Biostatistician

Collect, analyse, interpret and communicate health-related data

Job opportunities

Jobs in SEEK right now

Job growth

5-year projection

Salary

Typical salary

Job satisfaction

Job opportunities

Jobs in SEEK right now

Salary

Typical salary

Job growth

5-year projection

Job satisfaction

What's it like to be a Biostatistician?

Biostatisticians may work in medical or agricultural research, collecting, analysing, interpreting and communicating health-related data. Biostatisticians provide the specialised skills needed to draw useful conclusions from health-related research.

Tasks and duties

Designing studies and analysing data.
Investigating the factors that impact the health of people or animals in order to arrive at conclusions about disorders, disease, or other health risks.
Developing and applying statistical methods to scientific research in health-related fields, including medicine, epidemiology, and public health.
Helping to formulate the scientific questions to be answered, and determining appropriate sampling techniques.
Coordinating data collection procedures.
Conducting statistical analyses to answer scientific questions.
Preparing research material for publication.

Biostatisticians may work in government departments, hospitals, research centres, universities, or pharmaceutical or agricultural companies, working on, for example, clinical trials to determine how effective a certain drug is on people or animals.

How to become a Biostatistician

To become a Biostatistician in Australia, a university qualification in Mathematics or Statistics is usually required. Alternatively, you may choose to complete a Graduate Diploma in Biostatistics in conjunction with the Biostatistics Collaboration of Australia (BCA).

Undertake a qualification in Statistics, Mathematics or Econometrics. This may be a Bachelor of Statistics or a Bachelor of Science (Statistics). Alternatively, students with previous related qualifications may wish to undertake a Master of Biostatistics or a Master of Applied Statistics.
Apply to become a member of the Statistical Society of Australia. Registration is not mandatory to work as a Biostatistician in Australia however accreditation indicates you have achieved an acceptable level of professional competence.
Supervisory and higher management positions is just one pathway for experienced Biostatisticians. Other career pathways include specialising as a Biostatistician, becoming an Epidemiologist or an Applied Statistician.