Biostatistician Salary: Your 2022 Guide

Biostatisticians are the data science wizards behind statistics and research studies in medicine, agriculture, and public health. The demand for biostatisticians has only grown during the ongoing pandemic.

Given this demand, biostatisticians can expect a projected job growth rate of 33 percent between 2020 and 2030 [1]. Overall, health care occupations are projected to grow 16 percent from 2020 to 2030 [2]. 

A biostatistician must be highly educated and trained to land a job, and salaries are high to match this level of expertise. Your salary can vary depending upon your education, experience, industry, and location.

Continue reading to learn what you can expect to earn as a biostatistician.

How much do biostatisticians make?

As a biostatistician, you can expect to earn an above-average salary. Biostatisticians tend to be experts in data science and research, so employers sometimes require candidates with master’s or doctorate degrees in a statistics-related field. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, mathematicians and statisticians earn a median annual salary of $96,280 [1]. 

Here is an overview of what biostatisticians make, according to different sources:

Note: The following average salaries for biostatisticians from US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, Salary.com, Payscale, and Indeed are as of June 2022.

Factors that impact a biostatistician salary

Biostatisticians can earn a good salary no matter where they work, but it varies depending upon education, experience, industry, and location. For example, a biostatistician who works for a non-profit will most likely make less than one who works for a technology company.

Education

It is typical for individuals with higher education to earn higher salaries. This is true in the case of biostatisticians, who often have master’s or doctorate degrees in statistics or a related field. For a biostatistician, the terminal degree is a doctorate degree, or Ph.D. According to Zippia, the breakdown for biostatistician salaries with varying levels of education are as follows [3]:

• Bachelor’s degree: $75,378

• Master’s degree: $89,866

• Doctorate degree: $103,774

As you can see, earning a master’s or doctorate degree can add $10-15k to your salary. However, according to Glassdoor, that number is even higher: They claim that statisticians who have earned a graduate degree can make $192,805 compared to $84,254 for those with only a bachelor’s—more than twice the amount [4]. 

Experience

In addition to education, biostatisticians can also increase their salary with experience. Those with significant experience can often make over $130,000 [5]. As you move up into senior-level positions such as Director, you could make upwards of $201,000, while Chief Data Officers (CDO) can earn well over $250,000 [5].

Junior-level biostatisticians might start out earning less than the average, but there is plenty of room for growth [3]:

• Entry- or junior-level: $60,000

• Mid-level: $81,350

• Senior-level: $108,000

That number can be higher depending on where you work and who you work for. ZipRecruiter lists $124,736 as the average salary for a biostatistician, and $140,518 for a senior biostatistician [6].

Industry

Besides your education and experience level, your salary can vary depending on your industry and your place of work. Biostatisticians have a range of potential workplaces, such as universities, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, and they can also work within different industries.

The main industries a biostatistician might work in and their respective average salaries are as follows [5]:

• Pharmaceutical: $107,634

• Health care: $98,064

• Retail: $97,630

• Education: $77,407

Further, how much you can earn might depend on your place of work. For example, biostatisticians working in hospitals can earn $80,450 on average, while those in health insurance can earn $79,310.  One can earn around $100,960 working for the federal government, and $94,820 in pharmaceutical manufacturing [5]. 

Location

Where you live and where your organization is based can impact your salary as a biostatistician. Typically, working in bigger cities such as New York and London means you’ll make more to cover the high cost of living. Biostatisticians can work remotely because their jobs can be done on computers and over Zoom calls, so as companies and governments have shifted online, salaries may continue to match the location of the organization. 

If you are a biostatistician in a US city, you might expect to earn [3]:

If you or your company are based outside of the US, your salary can range from the following:

Note: Salary information is the most recent information available from Glassdoor and Salaryexpert.com.

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Article sources  

1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Mathematicians and Statisticians, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/math/mathematicians-and-statisticians.htm.” Accessed June 8, 2022.

2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Outlook Handbook: Healthcare Occupations, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm.” Accessed June 8, 2022.

3. Zippia. “Average Biostatistician Salary, https://www.zippia.com/biostatistician-jobs/salary/.” Accessed June 8, 2022.

4. Glassdoor. "How to Become a Biostatistician, https://www.glassdoor.com/Career/how-to-become-biostatistician_KO14,29.htm.” Accessed June 8, 2022.

5. Top Master’s in Healthcare Administration. “Job Profile: Biostatistician, https://www.topmastersinhealthcare.com/job-profiles/biostatistician/.” Accessed June 8, 2022.

6. Ziprecruiter. “Senior Biostatistician Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Senior-Biostatistician-Salary.” Accessed June 8, 2022.