In this Article
Professional insights: Aracelis Torres
Biostatistician at a glance
A biostatistician is a professional who utilizes mathematical and statistical methods to address inquiries in medicine, public health, biology and related domains. Their expertise lies in analyzing data to support evidence-based decision-making in the medical field. By applying mathematical analysis, biostatisticians play a crucial role in helping advance research and improve healthcare outcomes.
Key takeaways
- Biostatisticians use mathematical and statistical methods to analyze medical and health data, providing evidence-based insights that support research, healthcare decision-making and improved health outcomes.
- Most biostatistician roles require at least a master’s degree in biostatistics, public health or a related field, with additional education (like a PhD) and experience enhancing career advancement opportunities.
- The field has a strong job outlook with competitive salaries, and professionals can work in diverse settings such as hospitals, academia, pharmaceutical companies and government agencies.
What is a biostatistician?
“There’s a quote I love that says, ‘Every dataset has a story,'” said Aracelis Torres, PhD, MPH, Vice President of Quantitative Sciences at Verana Health and an adjunct professor at Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. “There’s an element of storytelling to data analysis, and biostatisticians tell that story to answer questions like, ‘What journey did this data take? What is going to be done with it? How will physicians use this information to help patients?'”
There’s an element of storytelling to data analysis, and biostatisticians tell that story…
Biostatisticians use data to figure out how well new medications are working, what course a newly discovered disease might take or if new policies implemented by a hospital are effective. This career might be an ideal fit for you if you’re interested in problem solving and data analysis. Now is a great time to get started, because you’ll have a lot of opportunities over the next decade. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts an impressive 8.5% increase in roles through 2034. Why such a huge number? Medical data is everywhere, and more is being generated every day. Biostatistician are needed to put it all together.
“When we think about any single individual, there are many different ways they create data that is useful for healthcare,” Torres said. “Whether it’s having their vitals taken during a hospital stay, interacting with their physician during an exam and answering questions that get recorded in an EHR, or using a wearable technology device to track steps and heart rate, those pieces of data all come together through biostatisticians who glean meaningful insights to inform care.”
You’ll need to earn at least a master’s degree to take on most biostatistician roles, although a bachelor’s degree can get you started.
Steps to becoming a biostatistician
You’ll join a growing and fascinating field when you work as a biostatistician. To get started, you’ll need to complete your education and gain some experience. Steps to take in your career include:
Earn a bachelor’s degree in a related field.
You can’t earn a bachelor’s degree in biostatistics specifically, but you can study a related subject such as biology or statistics.
Gain some practical real-world experience.
It can help to gain some experience in the field. A role such as data analyst or research assistant can help you stand out when you apply to a master’s program.
Earn your master’s degree in public health or a related field.
You’ll need a master’s degree to pursue most biostatistician roles. You can earn your master’s degree in public health, biostatistics or a closely related public health specialty such as epidemiology.
Consider pursuing a PhD.
A PhD can help you gain leadership and research roles in biostatistics. It’s a great degree path for people who want to plan and design their own research or who are interested in teaching.
What do biostatisticians do?
Biostatisticians take on the responsibility of analyzing medical data to look for specific effects or properties. They play a vital role in healthcare without any patient interaction. This can make it a great fit for people who are drawn to the healthcare field but aren’t interested in the clinical aspects. You’ll need strong organizational, analytical and communication skills to succeed in this role.
On the job, biostatisticians might study the data for patients who have all contracted a specific virus or bacteria to look for patterns. They might also analyze all the data coming back from the trial of a new prescription drug to evaluate how effective the drug is. Biostatisticians who work for environmental or government agencies might study the effects of an air pollutant or oil spill.
“Biostatisticians have to start from the lens of data empathy—taking time to understand where data is coming from and what processing has been done on the data before running analyses,” Torres said. “There may be aspects of where that data is coming from, who is generating it, and how it’s being generated that may play a role in what the analysis reveals.”
Biostatisticians have to start from the lens of data empathy—taking time to understand where data is coming from and what processing has been done on the data before running analyses.
Once the data is analyzed, the biostatistician’s next step is to make their analysis understandable to the people who will be reading it.
“Biostatisticians weigh the pros and cons of different statistical techniques and the types of conclusions that can be made, and then ensure those conclusions are relevant to and understandable for a variety of audiences,” Torres said. “You can generate really fancy results, but if no one can understand what it means or what to do with them, there’s little to no impact.”
Organizations that employ biostatisticians
Job duties and work settings
As is the case with many healthcare careers, it’s hard to predict a typical day. Even with a more office-based role such as biostatistician, your day will depend on the project you’re currently working on. Torres said that while your days can vary, you can count on interacting with data.
“There is rarely a typical day for a biostatistician, but a core component is some type of interface with datasets. This can mean sitting down at the computer to work on cleaning the data, preparing data for analysis, running an analysis on the dataset or talking with other collaborators about study design and goals,” Torres said.
Let’s explore how a biostatistician’s duties can vary depending on their employer.
Academic and university research
- Focus heavily on study design, grant support and methodological rigor
- Collaborate with faculty and graduate students across multiple research projects
- Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and present at academic conferences
- May teach statistics or mentor students in biostatistics or public health programs
Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies
- Work primarily on clinical trials across multiple phases
- Develop statistical analysis plans and support regulatory submissions (e.g. FDA)
- Collaborate closely with clinical operations, data management and medical affairs teams
- Emphasis on timelines, documentation and compliance with industry regulations
Hospitals and healthcare systems
- Analyze patient outcomes, quality improvement initiatives and operational metrics
- Support evidence-based clinical decision-making and population health efforts
- Work with EHR data and real-world evidence
- Collaborate with clinicians and healthcare administrators
Government and public health agencies
- Analyze population-level health data related to disease surveillance and prevention
- Support policy development and evaluation of public health programs
- Work with large national or regional datasets and standardized reporting requirements
- Communicate findings to policymakers and the public
Tech companies
- Apply statistical methods to product development, health analytics or machine learning models
- Work with real-time or large-scale datasets rather than traditional clinical trials
- Greater emphasis on data pipelines, automation and cross-functional collaboration
Educational requirements
A master’s degree is considered the minimum for most biostatistician roles, although you might be able to find some jobs with a bachelor’s degree. Experience in the field can go a long way toward helping you achieve a biostatistician role.
“The degree choice for biostatistics depends on what you want to do in the field. There’s a benefit to having more structured learning, especially if you want to go into academia,” Torres said. “In that case, a master’s degree, a PhD and even postdoctoral work would be useful. But real-world experience also provides a ton of value.”
A PhD can help you take on a leadership role and advance your career even further, Torres said. No matter what degree path you choose, it’s important to look at the connections your program has and the projects with which the facility have been involved.
“Students considering their educational path to a career in biostatistics should understand what opportunities there are for internships, and the work that professors at an institution are involved in,” Torres said.
Bachelor’s degree
You won’t find any undergraduate programs specifically geared to biostatistics. However, you can earn a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as biology or statistics. No matter what you choose, it’s important to make sure you complete coursework in biology, research and statistics. You’ll need those courses to look for work and to apply to master’s programs. Some schools might offer elective biostatistics courses on the undergraduate level, and it’s a great idea to take those if you can.
A bachelor’s degree may allow you to take on jobs such as research associate or data analyst. You can use these roles to gain experience. Your experience and your bachelor’s degree might allow you to transition to a biostatistician role later. Even if your experience doesn’t translate to a biostatistician role, it can make your application to a master’s program stand out and might put you ahead of the curve when it comes to your coursework.
Prerequisites
You’ll need a high school diploma, a solid GPA and strong scores on your SAT or ACT to gain admission to a bachelor’s degree program.
Courses
There is no set bachelor’s degree in this field. It can help to take courses in statistics, probability, biology, data analysis and research.
Time to complete
About four years.
Extracurricular requirements
Additional requirements will depend on your major and your school.
