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Job outlook for mathematical statisticians in the United States
Are mathematical statistician jobs in demand?
Mathematical statistician job and salary trends over time
Mathematical statistician jobs over time
Mathematical statistician job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 304 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 376 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 379 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 387 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 354 | 0.00% |
Average mathematical statistician salary over time
Mathematical statistician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $62,612 | $30.10 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | $61,859 | $29.74 | +3.9% |
| 2023 | $59,565 | $28.64 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | $57,041 | $27.42 | +4.4% |
| 2021 | $54,625 | $26.26 | +0.5% |
Mathematical statistician jobs by state
Most common states for mathematical statisticians
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 156 | 22% |
| 2 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 390 | 5% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 275 | 5% |
| 4 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 320 | 4% |
| 5 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 285 | 4% |
| 6 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 109 | 3% |
| 7 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 94 | 3% |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 37 | 3% |
| 9 | Delaware | 961,939 | 31 | 3% |
| 10 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 19 | 3% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 16 | 3% |
| 12 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 16 | 3% |
| 13 | California | 39,536,653 | 947 | 2% |
| 14 | New York | 19,849,399 | 369 | 2% |
| 15 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 299 | 2% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 212 | 2% |
| 17 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 196 | 2% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 190 | 2% |
| 19 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 27 | 2% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 18 | 2% |
Most common cities for mathematical statisticians
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Silver Spring | 1 | 1% | $88,115 |
Mathematical Statistician job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of mathematical statistician experts
San Francisco State University
University of North Carolina at Asheville
Saint Peter's University
Butler University
University of Northern Colorado
Southeastern Oklahoma State University
Villanova University
Lehigh University
Baylor University
Temple University
American University
University of Texas at El Paso
Dominican College
Andrews University
Radford University
University of Houston - Clear Lake
Brigham Young University -- Hawaii
Humboldt State University
What general advice would you give to a Mathematical Statistician?
Warren Johnson: Statistics/data science and computer science are great professions to enter now. Mathematics is involved in these fields. It allows working with talented students and gaining new insights.
What Mathematical Statistician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Warren Johnson: Some of us prove theorems on the frontiers of mathematics, but most of us really don't. A good mathematical training allows one to work on many different things in many contexts. Teaching is rewarding if you have good students.
What will help Mathematical Statisticians increase their earning potential?
Warren Johnson: Many of the greatest ideas that men and women have had are mathematical ideas. The thrill of understanding something difficult and explaining it to talented young people is rewarding. Dislike the grading aspect of the job.
What general advice would you give to a Mathematical Statistician?
Luella Fu: Statistics is an amazing profession to enter now because the amount of data being collected and stored is always increasing. This makes Statistics a high-demand skill not just now but also in the future. The data is also of a huge variety: sports, medical, environmental, and business being just a few kinds. This means that a Statistician can use Statistics as a tool to explore almost field they want. It’s an incredibly versatile profession. You can also get an industry after a Bachelors, Master’s or PhD, so there is also flexibility in how much training you choose to undergo.
What Mathematical Statistician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Luella Fu: I think Statisticians enjoy the quantitative reasoning aspect of their jobs, whether it’s designing the data collection, visualizing data, or creating insights from it. It’s also a pretty stable job with good pay. What Statisticians probably don’t like is the amount of time they spend in front of a computer to do their data analyses. It can create eye strain. Also, data cleaning can be full of unexpected challenges that take much longer to solve than one expects.
What will help Mathematical Statisticians increase their earning potential?
Luella Fu: It varies depending on if you’re an academic or an industry professional, but I think a common theme for all entry-level statisticians is that they’re going to be pulling data out of storage, finding ways to visualize it, and finding ways to summarize it. They’ll usually have very specific goals in mind, either to answer a research or business question, and so they’ll spend quite some time just thinking about what the data is answering and how to showcase the data in the way that best answers those important questions.
What general advice would you give to a Mathematical Statistician?
Kedai Cheng Ph.D.: For academic jobs, as a professor, we start off our day with a coffee. Thanks to the luxury of academic jobs, I spend most of my day reading and studying, and doing research. Research is totally different from learning. Learning is comparatively easy because everything is written in the book. If I do not under, I can always go over it again and again. It is a matter of time investment. Unlike learning, we do not have a certain answer for research. It is possible that we spend 1 year reviewing all existing literature and do our own experiment, and it turns out nothing worked out. It is a very strongly self-motivated job. And we need to be able to enjoy the loneliness. To other people, it may seem like our jobs are boring and lonely. However, to me, it is different. I rarely get bored, because I want to know what is going on. We can always dig a little deeper on what we have.
