Statisticiansin the Federal Government.pptVIP

Statisticiansin the Federal Government Prepared by: Ron Fecso, Chief Statistician, NSF/SRS Tiffany Olson, JPSM Intern, NSF/SRS Presented at Careers in Statistic Panel for Teachers in High Schools and Two Year Colleges at the Joint Statistical Meeting 2006 Why statistics? Versatile Statistician consistently ranks as one of the nation’s best jobs Great compensation Why work as a statistician for the federal government? The federal government employs 20% of the approximately 19,000 statisticians in the United States. Data collected and analyzed by statisticians in the federal government are used to make important policy decisions. Statisticians are employed in nearly every federal agency, offering a large variety of opportunities. The federal government employs statisticians with bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees. What can you do as a statistician for the federal government? Survey design and methodology Field work and data analysis Clinical trial analysis Reliability and quality control There are also many positions that use statistics but have a title other than “statistician” and don’t necessarily require a degree in statistics. Where can you work in the federal government? U.S. Food and Drug Administration Non-laboratory setting Review and evaluate new drug applications Research setting Design and analyze complex short term and long term studies Bureau of Labor Statistics Produce important economic indicators such as the Unemployment Rate and the Consumer Price Index Job tasks include: Sampling frame development and refinement Survey design Measuring and improving the quality of data Serving as a consultant U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Statisticians Produce seasonal estimates of commodities such as macadamia nuts in Hawaii Use survey statistics, mathematical statistics, and data processing to prepare data relating to many areas of agriculture Mathematical Statisticians Research and evaluate the theory and statistical programs used i