National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0

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2121 - Mathematicians, statisticians, actuaries and data scientists

This minor group comprises mathematicians, statisticians, actuaries and data scientists. They are employed by universities, governments, bank and trust companies, insurance companies, pension benefit consulting firms, professional associations, science and engineering consulting firms, information technology consulting firms and in information technology units throughout the public and private sectors.

21210 - Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries

Mathematicians and statisticians research mathematical or statistical theories, and develop and apply mathematical or statistical techniques for solving problems in such fields as science, engineering, business and social science. Actuaries apply mathematics, statistics, probability and risk theory to assess potential financial impacts of future events. Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries are employed by universities, governments, bank and trust companies, insurance companies, pension benefit consulting firms, professional associations, and science and engineering consulting firms.

  • Illustrative example(s)

    • actuary
    • biostatistician
    • consulting actuary
    • demographer
    • insurance actuary
    • mathematician
    • statistical analyst
    • statistician

    All examples

  • Exclusion(s)

    • Financial advisors (See 11102 Financial advisors)
    • Financial and investment analysts (See 11101 Financial and investment analysts)
    • Financial auditors and accountants (See 11100 Financial auditors and accountants)
    • Financial managers (See 10010 Financial managers)
    • Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers (See 10020 Insurance, real estate and financial brokerage managers)
    • Other financial officers (See 11109 Other financial officers)
    • Statistical officers and related research support occupations (See 12113 Statistical officers and related research support occupations)
  • Main duties

    This group performs some or all of the following duties:

    Mathematicians

    • Conduct research to extend mathematical knowledge in traditional areas of mathematics such as algebra, geometry, probability and logic
    • Apply mathematical techniques to the solution of problems in scientific fields such as physical science, engineering, computer science or other fields such as operations research, business or management.

    Statisticians

    • Conduct research into the mathematical basis of the science of statistics
    • Develop statistical methodology and advise on the practical application of statistical methodology
    • Apply statistical theory and methods to provide information in scientific and other fields such as biological and agricultural science, business and economics, physical sciences and engineering, and the social sciences.

    Actuaries

    • Apply mathematical models to forecast and calculate the probable future costs of insurance and pension benefits
    • Design life, health, and property insurance policies, and calculate premiums, contributions and benefits for insurance policies, and pension and superannuation plans
    • May assist investment fund managers in portfolio asset allocation decisions and risk management. They also use these techniques to provide legal evidence on the value of future earnings.
  • Employment requirements

    • Mathematicians and statisticians usually require a graduate degree in mathematics or statistics.
    • Actuaries usually require post-secondary education in actuarial science, mathematics, statistics, economics, commerce or business administration.
    • Actuaries are conferred fellowships through the Canadian Institute of Actuaries upon successful completion of professional examinations
      and
      three years of work experience in the actuarial field as an actuarial assistant or in a related position.
  • Additional information

    • With experience, actuaries may progress to managerial positions in consulting, insurance and finance. They may also be self-employed.

21211 - Data scientists

Data scientists use advanced analytics technologies, including machine learning and predictive modelling, to support the identification of trends, scrape information from unstructured data sources and provide automated recommendations. They are employed by consulting firms, universities, banks and information technology departments in the public and private sectors.

  • Illustrative example(s)

    • data scientist
    • machine learning engineer
    • machine learning specialist
    • quantitative analyst

    All examples

  • Inclusion(s)

    • artificial intelligence (AI) analyst
    • artificial intelligence (AI) consultant
    • artificial intelligence (AI) designer
  • Exclusion(s)

    • Computer and information systems managers (See 20012 Computer and information systems managers)
    • Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers) (See 21311 Computer engineers (except software engineers and designers))
    • Database analysts and data administrators (See 21223 Database analysts and data administrators)
    • Information systems specialists (See 21222 Information systems specialists)
    • Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries (See 21210 Mathematicians, statisticians and actuaries)
    • Software engineers and designers (See 21231 Software engineers and designers)
  • Main duties

    This group performs some or all of the following duties:

    • Implement cutting-edge techniques and tools in machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence to make data analysis more efficient
    • Perform large-scale experimentation to identify hidden relationships between variables in large datasets
    • Create advanced machine learning algorithms such as regression, simulation, scenario analysis, modeling, clustering, decision trees and neural networks
    • Prepare and extract data using programming language
    • Implement new statistical, machine learning, or other mathematical methodologies to solve specific business problems
    • Visualize data in a way that allows a business to quickly draw conclusions and make decisions
    • Develop artificial intelligence models and algorithms and implement them to meet the needs of the organization
    • Coordinate research and analysis activities using unstructured and structured data and use programming to clean and organize data
  • Employment requirements

    • A bachelor's degree in statistics, mathematics, computer science, computer systems engineering or a related discipline or completion of a college program in computer science is usually required.
    • A master's or doctoral degree in machine learning, data science, or a related quantitative field is usually required.
    • Experience in programming is usually required.
    • Experience in statistical modelling and machine learning is usually required.
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