Career comparison
Math Professor vs. Statistician
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Statisticians earn more at the median ($105,650 vs. $79,940), while statisticians usually get to work faster (2 years after a bachelor’s of training). Math professors teach college math, from calculus to advanced theory. Statisticians design studies and analyze data to answer questions in health, business and science.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Math Professor | Statistician | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $79,940 | $105,650 ($50.79/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $49,180 – $139,340 | $64,000 – $174,050 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +1.7% (slower than average) | +11.0% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 3,900 | 1,900 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Master's degree |
| Training time | 5–7 years after a bachelor’s | 2 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | Ph.D. in mathematics | PStat |
| Work setting | Math faculty work in classrooms, offices and math learning centers.. | Statisticians work in offices for pharma, government, universities and companies; many work remotely.. |
What each job does
Math Professor
- Teach math and statistics courses
- Write problem sets and exams
- Hold office hours
- Support tutoring programs
- Conduct research
Statistician
- Design studies
- Choose methods
- Analyze data
- Build models
- Check assumptions
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, problem-solving, and high-pay. They sit in different fields, education & childcare and science, engineering & lab, but share transferable skills such as patience and communication.
Which should you choose?
Choose math professor if…
- I love mathematics
- I’m patient with learners
- I enjoy proofs
Choose statistician if…
- I love data
- I’m skeptical of easy answers
- I can code
Still torn? Take the Math Professor fit quiz and the Statistician fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, math professor or statistician?
Statisticians earn more at the median: $105,650 versus $79,940 for math professors, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Statisticians typically train faster (2 years after a bachelor’s) than math professors (5–7 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects statisticians to grow +11.0% from 2025–35, compared with +1.7% for math professors.