What Mathematical Statistician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kedai Cheng Ph.D.: There is undoubtful that mathematics is the fundamental subject of all social and natural sciences. With a Mathematics or Statistics major, it should not be hard to find a job in finance, technology and many other fields. Even a minor in Mathematics or Statistics may support people finding a job. People know you have certain quantitative and analytical skills when they are needed. People know you have been through a lot of struggling and frustration, and you survived.
What will help Mathematical Statisticians increase their earning potential?
Kedai Cheng Ph.D.: A stereotype perception of Mathematicians or Statisticians is that they are nerdy, and they are smart. Nerdiness may be true. Smart? Maybe not. I am an ordinary person. If I can do it, everybody can do it. It is all about mindset. Sit down, clean your mind, try to understand each formula. To understand a mathematical formula is like talking to ourselves. For example, I need 'a' and 'b' to be combined together, mathematically it is a+b. Numbers and formulas, it just means what it is supposed to tell us. No hidden implications. It is straightforward. It is just a feeling of uncomfortability makes us stop at the very beginning. Give yourself some more time, contemplate it, you will find out the beauty of it.
What general advice would you give to a Mathematical Statistician?
Bernd Schroeder: Learn as much abstract mathematics as you can and take classes in another field in which mathematics can be applied and that is interesting to you. Mathematics majors hold skilled positions in fields that may first seem surprising, such as medicine, accounting, or the gaming industry. The common denominator is that mathematical models can be applied in these and many other fields, and the key is to make the connection.
What Mathematical Statistician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Bernd Schroeder: The foundation of mathematics is logical and computational precision. Mathematical results are eternal in that there is no update needed once a result has been shown to be true. Consider Pythagoras' Theorem. It's rather old, but its statement and truth are unchanged, as is its applicability. This logical and computational precision will be of primary importance for as long as human beings practice mathematics, science, as well as have interactions in general. For the future, we need to continually refine our ability to use fundamental skills in mathematics/logic/computations to validate and improve results obtained through complex computations: For example, the computations that underly AI cannot and should not be double checked step-by-step, because they are much too intricate. However, simple test cases can often reveal problems in the system as well as features.
What will help Mathematical Statisticians increase their earning potential?
Bernd Schroeder: You want to be one who solves problems, not one who causes them. Ask for help when you need it, but also freely lend your help to others. You want to be one whose good front is backed by solid performance and to whom people look for help. The hardest part is to commit, but to not overcommit to the point where the quality of your work suffers.
What general advice would you give to a Mathematical Statistician?
Nickolas Kintos PhD: Don't think that you have to limit yourself to specific areas. Mathematics is used in many different fields. Keep your options open.
What Mathematical Statistician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nickolas Kintos PhD: It depends on the area a recent graduate wants to pursue. Some areas may require more than a bachelor's degree and involve more sophisticated mathematics.
What will help Mathematical Statisticians increase their earning potential?
Nickolas Kintos PhD: Don't think that you have to limit yourself to specific areas. Mathematics is used in many different fields. Keep your options open.
Dr. Lee Farquhar
Associate ProfessorButler University
Radio, Television, And Digital Communication
What general advice would you give to a Mathematical Statistician?
Dr. Lee Farquhar: Storytelling is still at the heart of the industry. Start with good reporting and writing. From there, broaden your technical skills so that your stories can connect with audiences in a variety of platforms. A certain fluidity is necessary for the modern and future reporter, crossing from one medium to another seamlessly. The reporter must be resolute in their reporting and nimble in their delivery to the audience.
What Mathematical Statistician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Lee Farquhar: Storytelling is still at the heart of the industry. Start with good reporting and writing. From there, broaden your technical skills so that your stories can connect with audiences in a variety of platforms. A certain fluidity is necessary for the modern and future reporter, crossing from one medium to another seamlessly. The reporter must be resolute in their reporting and nimble in their delivery to the audience.
Khalil Shafie
Dr.University of Northern Colorado
Mathematics And Statistics
What Mathematical Statistician skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Khalil Shafie: To maximize salary potential, consider gaining expertise in specialized areas within Statistics, and creating a strong portfolio of practical projects. Networking, and negotiating effectively during job offers, and staying updated on can also help to salary growth.
