How to Become a Biostatistician
Apply statistical theory and methods to biological, public health, and medical research to design experiments and analyze clinical trial data. It typically requires a master's or doctoral degree, with a median salary of $105,650 per year and much faster than average projected job growth.
Median pay
$105,650/yr
Middle half
$82,220 to $141,490
Job growth
Much faster than average
Openings / yr
2,000
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Statistical Modeling
- Clinical Trial Design
- SAS/R Programming
- Survival Analysis
- Data Management
Helpful certifications
- PStat (Professional Statistician)
- SAS Certified Statistical Business Analyst
Is this career a fit?
Remote-friendly
78/100
Work-life balance
75/100
Stress level
28/100
Satisfaction
76/100
Related careers
- Physicist$172,250 median
- Natural Sciences Manager$167,220 median
- Astronomer$128,820 median
- Biochemist$127,410 median
- Statistician$105,650 median
- Biomedical Scientist / Researcher$103,410 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Biostatistician make?
The median pay for a Biostatistician is $105,650 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $82,220 and $141,490 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become a Biostatistician?
The usual entry point is a master's or doctoral degree. Common majors are Biostatistics, Statistics, Mathematics, Public Health, and Epidemiology.
Is Biostatistician a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is much faster than average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 2,000 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does a Biostatistician use most?
Common skills for this role are Statistical Modeling, Clinical Trial Design, SAS/R Programming, Survival Analysis, and Data Management.
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Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).