To work as a statistician, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have a bachelor's degree; and
• have at least a master's degree.

Education after high school

While it is possible to work as a statistician with a bachelor's degree in statistics, most statisticians have a master's degree. Course work for this degree includes calculus, differential equations, or vector analysis. You should also take courses in computer science since you use computers to perform most statistical calculations.

Statisticians often specialize in an area of study. For example, you may do statistical analysis for biology, agriculture, business, economics, engineering, psychology, or other fields. One master's degree in statistics and another in science are also good preparation.

Work experience

You should consider participating in an internship while in college. An internship is usually part of a degree program. It offers you a chance to apply what you have learned in the classroom to a work situation. It also allows you to build skills and make contacts with people in the field.

On-the-job training

New graduates work under the guidance of experienced statisticians. In large companies, you may also receive formal classroom training. New employees may receive about a month of training right after hired.