Science and Engineering Jobs: Statistics?
Statistics is an important field of natural science,
engineering, and social science. Scientists use statistics to
evaluate data, make predictions and hypotheses, and infer
relationships between variables. People who use statistics
professionally, called statisticians, may work alongside scientists
and engineers or do data analysis privately for companies and
corporations as contractors. These careers can be quite lucrative
depending on the level of experience and the industry in which the
statistician is working.
Anyone interested in being a statistician should hold at least a
bachelor's degree. Having an undergraduate degree in mathematics is
preferable, although students who major in science, engineering,
economics, or business will likely have encountered statistics as a
requirement for their degree. These introductory courses will
provide a basic understanding of statistics and introduce students
to concepts like averages, margin of error, distributions, and
standard deviations. These skills are the foundation of statistics,
but are likely not enough for meaningful work as a statistician.
Holding a master's degree -- or, better yet, a Ph.D. -- will expose
students to more advanced concepts like Fourier transformations and
non-standard distributions, as well as practical and theoretical
applications of data analysis. The theses completed during a
master's degree or doctoral program will also give statisticians
detailed knowledge of one particular area of statistics, which is a
competitive advantage when applying for jobs in statistics.
The least well compensated area of statistics is at the
university level. Professors of statistics earn a small salary
relative to those in business, in addition to many extra
responsibilities in terms of teaching and research, although some
job seekers may enjoy a career in academia where they work with
students and ideas on a daily basis. This career track requires at
least a doctoral degree.
The best compensated statisticians work in business, where they
perform data analysis -- often dealing with finance or inventory --
for companies looking to reduce costs and improve profits. This is
one of the emerging areas for math and science students to work in
well paid jobs in the private sector. These jobs may require as
little as an undergraduate degree in statistics, and they often
have lucrative benefits and compensation packages. Statisticians
who enjoy a competitive atmosphere and new challenges every day may
enjoy working in statistics in the business field.