What Is a Biostatistician? 2026 Career Guide

Key takeaways

• A biostatistician is a professional who collects and analyzes data for public health, helping to advance groundbreaking research across industries.

• Biostatistician jobs involve developing data-collection methodologies, designing clinical trials, and collecting and analyzing large data sets.

• A biostatistician is an ideal job opportunity for those who want to work in health care but not in a clinical role.

As a biostatistician, your work may involve interpreting and disseminating your findings through papers, presentations, and reports to advise on public health, education, or environmental policy. Learn more about a career as a biostatistician, including what they do, how much they earn, and how to become one.

If you’re ready to build skills for this career, consider enrolling in Johns Hopkins University’s Biostatistics in Public Health Specialization. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about quantitative research, statistical visualization, regression analysis, and more in as little as two months.

What is a biostatistician?

Biostatisticians collect and analyze data for biology and public health purposes using math and statistics. Biostatisticians are critical to advancing groundbreaking research, from medicine to agriculture to public health.

They are data collectors and analysts who focus on biology in fields such as medicine, agriculture, and public health. Working at the intersection of health and data science, they are the wizards who produce and verify public health statistics.

Biostatisticians do important work. What makes them unique are the complexities of the real-world problems they’re finding solutions for, such as the needs of an aging population and Alzheimer's disease treatment. Conducting rigorous analyses in a timely manner is urgent in order to save more lives.

If you’re a data-minded individual interested in a career in medicine or health but do not want to become a clinical doctor, nurse, or specialist, then this could be a good choice for you.

As a highly trained and educated biostatistician, you would analyze data and determine factors that impact the health and overall well-being of humans, animals, and ecology. Using this information, you and a team of researchers would deliver statistics, predictions, and studies on diseases and other health risks. You would gather data at every stage of an experiment or clinical trial to ensure thorough results from a big-picture perspective.

Where does a biostatistician work?

Biostatisticians can work in a variety of settings on different types of research studies.

Besides clinical settings, you can also choose to work in government or nonprofit organizations, in academia, in technology, or in a corporation. Biostatisticians sometimes work for pharmaceutical companies during their clinical studies to determine whether a drug is effective. You might do the same for a medical device company. You may work for a public health-focused non-profit to evaluate programs that inform policymaking. In government-related roles, you would help shape public health and education policies.

Biostatistician salary and job outlook

The salary of a biostatistician is above average. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, mathematicians and statisticians earn a median annual salary of $104,350 [1]. They can expect 8 percent job growth from now until 2034 [1]. Indeed lists an average salary of $114,305 [2].

What does a biostatistician do?

Biostatisticians typically work on a team of scientists and researchers to perform analyses, develop plans, and interpret results.

Some job tasks and responsibilities of a biostatistician include:

• Develop methodologies for collecting data.

• Design studies and clinical trials to solve a specific problem or question.

• Collect and analyze large data sets.

• Interpret results and disseminate findings with papers and presentations.

Is it hard to become a biostatistician?

The level of difficulty you encounter on your path to becoming a biostatistician will likely vary depending on how deep your understanding of fields central to the work of a biostatistician is, which include biology, mathematics, and statistical methods. A background in calculus, chemistry, physics, and data and numerical analysis may make the path to a career as a biostatistician a bit smoother, but with determination and dedication, a career in this field is accessible.

How to become a biostatistician

Biostatisticians tend to be highly educated and trained in their fields, meaning that a master’s degree in statistics or public health is often required or recommended. Employers like to see that job candidates have experience with complex statistical analysis.

1. Begin your education requirements with a biostatistician degree.

It is wise to consider a bachelor’s degree if you aspire to become a biostatistician. Most jobs require a master’s degree, and still others will require a doctorate. Biostatisticians work with data to produce insights that can affect entire populations, so they must be experts at data analysis.

If you’re considering the path to becoming a biostatistician, a bachelor’s degree in a quantitative major such as mathematics or statistics will set you up for success. However, don’t fret if you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field, such as humanities or social sciences. A master’s in mathematics, statistics, or another data-related field, plus a strong foundation of programming and data software management skills, can help you land a junior-level position as a biostatistician.

2. Gain the skills needed.

You’ll need technical and workplace skills for a role as a biostatistician. The specific skills and experience required may vary depending on the type of organization you aim to work for, so make sure to take a look at real job descriptions to understand what you’ll need to learn.

Technical skills:

• Programming languages such as R, Python, C or C++, JavaScript, MATLAB, and SQL

• Ability to manage and clean data using data analysis software (SAS)

• Strong knowledge of statistical theory, including longitudinal and complex data analysis

• Expert experience in a specific area, such as epidemiology or public health

Workplace skills:

• Ability to multitask or contribute to multiple projects simultaneously

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

• Strong academic-level writing skills

Biostatisticians are typically inquisitive and intellectual individuals who like to investigate a problem from beginning to end. They are logical, using methodical ways of collecting and analyzing data to inform public health decisions.

3. Go for a master’s degree.

If you’re serious about becoming a biostatistician, you might want to pursue a master’s degree in biostatistics, statistics, mathematics, or public health (with a focus on data and statistics). Approximately 41 percent of biostatisticians have a master’s degree, according to ZippiaOnline [3].

These days, with bachelor’s degrees being more ubiquitous, having a master’s degree for this type of specialized, technical job can help you stand out from the rest of the applicants. Some jobs even require a master’s degree or higher.

Read more: Your Guide to Master's Programs

What degree do you need to be a biostatistician?

To become a biostatistician, you will likely need to earn a master’s degree. You can start with a bachelor’s degree in a related field like biology or statistics and focus on public health, biostatistics, epidemiology, or a related field for your master’s degree.

Explore free resources for your career

Subscribe to Career Chat on LinkedIn, where you can access helpful career tips and gain insight into emerging industry trends. Then, check out these free resources as you consider a biostatistician career:

• Build your knowledge: Data Analysis Terminology

• Read our Career Chat issue: Data Analysis: Where to Start and How to Build This High-Income Skill

• Watch on YouTube: Why Statisticians Earn $104K+ Solving the World's Biggest Puzzles

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