Career comparison
Statistician vs. Survey Researcher
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. $69,460), while statisticians usually get to work faster (2 years after a bachelor’s of training). Statisticians design studies and analyze data to answer questions in health, business and science. Survey researchers design surveys and analyze what people think and do.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Statistician | Survey Researcher | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $105,650 ($50.79/hr) | $69,460 ($33.40/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $64,000 – $174,050 | $39,260 – $130,860 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +11.0% (much faster than average) | -4.8% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 1,900 | 600 |
| Typical entry education | Master's degree | Master's degree |
| Training time | 2 years after a bachelor’s | 2 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | PStat | Master’s in survey methodology |
| Work setting | Statisticians work in offices for pharma, government, universities and companies; many work remotely.. | Survey researchers work in offices and remotely.. |
What each job does
Statistician
- Design studies
- Choose methods
- Analyze data
- Build models
- Check assumptions
Survey Researcher
- Design questionnaires
- Choose samples
- Run surveys
- Weight data
- Analyze results
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, remote-friendly work, and problem-solving. They sit in different fields, science, engineering & lab and business & office, but share transferable skills such as communication and attention to detail.
Which should you choose?
Choose statistician if…
- I love data
- I’m skeptical of easy answers
- I can code
Choose survey researcher if…
- I like asking good questions
- I like statistics
- I’m detail-oriented
Still torn? Take the Statistician fit quiz and the Survey Researcher fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, statistician or survey researcher?
Statisticians earn more at the median: $105,650 versus $69,460 for survey researchers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Statisticians typically train faster (2 years after a bachelor’s) than survey researchers (2 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects statisticians to grow +11.0% from 2025–35, compared with -4.8% for survey researchers.