What does a biostatistician do?
A biostatistician specializes in gathering and analyzing data for medical and biological research. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around devising the ideal questionnaire or survey for significant results, maintaining accurate records of data, developing conclusions and research papers, contributing findings to publications, and even collaborating with other scientists. There are also instances where biostatisticians may train junior statisticians, conduct corrective measures on inconsistencies and data error, and develop new strategies for scientific outcomes. Most importantly, a biostatistician must adhere to the laws and regulations on data gathering processes.
Biostatistician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real biostatistician resumes:
- Extract and manage data from different sources, proficient in query language SQL.
- Act as project director for managing the preparation of safety and efficacy reports for NDA submission.
- Manage Medicaid fraud and abuse portfolios by analyzing medical and pharmacy claims data.
- Provide suggestions to clients in classification algorithms, ANOVA, experimental design, and various hypothesis tests.
- Design clinical plans, new product or improvement protocols, co-ordinate CRO and clinical site contracts and IRB submissions.
- Create views using SQL programming.
- Evaluate CROs for future contracts.
- Direct database managers in CRO for drug applications.
- Analyze and prepare data for analysis in SAS.
- Automate VBA base tool to detect outliers in data.
- Collaborate with Java developers, SAS architects and other statistician.
- Assist manager to present and explain results by using PowerPoint.
- Review case report forms develop by CRO for the clinical studies.
- Create programs in SAS to analyze data according to the needs.
- Develop and maintain PC databases and spreadsheets to collect and report data.
Biostatistician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Biostatisticians are proficient in Data Analysis, Patients, and Data Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Math skills, Problem-solving skills, and Analytical skills.
We break down the percentage of Biostatisticians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Data Analysis, 9%
Provide statistically sound experimental design and data analysis input to meet project objectives and FDA statistical requirements.
- Patients, 7%
Assisted in the collection of data on admitted patients from the various wards.
- Data Management, 6%
Provided statistical consulting, computer programming, and data management support to medical researchers and market analysts.
- Statistical Analysis, 5%
Prepare statistical analysis plans and programming specifications for a wide range of studies including clinical trials and an animal oncology study.
- Study Design, 5%
Participate in study design and protocol development; Design statistical section of protocol including sample size calculation and power estimation.
- Data Collection, 4%
Standardized data collection by foreign investigators.
"data analysis," "patients," and "data management" are among the most common skills that biostatisticians use at work. You can find even more biostatistician responsibilities below, including:
Math skills. One of the key soft skills for a biostatistician to have is math skills. You can see how this relates to what biostatisticians do because "mathematicians and statisticians use statistics, calculus, and linear algebra to develop their models and analyses." Additionally, a biostatistician resume shows how biostatisticians use math skills: "sole biostatistician, responsible for all biostatistics activities and communications with fda, corporate partners and management. "
Problem-solving skills. Another essential skill to perform biostatistician duties is problem-solving skills. Biostatisticians responsibilities require that "mathematicians and statisticians must devise solutions to problems encountered in science, engineering, and other fields." Biostatisticians also use problem-solving skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "provide statistical analysis solutions when exploratory analyses are required. "
Analytical skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of biostatisticians is analytical skills. This skill is critical to many everyday biostatistician duties, as "mathematicians and statisticians use mathematical techniques and models to evaluate large amounts of data." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "prepare reports for data safety monitoring board (dsmb) of clinical trials in along with fda requirement. "
Communication skills. biostatistician responsibilities often require "communication skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "mathematicians and statisticians must be able to explain technical concepts and solutions in nontechnical ways." This resume example shows what biostatisticians do with communication skills on a typical day: "participated in meetings with fda and conducted communications with fda statisticians. "
The three companies that hire the most biostatisticians are:
- QuintilesIMS102 biostatisticians jobs
- Pharmaceutical Product Development
75 biostatisticians jobs
- MMS40 biostatisticians jobs
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Compare different biostatisticians
Biostatistician vs. Data scientist
A Data Scientist analyzes information from multiple sources in order to gain maximum insight that can give the company a competitive advantage. They work in different domains, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, and finance.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, biostatistician responsibilities require skills like "data analysis," "data management," "study design," and "research projects." Meanwhile a typical data scientist has skills in areas such as "python," "data science," "java," and "hadoop." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Data scientists tend to make the most money working in the start-up industry, where they earn an average salary of $123,913. In contrast, biostatisticians make the biggest average salary, $102,858, in the pharmaceutical industry.On average, data scientists reach lower levels of education than biostatisticians. Data scientists are 6.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 1.9% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Biostatistician vs. Associate professor of biostatistics
Each career also uses different skills, according to real biostatistician resumes. While biostatistician responsibilities can utilize skills like "data analysis," "patients," "statistical analysis," and "research projects," associate professors of biostatistics use skills like "mph," "health research," "sas," and "chronic disease."
Associate professors of biostatistics earn lower levels of education than biostatisticians in general. They're 24.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 1.9% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Biostatistician vs. Principal statistical scientist
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from biostatistician resumes include skills like "patients," "data management," "statistical analysis," and "study design," whereas a principal statistical scientist is more likely to list skills in "sas," "project budget," "clinical trials," and "resource forecasts. "
When it comes to education, principal statistical scientists tend to earn lower degree levels compared to biostatisticians. In fact, they're 17.8% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 11.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Biostatistician vs. Associate director of biostatistics
Types of biostatistician
Updated January 8, 2025
