5 Characteristics of a Statistician

Discover the Top 5 Characteristics of a Statistician

• Analytical Skills
• Strong Mathematical Abilities
• Ability to Solve Problems
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Comfort with Technology and Computers

A person who is considering becoming a practitioner of statistics may wonder about the five characteristics of a statistician. Knowing these characteristics could help a person decide if they have the right qualities to do well as a statistician. While a person can hone these qualities, it would be good for the person to have most or all of these as their natural talents to fit well and do well as a statistician.

1. Analytical Skills

One of the primary job duties of a statistician is to analyze data. They also use mathematical techniques and formulas to organize, analyze and model data. There are times in which no real-world information is available. Statistical modeling allows organizations and companies to make informed decisions about resources. When a statistician performs an analysis of data, they must use the correct methods. Their results should be well-documented, accurate and precise. Another statistician should be able to understand the methods and replicate the results if they use the same data and the same methods.

2. Strong Mathematical Abilities

Statisticians must have strong mathematical abilities. Some of this talent is likely to be innate. A person who is naturally inclined and likes math could do well as a practitioner of statistics. A statistician will use complex mathematical formulas, a wide range of statistics and tests of statistical significance and high-level mathematics in their work. Some of the advanced types of mathematics that they may use include linear algebra, logistic regression and calculus. They should be familiar with the theories and formulas of these advanced subjects, even if they have software handling the actual calculations for them.

3. Ability to Solve Problems

An ability to solve complex problems is another key characteristic of a statistician, explains the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A statistician should be able to devise a new type of solution for a problem that has not been solved by other methods. As engineers, scientists, healthcare providers or researchers discover new problems, a statistician should be able to gather and analyze data to come up with potential solutions to those problems.

4. Excellent Communication Skills

A statistician needs to be able to communicate their results with others who may not have the same level of understanding of statistics and mathematics. They must do this in both oral and written form. Statisticians may need to create reports that are made available for use by lay audiences who do not understand the technical aspects of the work. A statistician may also have to field questions from the public or professionals who do not work in statistics.

5. Comfort With Technology and Computers

Most statistical analysis is done on computers with specialized software. A statistician should be comfortable with that technology. They should be willing to keep up with software changes. A statistician should also be ready to learn new software to enhance their work.

Related Resource: 25 Most Affordable Master of Statistics Degrees

Becoming a statistician requires earning a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree, which requires time, money and effort. A person may want to make sure that they have most or all of the characteristics that would help them do well in the profession of statistics before making that type of commitment. Knowing these five characteristics of a statistician could help a person make an informed decision about their career.