What will help Mathematical Statisticians increase their earning potential?
Khalil Shafie: For a graduate beginning their career in Statistics, I'd advise focusing on building a strong foundation in both theoretical and practical aspects of statistics and seeking opportunities for hands-on experiences
Dr. Brett Elliott
Director of General Education/ProfessorSoutheastern Oklahoma State University
Mathematics Department
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Dr. Brett Elliott: I think what would stand out on a statistician's resume is communication skills, in particular, being able to explain the results of some statistical procedure to others that may not have as much (or any) statistical knowledge.
What soft skills should all Mathematical Statisticians possess?
Dr. Brett Elliott: Some of the skills needed are computer skills and knowledge of a lot of different areas (since you never know what area you will be working in as a statistician).
What hard/technical skills are most important for Mathematical Statisticians?
Dr. Brett Elliott: I would say the technical skills every statistician needs is knowing, in a given situation, which statistical procedure is called for, what the assumptions of that procedure are, how to produce the output of that procedure, and how to correctly interpret the output.
What skills will help Mathematical Statisticians earn the most?
Dr. Brett Elliott: I'm not sure they are "skills," but being willing to relocate is one of the things that will lead to higher salaries, and another is a willingness to be a life-long learner. The more areas you are proficient in (both statistical and otherwise) will lead to more opportunities.
Paul Bernhardt
Associate Professor of Statistics, Director of the Applied Statistics Graduate ProgramVillanova University
Department of Mathematics and Statistics
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Paul Bernhardt: A famous statistician, John Tukey, once said that "the best thing about being a statistician is that you get to play in everyone's backyard." This quote summarizes life as a practicing statistician: you help scientists, businesses, or the government better understand their study subjects, their market, or their interests by carefully analyzing their data and making appropriate inferences. Thus, for statisticians, versatility is key. This can be demonstrated through work or internship experiences, examples of projects completed, a variety of classes taken in school, and strong programming abilities. The better that a statistician is able to portray on a resume that they know how to handle data and work with individuals who need data advice or analysis, the better their resume will look.
What soft skills should all Mathematical Statisticians possess?
Paul Bernhardt: Statisticians generally have to work with a variety of people from a variety of fields. Thus statisticians have to be eager to learn and ask questions. It is common for a client or a scientist consulting with a statistician for the first time to think that they know what they want, but it is the job of the statistician to ask questions to make sure not only that they understand the data and the data-related issues, but that the analyses goals are feasible. In most statistics jobs, working with others, often as a team, is essential. This requires solid communication skills, both in conveying thoughts on the best procedure as well as in explaining technical results to individuals not familiar with statistical jargon.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Mathematical Statisticians?
Paul Bernhardt: Statisticians must have a range of methodological knowledge, and which skills are most important will vary heavily from job to job. In some jobs, having experience working with biological data will be most important, and thus particular classwork and methodological skills are most significant. In other cases, statisticians are asked to play a role in designing studies, monitoring data collection, and insuring quality control. Having data analysis skills is very different from knowing experimental design or best survey practices. Most statistics jobs will require expertise in at least one programming language. Pharmaceutical and biostatistics jobs often require knowledge of SAS, whereas finance, business, and other data analysis/science jobs are more likely to require fluency in Python or R. Statisticians who know multiple languages along with database management using SQL are often well-primed for jobs in programming or data science.
What skills will help Mathematical Statisticians earn the most?
Paul Bernhardt: Experience and willingness to grow and learn more. Because statistics is needed by so many different fields and involves so many different methods, procedures, and skills, time is needed to build up the knowledge that helps an individual acquire a top-earning job as a manager or other team leader. This can often be done within a large company, such as in pharmaceuticals, but it can also be done by moving to new jobs. In many cases, only a few years of experience are needed to move to higher-level positions. For individuals with a Master's degree or Ph.D., earning more often happens much sooner.
Bottom line: If a statistician has the experience, strong communication skills, and is good with a variety of software programs and with database management, they will likely be able to earn a good living with relatively reasonable working hours. For this reason, "statistician"/"data scientist" consistently ranks as one of the top jobs among a variety of rankings. For example, the last six years running, it has been listed in the top three jobs to have by Glassdoor.com
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Wei-Min Huang: Foundational training in statistics, data management and data analytic skills, computational skills.
What soft skills should all Mathematical Statisticians possess?
