Uses statistics to design, score and validate standardized tests such as licensing exams, state assessments and admissions tests. BLS does not publish separate figures for statisticians; it counts them within statistician (SOC 15-2041), whose median pay is $105,650 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Master's degree.
- SOC 15-2041
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Psychometrician in four numbers
- Median pay
- $105,650a year, or $50.79/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $64KTop 10% $174K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +11.0%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+11%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +11% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,90031,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202531.3K
- Projected 203534.7K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 31.3K Projected 2035 34.7K - Typical education
- Master'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Some college4.8%
- Associate's4.8%
- Bachelor's14.3%
- Master's61.9%
- Doctorate9.5%
- Post-doctoral training4.8%
Highest education held by statisticians Segment Value Some college 4.8% Associate's 4.8% Bachelor's 14.3% Master's 61.9% Doctorate 9.5% Post-doctoral training 4.8%
Also advertised as: Measurement Scientist, Assessment Psychometrician, Senior Psychometrician, Research Scientist, Psychometrics.
Pay
How much do Statisticians make?
Every psychometrician in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$105,650
Middle half earn $82,220 to $141,490
- 10th
- $64,000
- 25th
- $82,220
- 75th
- $141,490
- 90th
- $174,050
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $64,000 |
| 25th | $82,220 |
| Median | $105,650 |
| 75th | $141,490 |
| 90th | $174,050 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $105,650
- Median hourly wage
- $50.79/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $115,700
- People employed
- 29,030
Versus all US occupations
At $105,650, Statisticians earn 107% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $54,670 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 9% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $174,050 or more while the bottom 10% earn $64,000, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 79% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $140,670, and still leads at $127,997 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Statisticians the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $140,670 | $127,997 | 550 |
| 2New York | $136,020 | $126,037 | 1,220 |
| 3California | $135,960 | $122,796 | 2,480 |
| 4Maryland | $132,620 | $126,354 | 2,730 |
| 5Illinois | $119,760 | $119,810 | 480 |
| 6New Jersey | $118,280 | $108,708 | 880 |
| 7North Carolina | $115,690 | $122,649 | 1,200 |
| 8Georgia | $115,150 | $119,583 | 460 |
| 9Virginia | $114,920 | $113,665 | 720 |
| 10Kentucky | $112,520 | $124,802 | 80 |
Job outlook
Is Psychometrician a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +11.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Statisticians | +11% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Statisticians to change 11.0% over 2025–2035, roughly 3.1× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 3,400 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,900 openings are projected each year, 6.1% of the 31,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Psychometrician
Most psychometricians hold a master's degree or, more often, a PhD in educational measurement, quantitative psychology, psychometrics or statistics. Graduate coursework covers item response theory, classical test theory, structural equation modeling and test validity. Programming in R, Python or SAS is expected.
The National Council on Measurement in Education and the American Educational Research Association, together with the American Psychological Association, publish the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, the field's main professional guide. Many psychometricians start through internships at testing organizations such as ETS, ACT, Pearson or the National Board of Medical Examiners, or at state education departments.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Master's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Considerable preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as statisticians.
- Master's Degree61.9%
- Bachelor's Degree14.3%
- Doctoral Degree9.5%
- Some College Courses4.8%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree4.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | 61.9% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 14.3% |
| Doctoral Degree | 9.5% |
| Some College Courses | 4.8% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 4.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Psychometrician do?
Psychometricians make sure tests measure what they claim to measure, fairly and consistently. They work on state K-12 assessments, college admissions and placement tests, medical and nursing licensing exams, IT certifications and employment tests. Their job covers the full life of a test: planning the blueprint, analyzing field-test items, building equivalent test forms and setting passing scores.
The core tools are statistical models such as item response theory, along with methods for equating scores across test forms and detecting items that are unfair to particular groups. Psychometricians write technical reports that support a test's validity and defend its use to state agencies, licensing boards and sometimes courts. Many also work on computer-adaptive testing and automated scoring.
Day-to-day tasks
- Analyze field-test data to evaluate test questions
- Apply item response theory to calibrate items
- Equate scores across different forms of a test
- Run analyses to detect items biased against groups
- Facilitate standard-setting studies to choose passing scores
- Design computer-adaptive testing algorithms
- Write technical reports documenting validity and reliability
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Psychometricians work at testing companies, licensing and certification boards, state education agencies, universities and research firms. The work is computer-based and often remote or hybrid. Schedules are regular, with busy periods after test administrations when scores must be equated and reported quickly. The job involves collaboration with test developers and clients.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Mathematics4.9
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Writing3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Science3.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 4.9 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Science | 3.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Complex Problem Solving3.9
- Judgment and Decision Making3.4
- Programming3.0
- Systems Analysis3.0
- Systems Evaluation3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Coordination2.9
- Instructing2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.4 |
| Programming | 3.0 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 2.9 |
| Instructing | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Psychometrician?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ICR) built on O*NET's Statistician profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Psychometrician |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 7 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative6.6
- Conventional6.0
- Realistic3.1
- Enterprising1.8
- Artistic1.8
- Social1.7
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Psychometrician
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Life, Physical, and Social Science
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with statisticians highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Psychometrician$105,650
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Web Designer$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Psychometrician | $105,650 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Psychometrician appears on
Questions
Psychometrician: frequently asked questions
How much do Statisticians make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for statisticians. It counts them within statistician, whose median pay is $105,650 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $82,220 and $141,490, and the top 10% earn $174,050 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Psychometrician?
Yes. BLS reports a master's degree as the typical entry-level education for Statisticians, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as considerable preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 61.9% hold master's degree.
Is Psychometrician a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 11.0% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Psychometrician do?
Psychometricians make sure tests measure what they claim to measure, fairly and consistently. A typical task: analyze field-test data to evaluate test questions. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Business intelligence and data analysis software, Data base management system software.
Which states pay Statisticians the most?
The highest state medians for Statisticians are District of Columbia ($140,670), New York ($136,020), California ($135,960) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Psychometrician?
O*NET scores Statisticians highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, INTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.