The Statistician Experience
Being a Statistician within BE presents an opportunity to work on an array of projects that deal closely with issues and industries at the forefront of the nation’s attention. These include FTC investigations with a specific law enforcement purpose (e.g., the investigation of a proposed merger or a business practice with the potential to harm consumers), as well as more wide-ranging investigations and research projects that serve the mission of the FTC. Investigations with a specific law enforcement purpose are conducted by teams comprised of economists, Statisticians, and other staff from the Bureau of Economics and attorneys in the Bureaus of Competition and Consumer Protection. Other investigations or research projects may be conducted independently or in collaboration with attorneys in the Office of Policy Planning or another FTC office. Statisticians interact with both economists and legal staff, thereby gaining an understanding of both economic and legal aspects of FTC investigations.
- BE’s Antitrust divisions investigate the competitive effects of proposed mergers and other potentially anticompetitive business practices. Recent projects have included analysis of the potential effects of proposed mergers involving supermarkets, medical devices, hospitals, semiconductors, and apartment search websites.
- BE’s Consumer Protection division investigates unfair, deceptive, and fraudulent business practices. Recent projects have included estimating the harm to consumers from the suppression of negative product reviews, difficult-to-cancel subscription services, and deceptive claims about worker earnings.
- BE’s Office of Applied Research and Outreach focuses on research performed within BE and also in collaboration with other FTC offices. Recent and ongoing projects have included empirical research into the competitive effects of divestitures in horizontal mergers, the effects of Certificates of Public Advantage issued by state governments to replace competition between healthcare providers, and the role of pharmacy benefit managers in the supply chain for prescription drugs and drug benefits.
During these assignments, Statisticians often:
- Write computer programs to compute market shares and market concentrations, calculate consumer harm from fraudulent or deceptive business practices, estimate diversions between products in a market, calculate consumer harm from a merger, or perform other econometric analyses.
- Find, identify, and import data from public sources, and process and organize data submissions from parties to an investigation.
- Create graphs, figures, and tables that summarize the results of statistical analyses for Commission memos and reports.
- Support economists and investigation case teams during interviews, investigational hearings, and depositions.
- Assist in the preparation of expert testimony in litigations through the creation of demonstratives, calculation of relevant statistics, and drafting questions for expert examinations.
- Conduct research with economists in support of congressionally mandated studies, or to answer questions that arise during antitrust and consumer protection investigations. Statisticians also conduct research into broader economics questions related to industrial organization, consumer protection, econometric methods, and applied microeconomics.
- Write reports memorializing analysis findings to help inform FTC decision-making. Statisticians also present the results of their analyses to economists, attorneys, senior agency leaders, and to the FTC Commissioners.
Training and Development
The training and development program is an important component of the Statistician experience. Through formal training and on-the-job experience, Statisticians in BE develop expertise in software packages such as Stata, R, Python, Microsoft Excel, ArcGIS, and other programs. Statisticians also have the opportunity to attend and participate in economic research seminars hosted by BE.
Recent formal training opportunities have included courses in Python, difference-in-difference methods, and data visualization.
Preparation for a Career
The Statistician position is for an initial term of one year, renewable up to four years. It is an ideal position for technically inclined recent graduates who would like to gain real-world research and analysis experience before pursuing a Ph.D. or other graduate degree. It also provides highly relevant work experience for those who move on to careers in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.
Some pursue advanced degrees in fields such as economics, business, law, and public policy at prestigious universities such as:
| Others continue their careers at companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations such as:
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Salary and Benefits
Initial appointments are made at the GS-7 or GS-9 grade level, depending on qualifications. Salary is determined by the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
In addition to the base salary, other benefits of FTC employment include:
- Paid vacation and sick leave
- Wide selection of health insurance plans
- Flexible health spending account
- Life insurance options
- Thrift Savings Plan (401k equivalent)
- Alternate Work Schedule availability
- Generous public transportation subsidy
- Possible tuition subsidy
Current job openings at the FTC
Application Information
This position is open to any U.S. citizen. Most Statisticians enter at the GS-7 level. In order to qualify at the GS-7 level, a candidate must have superior academic achievement as a college graduate (Bachelor’s degree with a GPA 3.0 or higher) or 1 full year of graduate level education (or equivalent work experience) at the time they start employment. (Anticipation of the academic qualification or experience before entering on duty is required for application). On occasion, the FTC hires Statisticians at a GS-9 level. In order to qualify at the GS-9 level an applicant must have a Master’s degree (or 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 level). The FTC will determine whether an applicant is qualified at the GS-7 or GS-9 level based on OPM’s requirements.
In addition to significant academic coursework in statistics, the ideal candidate will indicate prior coursework in economics and mathematics; interest and proficiency in programming languages for statistics or data science such as Stata, R, or Python; as well as a genuine interest in the economics of competition and consumer protection.
While the FTC generally hires Statisticians during our regular recruiting period in the fall, candidates may apply for a Statistician position at any time there is an opening on USAJobs.gov.