Wei-Min Huang: Problem-Solving Skills, Creativity, Communication skills, Ability to communicate findings to non-statisticians.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Mathematical Statisticians?
Wei-Min Huang: Strong mathematical and logical insight, Analytical and formulation skills, Wide-ranging computer skills, Knowing the difference between model-based and data-driven approaches.
What skills will help Mathematical Statisticians earn the most?
Wei-Min Huang: A combination of Technical, Communication, and Leadership skills.
Michael Gallaugher Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Elected Director of The Classification SocietyBaylor University
Department of Statistical Science
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Michael Gallaugher Ph.D.: Like with the hard/technical skills, I think coding ability stands out most on a statistician's resume. As data today is getting more complex, computational experience is needed regardless of whether or not the applicant is going into academia or industry. In addition, past interdisciplinary work would stand out as well.
What soft skills should all Mathematical Statisticians possess?
Michael Gallaugher Ph.D.: From the beginning, statistics have been very interdisciplinary and have become even more so in recent years. With that comes working with people with various backgrounds, including those who have only a very basic understanding of mathematics and statistics. Therefore, a statistician needs to reduce the mathematical and computational jargon to simple language.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Mathematical Statisticians?
Michael Gallaugher Ph.D.: With the types of data being analyzed today, computational and coding skills are key. Anyone entering the statistics field, regardless of going into academia or industry, should be comfortable coding in at least one statistical computing language such as R, python, or more recently, Julia. In addition, and this is probably obvious, strong mathematical skills are also very important.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Mathematical Statisticians?
Dr. Pallavi Chitturi Ph.D.: The demand for statisticians is increasing rapidly, driven by a proliferation of computing technology, software, and statistical tools. Capturing and interpreting the large amount of data generated by the coronavirus pandemic will keep statisticians occupied for decades. A recent Best Jobs list compiled by CareerCast ranks Data Scientist as No. 1 and Statistician as No. 2. in the list of best jobs with high demand. We expect that students graduating with a statistics major will continue to have fantastic job prospects.
What type of skills will young Mathematical Statisticians need?
Dr. Pallavi Chitturi Ph.D.: In addition to a strong foundation in statistical methodology and applied statistics, graduates should also gain exposure to programming and modern languages such as R and SAS. Effective written and oral communication skills are also essential to success in the workforce.
What experience really stands out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Dr. Pallavi Chitturi Ph.D.: Experiences outside the classroom, such as research projects, case competitions, and leadership experience really stand out on resumes. I urge students to participate in case competitions and data challenges and take a leadership role in student professional organizations. In the Statistical Science & Data Analytics (SSDA) major at the Fox School, students apply theoretical knowledge to a real project involving industry data in their Capstone course. Students engage in the entire process of solving a real-world data science project: from clarifying objectives, collecting and processing data, to applying suitable and appropriate analytic methods to the problem.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Mathematical Statisticians?
Mary Gray Ph.D.: Graduates can expect more short-term positions than in previous years
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Mathematical Statisticians?
Mary Gray Ph.D.: Data science is a key term, but it can mean so many things. Depending on the employer particular courses will be valuable - lots of statistics, computer science are always good. Engineering, finance for some fields. Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Arabic can be a plus.
What soft skills should all Mathematical Statisticians possess?
Mary Gray Ph.D.: Experience working on independent projects or in small groups where cooperation and collaboration are important, especially if there is a recognizable work product.
Dr. Amy Wagler Ph.D.
Associate Chair and Associate ProfessorUniversity of Texas at El Paso
Departament of Mathematical Sciences
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Mathematical Statisticians?
Dr. Amy Wagler Ph.D.: There will be an impact without a doubt. Back in March, we had to quickly change course for mentoring and teaching our students in statistics and data science. Valuable learning experiences were lost and one-on-one interaction with students was lacking. By the fall, we had more time to plan but still had all instruction online. We are trying to recreate the impactful teaching practices in an online setting, and we are getting better at it now. However, the learning curve is steep.
What type of skills will young Mathematical Statisticians need?
Dr. Amy Wagler Ph.D.: They clearly need to be experts in statistical modeling, statistical programming, and communicating statistical results to broad audiences. However, we also train our students to develop interdisciplinary and collaborative research skills, as well as presentation and oral communication skills. These are also very important. A good applied statistician/data scientist should possess all of these skills and work on nurturing them on a regular basis.
