1. Statisticians in the Federal Government
Prepared by:
Ron Fecso, Chief Statistician, NSF/SRS
Tiffany Olson, JPSM Intern, NSF/SRS
Presented at Careers in Statistic Panel for Teachers in High Schools and Two Year Colleges at the Joint Statistical Meeting 2006

2. Why statistics? Versatile
Statistician consistently ranks as one of the nation’s best jobs
Great compensation

3. Why work as a statistician for the federal government?
The federal government employs 20% of the approximately 19,000 statisticians in the United States.
Data collected and analyzed by statisticians in the federal government are used to make important policy decisions.
Statisticians are employed in nearly every federal agency, offering a large variety of opportunities.
The federal government employs statisticians with bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees.

4. What can you do as a statistician for the federal government?
Survey design and methodology
Field work and data analysis
Clinical trial analysis
Reliability and quality control
There are also many positions that use statistics
but have a title other than “statistician” and
don’t necessarily require a degree in statistics.

5. Where can you work in the federal government?

6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Where can you work in the federal government?
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Non-laboratory setting
Review and evaluate new drug applications
Research setting
Design and analyze complex short term and long term studies

7. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Where can you work in the federal government?
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Produce important economic indicators such as the Unemployment Rate and the Consumer Price Index
Job tasks include:
Sampling frame development and refinement
Survey design
Measuring and improving the quality of data
Serving as a consultant

8. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Where can you work in the federal government?
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Statisticians
Produce seasonal estimates of commodities such as macadamia nuts in Hawaii
Use survey statistics, mathematical statistics, and data processing to prepare data relating to many areas of agriculture
Mathematical Statisticians
Research and evaluate the theory and statistical programs used in studies applied to various agricultural survey activities

9. What statistics does the USDA Produce?
Maps detailing the acres of farmland fertilized
Charts showing the price of cheddar cheese

10. Where can you work in the federal government?
U.S. Census Bureau
Statistician (Concentration on Social Science)
Design, implement, analyze and report on surveys of important population trends
Statistician (Concentration on Economics)
Collect information from retailers on the amount of retail trade
Mathematical Statistician
Develop new statistical methodologies and perform innovative research to solve statistical problems

11. National Institutes of Health
Where can you work in the federal government?
National Institutes of Health
NIH employs Ph.D. or experienced master’s level statisticians to design and analyze clinical trials.

12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Where can you work in the federal government?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CDC employs statisticians to design both laboratory and epidemiologic studies and analyze the data from individual projects.

13. Compensation Question: How much money can I make as a statistician?
Answer: That depends on several important factors:
Education level
Experience
Managerial duties

14. Average Annual Salaries*
Salary comparison
Average 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

15. ASA 2003 salary report (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
0-1.9 BS 18
42,000 - MS 15
58,000 4
PhD 5 2
2-3.9 19
54,000 27
67,000 9
4-7.9 32
76,000 6 12
8-11.9 7
69,000 33
78,000 38
88,500 14
125,000
20+ 8
70,000 23
92,000
89,000 52
101,000
112,000 17
142,000
- Insufficient data to conceal the identities of those sampled

16. Sources Source URL Information
Wall Street Journal
Job ranking - statistics consistently scores in top 10 careers
AMSTAT News Nov 2005 Issue #341
BLS Statistician occupation info
Occupational Outlook Handbook
US FDA Statistician Positions
Description of FDA statistician positions
BLS Who Do We Hire? Webpage
Description of BLS Mathematical Statistician and others
US Department of Agriculture - Career Opportunities
Agricultural Statistician Career Opportunities
Mathematical Statistician Career Opportunities
US Department of Agriculture - Employment Announcement
explains duties of Agricultural Statistician and Mathematical Statistician
US Census Bureau - Job summary and qualifications
Statistician (Concentration on Social Science)
Statistician (Concentration on Economics)
Math Statistician
NIH 2006 Job Fair
Description of Statistician in clinical research
CDC NIOSH Statistical Occupation
AMSTAT Business, Industry, and Government 2005 Salary Survey
same as source 2, salary report for statisticians 2005
AMSTAT Business, Industry, and Government 2003 Salary Survey
salary report for statisticians 2003
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
Description of Lawyer Salary 2004
Description of Physician Salary 2004
Description of Actuary Salary 2004

17. Links for Students www.onetcenter.org www.bls.gov/k12 www.bls.gov/oco
Occupational Information Network Resource Center
BLS Career Information Homepage for Students
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook