What Do Biostatisticians Do?
Biostatisticians are trained to use statistical methods to analyze health care data to help understand the causes of diseases. Biostatisticians are included in the broader category of statisticians and are also part of a broader set of public health professions. To view a description of the public health field and a list of other public health professionals, click here.
Biostatisticians also design surveys, questionnaires, and other data collection tools to collect data the data they need for their research or also analyze secondary data, which is data that someone else collected. For further information regarding biostatisticians go to https://www.bls.gov/ooh/math/mathematicians-and-statisticians.htm .
Where Do Biostatisticians Work?
Biostatisticians often work in teams of health professionals and are commonly employed by federal, state, and local governments. Biostatisticians may also be contracted or hired by pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, hospitals, or other health care institutions. They usually work in office settings, though they may go into the community to collect data.
What Do Biostatisticians Earn?
According to the 2019 BLS, the average salary for full time statisticians nationwide was $191,360, varying by specialty and geographic region. Average annual salary also varies greatly across New York State, depending on location. The NYSDOL reports that statisticians in New York earned an average annual salary of $97,540, (entry level-$63,710, experienced- $114,450).
Supply and Demand
Projected growth for statisticians nationwide and in New York is the same for the period 2016-2026, 33.8% and 33.9% respectively.
Educational Program Requirements
Most statisticians have a background in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) with about half earning a Master’s degree and about half earning a Doctoral degree. In addition to a statistics background, biostatisticians will also have course work related to health care.
New York Licensure Requirements
Licensure or certification is not necessary for biostatisticians. During the course of a biostatistician’s career, Institutional Board Certification (IRB) certification for research with human subjects and classified data may be necessary for job duties. Additionally, biostatisticians can be certified through the National Board of Public Health Examiners. For more information on a certification in public health, click on https://www.nbphe.org/.
Education Programs in New York (Subject to Change)
| University at Buffalo 704 Kimball Tower Buffalo, NY 14214 (716) 645-2000 |
Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health 722 West 168th St New York, NY 10032 (212) 342-5127 |
| Mount Sinai School of Medicine 1 Gustave L. Levy Place New York, NY 10029 (212) 241-6500 |
New York Medical College 40 Sunshine Cottage Road Valhalla, NY 10595 (914) 594-4000 |
| New York University College of Global Public Health 665 Broadway, 11th Fl New York, NY 10012 (212) 992-6741 |
SUNY – Downstate Medical Center School of Public Health 450 Clarkson Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11203 (718) 270 1065 |
| University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry 601 Elmwood Ave Rochester, NY 14642 (585) 275-0016 |
University at Albany-SUNY 1 University Place Rensselaer, NY 12144 (518) 402- 0283 |
| NYU Langone Health Sackler Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences 550 First Ave New York, NY 10016 (212) 263-5648 |
CUNY Grad School of Public Health & Health Policy Epidemiology & Biostatistics 55 w 125th St New York, NY 10027 (646) 364-9600 |