What experience really stands out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Dr. Amy Wagler Ph.D.: Working on applied interdisciplinary projects is a skill that demonstrates mastery of statistical methods and knowledge, but also demonstrates experience working with professionals with domain expertise.
Dr. AnnMarie DelliPizzi Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology, Coordinator of the Health Sciences Program, Honors Program DirectorDominican College
Math and Science Department
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Dr. AnnMarie DelliPizzi Ph.D.: Certainly the more hands-on skills a student has in the lab, the better the chance of securing a laboratory position. If the opportunity is available, I encourage all students to participate in a research project. Research supplements skills and techniques developed through lab-based coursework. In addition, research trains students to design innovative projects, develop analytical skills, think critically and troubleshoot problems. Consistent with many other jobs, employers look for individuals who are motivated, can demonstrate teamwork, and have strong interpersonal skills, including verbal and written communication.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Mathematical Statisticians to find work opportunities?
Dr. AnnMarie DelliPizzi Ph.D.: Students interested in pursuing careers in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries should focus on large metropolitan areas, such as Boston, New York/New Jersey, Baltimore/DC, San Francisco Bay area, Raleigh/Durham, and Chicago. Jobs for clinical lab technologists can be found throughout the country, but may be more readily available in areas with large hospitals or medical centers.
Anthony Bosman Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of MathematicsAndrews University
Mathematics Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Mathematical Statistician job market given the pandemic?
Anthony Bosman Ph.D.: The pandemic has accelerated the disruption that was already occurring in nearly every industry. As such, companies are reimagining the nature of work, re-writing job descriptions and becoming more accommodating of remote work.
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Anthony Bosman Ph.D.: Employers are looking for a combination of proficiency in technical skills as well as those distinctly human literacies sometimes referred to as "soft skills". Applicants should signal that they have the resilience and adaptability to thrive under changing conditions, able to quickly adopt new technologies and acquire needed skills as their changing job descriptions require it.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Mathematical Statisticians to find work opportunities?
Anthony Bosman Ph.D.: The increasingly decentralized office and remote-friendly nature of many jobs, particularly in the knowledge sector, should open up more opportunities for graduates to compete for jobs across the country and beyond. Applicants, therefore, shouldn't restrict their search to a narrow, local region.
Dr. Miodrag Lovric Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorRadford University
Mathematics and Statistics Department
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Mathematical Statistician job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Miodrag Lovric Ph.D.: The permanent rise in remote work is, until now, the principal economic bequest of Covid-19. Because of the pandemic, fewer people come to work and spend money in city centers, hence many city centers are in deep recession. Outside these city centers, new job numbers are now above pre-pandemic levels.
The official unemployment rate in November 2020 given by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, was 6.7 percent, or 10.7 million unemployed persons. This is significantly lower in comparison to April 2020 when this rate was 14.7 percent, the highest rate in the history of the data managed by the Bureau (available back to January 1948). The most recent trend is that the notable job gains occurred in transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, and health care, and that employment declined in government and retail trade.
The job markets for bars, hotels, restaurants, air travel, cruises, continue to shrink. I believe that the prospects for these job markets are highly correlated to the effectiveness of the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines. In the meantime, the majority of ordinary people will be scared to be in confined spaces and breathe the same air as the other people around. For students, it will be very stressful to find internships. On the other hand, people with training in AI or robotics will have much higher prospects to find adequate jobs.
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Dr. Miodrag Lovric Ph.D.: According to the book written by Denning and Brown, "A new culture of learning", the half-life of an acquired skill is 5 years. This implies that much of what you learned 10 years ago is obsolete and half of what you learned 5 years ago is almost irrelevant.
Many companies are using an immense suite of collaboration tools such as Zoom, Slack, Google Hangouts and Chat, Microsoft teams, virtual whiteboards, and similar gears to assist remote teams.
The following soft (interpersonal) skills will be in demand during and after the pandemic: creativity, collaboration, adaptability, negotiating, and emotional intelligence. On the flip side, top in-demand hard skills include digital skills related to remote working, cybersecurity, analytic reasoning and data analysis, and artificial intelligence.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Mathematical Statisticians to find work opportunities?
