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

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

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.

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.

Where can you work in the federal government?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 12-19.9 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

Sources Source URL Information Wall Street Journal www.CareerJournal.com http://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.htm Description 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 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) http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/jobs/econstat.html Statistician (Concentration on Economics) http://www.census.gov/hrd/www/jobs/mathstat.html Math Statistician NIH 2006 Job Fair http://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 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 http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm#earnings Description of Physician Salary 2004 http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos041.htm#earnings Description of Actuary Salary 2004

Links for Students www.onetcenter.org www.bls.gov/k12 www.bls.gov/oco Occupational Information Network Resource Center www.bls.gov/k12 BLS Career Information Homepage for Students www.bls.gov/oco BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006-7