drug U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationAdministration

Non-laboratory settingNon-laboratory setting Review and evaluate new drug Review and evaluate new drug

applicationsapplications

Research settingResearch setting Design and analyze complex short Design and analyze complex short

term and long term studiesterm and long term studies

Where can you work in the federal government?

Bureau of Labor StatisticsBureau of Labor Statistics Produce important economic indicators Produce important economic indicators

such as the Unemployment Rate and the such as the Unemployment Rate and the Consumer Price IndexConsumer Price Index

Job tasks include:Job tasks include: Sampling frame development and Sampling frame development and

refinement refinement Survey designSurvey design Measuring and improving the quality of dataMeasuring and improving the quality of data Serving as a consultantServing as a consultant

Where can you work in the federal government?

U.S. Department of U.S. Department of AgricultureAgriculture

Agricultural StatisticiansAgricultural Statisticians Produce seasonal estimates of commodities Produce seasonal estimates of commodities

such as macadamia nuts in Hawaiisuch as macadamia nuts in Hawaii Use survey statistics, mathematical statistics, Use survey statistics, mathematical statistics,

and data processing to prepare data relating and data processing to prepare data relating to many areas of agricultureto many areas of agriculture

Mathematical Statisticians Mathematical Statisticians Research and evaluate the theory and Research and evaluate the theory and

statistical programs used in studies applied to statistical programs used in studies applied to various agricultural survey activitiesvarious agricultural survey activities

Where can you work in the federal government?

What statistics does the USDA What statistics does the USDA Produce?Produce?

Maps detailing the acres Maps detailing the acres of farmland fertilizedof farmland fertilized

Charts showing the price Charts showing the price of cheddar cheeseof cheddar cheese

U.S. Census BureauU.S. Census Bureau Statistician (Concentration on Social Statistician (Concentration on Social

Science)Science) Design, implement, analyze and report on surveys Design, implement, analyze and report on surveys

of important population trendsof important population trends Statistician (Concentration on Economics) Statistician (Concentration on Economics)

Collect information from retailers on the amount Collect information from retailers on the amount of retail tradeof retail trade

Mathematical StatisticianMathematical Statistician Develop new statistical methodologies and Develop new statistical methodologies and

perform innovative research to solve statistical perform innovative research to solve statistical problemsproblems

Where can you work in the federal government?

National Institutes of National Institutes of HealthHealth

Where can you work in the federal government?

NIH employs NIH employs Ph.D. or Ph.D. or experienced experienced master’s level master’s level statisticians to statisticians to design and design and analyze clinical analyze clinical trials.trials.

Where can you work in the federal government?

Centers for Disease Control Centers for Disease Control and Preventionand Prevention

CDC employs CDC employs statisticians to design statisticians to design both laboratory and both laboratory and epidemiologic studies epidemiologic studies and analyze the data and analyze the data from individual from individual projects.projects.

CompensatCompensationion

Question: How much money Question: How much money can I make as a statistician?can I make as a statistician?

Answer: That depends on Answer: That depends on several important factors:several important factors:

Education levelEducation level ExperienceExperience Managerial dutiesManagerial duties

Salary comparisonSalary comparisonAverage Annual Salaries*

Federal Government Statisticians

  Statisticians $81,262

  Mathematical Statisticians $91,466

Other Professions

  Lawyers $94,930

  Actuaries $76,340

  Family Practice Physicians $156,000 * Data for Federal Government Statisticians is from 2005, all other data are from 2004

ASA 2003 salary report ASA 2003 salary report (Federal government responses)(Federal government responses)

Annual Salaries ($) of Statisticians With No Managerial Responsibility

Annual Salaries ($) of Statisticians With Managerial Responsibility

Years of Experience

Highest Degree N Median

Years of Experience

Highest Degree N Median

0-1.9

BS 18 42,000

0-1.9

BS 0 -

MS 15 58,000 MS 4 -

PhD 5 - PhD 2 -

2-3.9

BS 19 54,000

2-3.9

BS 0 -

MS 27 67,000 MS 2 -

PhD 9 67,000 PhD 4 -

4-7.9

BS 27 67,000

4-7.9

BS 4 -

MS 32 67,000 MS 19 76,000

PhD 6 67,000 PhD 12 76,000

8-11.9

BS 7 76,000

8-11.9

BS 5 -

MS 15 76,000 MS 5 -

PhD 4 - PhD 2 -

12-19.9

BS 12 69,000

12-19.9

BS 15 76,000

MS 33 78,000 MS 38 88,500

PhD 5 - PhD 14 125,000

20+

BS 8 70,000

20+

BS 23 92,000

MS 27 89,000 MS 52 101,000

PhD 9 112,000 PhD 17 142,000

-- Insufficient data to conceal the identities of those Insufficient data to conceal the identities of those sampledsampled

SourcesSourcesSource URL Information

Wall Street Journal www.CareerJournal.comhttp://www.careerjournal.com/jobhunting/change/20020507-lee.html

Job ranking - statistics consistently scores in top 10 careers

AMSTAT News Nov 2005 Issue #341

BLS Statistician occupation info http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos045.htm Occupational Outlook Handbook

US FDA Statistician Positions http://www.fda.gov/jobs/statistician.htm Description of FDA statistician positions

BLS Who Do We Hire? Webpage http://www.bls.gov/eop/peoplebox1.htmDescription of BLS Mathematical Statistician and others

US Department of Agriculture - Career Opportunities

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Contact_Us/Opportunities/Agricultural%20Statistics/index.asp

Agricultural Statistician Career Opportunities

US Department of Agriculture - Career Opportunities

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Contact_Us/Opportunities/Mathematical%20Statistics/index.asp

Mathematical Statistician Career Opportunities

US Department of Agriculture - Employment Announcement

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Contact_Us/Opportunities/NASS_Employment_Application.pdf

explains duties of Agricultural Statistician and Mathematical Statistician

US Census Bureau - Job summary and qualifications http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/jobs/ssdmstat.html

Statistician (Concentration on Social Science)

US Census Bureau - Job summary and qualifications http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/jobs/econstat.html Statistician (Concentration on Economics)

US Census Bureau - Job summary and qualifications http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/jobs/mathstat.html Math Statistician

NIH 2006 Job Fairhttp://www.training.nih.gov/onlineapps/jobfair/application/participantDetails.asp?participantId=112

Description of Statistician in clinical research

CDC NIOSH Statistical Occupation http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/employ/1530.html CDC NIOSH Statistical Occupation

AMSTAT Business, Industry, and Government 2005 Salary Survey

http://www.amstat.org/publications/amsn/2005/highlights10-1.pdf

same as source 2, salary report for statisticians 2005

AMSTAT Business, Industry, and Government 2003 Salary Survey

http://www.amstat.org/profession/SPAIGsalarysurvey03.pdf salary report for statisticians 2003

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos053.htm#earnings Description of Lawyer Salary 2004

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm#earnings Description of Physician Salary 2004

BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos041.htm#earnings Description of Actuary Salary 2004

Links for StudentsLinks for Students

www.onetcenter.orgwww.onetcenter.orgOccupational Information Network Resource Occupational Information Network Resource

CenterCenterwww.bls.gov/k12www.bls.gov/k12

BLS Career Information Homepage for BLS Career Information Homepage for StudentsStudents

www.bls.gov/ocowww.bls.gov/ocoBLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-7BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-7