Dr. Miodrag Lovric Ph.D.: According to the Handshake web site, "Where are College Students Going After they Graduate?", based on their analysis of more than 13 million job applications, the most popular city in each region of the U.S. was local to that region, every region retained more than 50 percent of graduates, and NYC was the single most popular city for job seekers. However, due to the corona pandemic, I believe that in the most foreseeable future some other cities will become much more attractive. From my personal, international, perspective (I have been living in eight countries) the best places for new college graduates to start a life are those that enable optimal balance among factors such as affordability, real estate values, crime rates, and culture.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Mathematical Statistician job market given the pandemic?
Yingfu (Frank) Li Ph.D.: For graduates in statistics, one might have to work from home, even after the pandemic.
What skills stand out on Mathematical Statistician resumes?
Yingfu (Frank) Li Ph.D.: Statistical computing and communication skills
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Mathematical Statisticians to find work opportunities?
Yingfu (Frank) Li Ph.D.: Statistical methods are widely used in almost all fields. Any place could be a good place for someone. However, if one plans to work in pharmaceutical companies and related types, then good places will be on the east and west coasts. If one plans to work in insurance companies, then any place with a cluster of insurance companies will be good choice.
Susan Barton
Professor of MathematicsBrigham Young University -- Hawaii
Faculty of Math and Computing
What general advice would you give to a Mathematical Statistician?
Susan Barton: Be willing to put all the effort you can into your job. Employers want people who are willing to work diligently and willing to continue to learn new things throughout their careers. However, you need to find a good balance between family and work.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Mathematical Statisticians in the next 3-5 years?
Susan Barton: It is important to at least be aware of many different types of technologies. This year is a great example of the need to be aware of what is out there technology-wise.
I suspect many talented employees were not familiar with Zoom, Loom, or Teams or other means of communicating electronically before March 2020. It has been a tough learning curve for many people scrambling to become proficient in an unfamiliar medium of communication. That is why it is so important to be at least aware of what is available and to know a little about the new technologies being developed.
In Mathematics, in particular, technologies that will allow fast and easy communication of mathematical formulas and complicated equations will always be needed. More and more jobs are becoming available that need expertise in organizing and analyzing large sets of data for various industries and companies.
How would you rate the starting salaries for Mathematical Statisticians, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Susan Barton: With a bachelor's degree in Mathematics or Applied Mathematics, the starting salary and various types of career prospects are very good.
With more advanced degrees in mathematics, the starting salary is even better. In the 2019 USA Today/Wall 24/7 report for top careers, for both salary and job satisfaction, six of the top 10 are closely related to mathematics and applied mathematics (#2 Mathematician, #3 University Professor, #5 Statistician, #7 Data Scientist, #9 Operations Research Analyst --uses math to help companies solve problems and operate more efficiently, and #10 Actuary). Each of these careers has a predicted growth rate that exceeds 22% through 2026.
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Once hired, salary increases and advances in one's career have a lot to do with demonstrating ability, talent, dependability, successfully taking on new assignments, and fitting a need within the company. You need to show you are a valuable asset to your employer throughout your career.
David Marshall
Lecturer and Research AssociateHumboldt State University
Department of Mathematics
What type of skills will young Mathematical Statisticians need?
David Marshall: Students often use me as a reference, and the most often asked question I get from an employer in a reference call is, "How does this person work in groups?" Working in teams is important and a skill you can develop. If you have not yet graduated, learn to work well with others. If you are a high performer, learn to help others be better. This is important for everyone, learn to contribute, and how to effectively communicate. Lately, I would also suggest that you learn a group or team productivity software. I'm not going to talk about specific "groupware," just that you need to put some time into learning the functions of the productivity software you are currently using. Be able to talk about how you used it to accomplish goals; employers love that.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Mathematical Statisticians to find work opportunities?
David Marshall: Finding work is currently hard, but things will get better. I can't add anything other than letting many people who know you look over your application materials. Ask people you trust to suggest ways to say what you are saying in a clear and uncomplicated way. And as a faculty who reads hundreds of student papers, please write within your vocabulary. Nothing turns off a reader more quickly than a writer who uses a $10 word when a $2 word works just as well. I would also start reading the Economist to learn about technology investment trends.
How do you envision technology impacting Mathematical Statisticians in the next 5 years?
David Marshall: That is a good question. If you want to have a good laugh, look at what futurists were predicting in 1950, 60, and 70. Because the rate of change of most things is increasing and voice recognition is coming online, I would look for interesting changes in the human-computer interface. Big money on Wall Street has been betting on artificial intelligence (AI). If you have the technical chops, learn something about AI. You don't need to be an expert to work on an AI team; you just need to be a good teammate.