Statistician - requirements

As a statistician, you’ll use your excellent number and IT skills to collect, analyse, interpret and present data to identify trends and find solutions to problems. Learn more about a career in statistics, find out what it involves and what you’ll need to study and do to get a role.

Know what you'll need to land a job below.

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What qualifications do you need to be a statistician?

You’ll usually need a mathematical based degree to be eligible for this role. Subjects to consider include:

You might also choose to study for a dual degree, like statistics with law or politics.

Please note this is a beta version. We'll continue to improve our suggestions here so that we show you the most relevant subjects.

Do you need a postgraduate qualification to be a statistician?

Many employers will ask that you have a postgraduate qualification and may offer sponsorship for these sorts of courses.

Examples of taught master's courses and research degrees at postgraduate level include:

  • Advanced statistics
  • Applied statistics
  • Business analytics
  • Data science and statistics
  • Financial engineering
  • Economics
  • Mathematics

What skills do you need to be a statistician?

As well as expert knowledge of statistics, you’ll need to show your suitability for the working environment.

Hard skills usually include:
  • Accounting
  • Computer programming and software
  • Data analysis
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Statistics
Soft skills include:
  • Communication
  • Detail orientated
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Presentation
  • Research

Do you need work experience to be a statistician?

Work experience isn’t always necessary, but it will help your job application stand out.

Many university courses include industry placements or internships, or you could contact a relevant company to ask for some experience.

Other options include volunteering where you could use your numerical skills to help a charity or community organisation.

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