Biostatistician Salary: Your 2024 Guide

Biostatisticians are the data science wizards behind statistics and research studies in medicine, agriculture, and public health. As the need for health care professionals grows among the general population, so too does the need for research professionals capable of understanding the ailments affecting them.

That need has driven a high demand for biostatisticians. While health care occupations are projected to grow 13 percent between 2021 and 2031, biostatisticians are expected to grow a whopping 31 percent between during the same period [1,2]. And, with such high demand comes a higher-than-average pay.

In this article, you'll learn how much you can expect to earn as a biostatistician and how your salary may 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 data science and research experts, so employers sometimes require candidates with master’s or doctorate degrees in a statistics-related field. As a result, pay can vary considerably from one position to another.

The average base pay you can expect to earn as a biostatistician ranges between $81,630 and $114,219, according to various pay aggregation sites. At a glance, here's what five different sources say you may earn as a biostatistician:

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. Below, we explore how different factors may impact your pay.

By 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: $81,063

• Master’s degree: $92,780

• Doctorate degree: $110,711

As you can see, earning a master’s or doctoral degree can add about $10-20k 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 annually compared to $84,254 for those with only a bachelor’s degree-more than twice the amount [4].

By experience

In addition to education, biostatisticians can also increase their salary with experience. Junior-level biostatisticians might start out earning less than the average, but there is plenty of room for growth [3]:

• Entry- or junior-level: $71,000

• Mid-level: $85,645

• Senior-level: $102,000

That number can be higher depending on where you work and who you work for. ZipRecruiter lists the average annual salary for a biostatistician at $114,219 [5] and $136,201 for a senior biostatistician [6].

By 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 [3]:

• Pharmaceutical: $102,858

• Health care: $88,688

• Retail: $98,007

• Education: $78,198

By 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 or 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.

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