Master’s degree
Pursuing a master’s degree is a smart choice for a biostatistician career. Having a Master of Public Health (MPH) or a master’s degree in biostatistics, epidemiology or statistics is what most employers want to see. These degrees should allow you to pursue an entry-level role as a biostatistician. From there, you can gain experience and move up in the field.
Prerequisites
You’ll need a bachelor’s degree in a related field that includes coursework in statistics, research and biology. Many programs also prefer or require at least two years of work experience in a related research field. You’ll need a strong GPA from your undergraduate program and may need solid GRE scores as well.
Courses
You’ll take courses in data analysis, bioanalysis, probability, linear models, calculus, public health, epidemiology, bioinformatics, project implementation and biological research.
Time to complete
About three to five years.
Extracurricular requirements
Any additional requirements will depend on your school and program but might include fieldwork, a practicum or internship.
Doctorate
Earning a PhD in biostatistics or public health may help you to gain leadership and project design roles in the field. You can work to design methods to analyze and solve complicated health problems using healthcare data. You’ll be able to design and conduct independent research products. You’ll also be able to teach biostatistics to other healthcare professionals.
Many PhD programs offer a way to pay for your education through fellowships, stipends, research assistantships or teaching assistantships. This can be a great way to fund your education and gain additional experience.
Prerequisites
You’ll need a solid GPA from all previous education. Your prior coursework should be in biostatistics, public health or a closely related field. College-level statistics and biology will be required. Many programs also look for strong GRE scores and work experience in a related position.
Courses
You’ll take courses in biostatistical data analysis, project implementation, healthcare leadership, healthcare policymaking, statistical framework applications, research design and more.
Time to complete
Typically two to six years, depending on program.
Extracurricular requirements
Most PhD programs have an extensive final project or thesis component. You’ll likely need to create, conduct and analyze a research project that uses biostatistics principles as part of your requirements.
Certificates
Biostatistician certificates can help professionals who already work in closely related fields add specific biostatistical knowledge to their work. A biostatistician certificate program is normally open to people who already have a master’s or doctorate in a similar field. These programs can enrich understanding and help other professionals use biostatistical tools in their work. These certificates could be used for career advancement, a career change or simply to widen professional knowledge. Examples of professionals who might pursue a certificate include:
Most certificate programs can be completed in a year or less and require a master’s degree in a related area plus relevant work experience for admission. Letters of recommendation and an essay stating your intent might also be required. Your certificate program will go over epidemiology as well as bio information concepts. You’ll discuss how to use statistical models to analyze these topics and reach conclusions.
Can I get my degree online?
You can generally earn a biostatistics or public health degree online. This can be a great way to earn your degree on your own time or while you’re working, however, some programs might have a fieldwork or internship component. These components are designed to help you gain the hands-on experience you’ll need to help you succeed in your biostatistician career.
Online programs that require this sort of experience will help match you with clinical sites in your area. Ask about any internship requirements during your admissions process.
Biostatistician salary
The BLS groups biostatisticians with mathematicians and statisticians. The median salary of these employees is $103,300, according to the agency. Your salary will depend on your experience, education, employer and where you live.
Metro areas with the highest biostatistician salaries
Take a look at the latest data on which metropolitan areas have the highest median salaries for biostatisticians.
Job outlook
The BLS projects 8.5% job growth for statisticians through 2034, higher than the average across all occupations. Even in healthcare, where job outlooks are stronger than most other fields, this is a promising job growth rate.
Employment
According to the BLS, there are currently about 32,200 statisticians of all kinds employed in the United States. Cites and metropolitan areas with the highest employment include:
Looking ahead
The role of data and technology is becoming increasingly important in all fields, including healthcare. Electronic records and digital data storage have become standard in healthcare. In response, new roles to analyze this data must be created.
“In order to make sense of all this data that’s being collected on a daily basis, you need proper study design and proper methods to generate accurate conclusions from all that data,” Torres said. “The healthcare system needs professionals that can make sense of all the data with care and ensure proper interpretation. That’s where biostatisticians come in: to organize messy data and provide meaning and insight.”